Category: Sports

  • Raw Preparation and Practice Leads to SmackDown for Wrestling

    Poly’s wrestling season recently started and the teams are coming out strong. Recent encounter was with Lakewood, in which Poly brought home the W with senior Jerry Luna in fourth place, junior Chang Lou in sixth and senior Tomas Lou in ninth.

    Senior varsity captain Tomas Lou, explained that the team “started out a little rusty but as we worked together to improve in our matches.” Lou also he added that the “connection between our team we all share our blood and tears – I know it sounds cliché but when we’re in that room we all share those feelings where we work hard to improve as a team and a family.”

    With the support of their captain, the team has built up confidence. Freshmen wrestler Karin Lopez explained her experience in her first year on the Poly wrestling team: “They have been very supportive and showed me many new moves apart from the ones I knew before coming to Poly, and my coaches are always there cheering us on and being very supportive.”

    As shown the team has such a strong bond and them having a lot of confidence with each other gives them a positive vibe on the rest of the season and make them work to come out stronger.

  • It’s a Hard-Wood Life

    Long Beach Poly’s boys basketball team suffered a devastating loss to the Lakewood Lancers in overtime by 3 points ending with a score of 90-87.

    When talking to the senior Darryl Polk Jr about the loss he said, “I was so lost for words because we haven’t lost to Lakewood in 13 years and we lose to them by 3 points.”

    “We need to play as a team more because, when the momentum is lost we start losing sight of winning and start doing our own thing.” said Polk.

    Their next game they played was against Wilson. Poly was up by 15 points the whole game, until they started playing selfish and Sloppy. The game came down to the last quarter and Wilson started playing like the better team. After a buzzer beater by Wilson guard Jayden Woodard the contest went into overtime . Through an overtime rally Poly was able to win the game with a final score of 74-70, barely pulling through.

    On the other hand Long Beach Poly’s girl basketball team has been steamrolling through every Moore league team this season. They beat Milikan 67-47, and Wilson 72-30. Their next game is January 19 against Cabrillo.

    Even though they blew out Wilson the Lady Jackrabbits always fell like they can improve, “We didn’t play with as much energy as we did against Millikan,” said freshman Kalaya Buggs.

  • Girls Water Polo’s Many Goals and Aspirations This Season

    On January 10, 2018, Long Beach Poly’s girls varsity water polo won its first Moore League game of the season against Lakewood with a score of 18-1 .

    “It was our first Moore League game, so it’s exciting to see how well we are doing so early in the season. Our hard work and ability to work well together as a team is definitely going to pay off this season. We had a strong preseason with intense practices and scrimmages against competitive teams,” said senior Sidney Balle, a utility player.

    The Poly team has played schools such as Canyon (9-7 W), Mission Viejo (14-6 W), Agoura (12-9 L), Yorba Linda (18-3 W), Santa Monica (9-4 W), El Toro (8-3 L), Villa Park (14-7 W), Cerritos (23-1 W), Palos Verdes (7-3 W), Redondo Union (14-9 L), and Peninsula (8-5 W) during their preseason in December.

    “During the preseason we worked really hard. We had the future in mind and we knew it wasn’t time to rest, but time to prepare. We had practices and tournaments and those preseason games were our time to make mistakes and correct them in time for the season. My position on the team is a utility player which means I do a bit of everything,” said senior Amanda Horton, “Headed into the game, I was focused but I knew as a team we should just aim to have fun and play good water polo. We started out a bit slow offensively, but our defense shut them out.”

    In the first quarter, Poly was in the lead with four points against Lakewood’s zero. In the second quarter, Poly stretched the lead to seven points. During the third quarter, Lakewood scored their one and only goal, with Poly scoring another five.

    “We had an amazing defense against Lakewood. They often had only one or two passes before we stole the ball. We came out slow in the first quarter but stepped it up in the second, scoring most our goals off counterattacks,” said senior Darby Huff, a set guard on the team. “But, I can’t stress enough that the relationship shared between all the girls, a bond created out of blood, sweat, and tears is going to make us successful this year. I couldn’t ask for a better group of girls, especially our five amazing seniors who lead the way for all the younger girls.”

    “For the Lakewood game, I played as a setter. I felt that this game went great and was a great win for us to start Moore League an opportunity for us to fix any mistakes before facing tougher teams in Moore League and CIF playoffs,” said senior Sidney Brightenburg.

    “The Lakewood game started out slowly, but as the game progressed we had more intensity. Our great team defense paid off, allowing only two or three passes before we stole the ball from them. Our quick offense and good ball handling gave us the opportunity to make a lot of goals,” said senior Sidney Balle.

    The girls’ water polo team’s success did not come without hardship. For about five weeks, one of the heaters in the Poly pool was broken. They spent a week practicing in cold water before switching their practices to Cabrillo’s pool. Practices were also held at CSULB, LBCC, and Belmont. Shortly after, the girls returned to their own pool on January 8.

    Huff described how the team overcome adversity: “I feel very confident going into the season despite our setbacks involving sickness and our pool being out of commission for four weeks. We all have worked really hard this year, and our amazing coaching staff has pushed us not only physically but mentally as well.”

    Since the Lakewood game, the Jackrabbits have played five matches, including wins against Brea Olinda High School on January 12 and Warren High School on January 13. Poly’s girls water polo team now has an overall season record of 12 wins and six losses.

  • Cross Country: The Last Ride

    Cross Country: The Last Ride

    On November 1, a number of Poly seniors run the last cross country race of their high school career. Many of these seniors are looking forward to Moore League finals and are hoping to achieve their personal goals of improving  with faster finishing times.

    When asked how the cross country team prepares for the race, senior Brian Espinoza said, “We train really hard to get where we want to be and would like to achieve…being fully committed is a number one priority to achieving our goal.”

    Senior Leslie Diaz said she likes to stay hydrated and keep a positive attitude before she races. Diaz also stated that one of her personal goals is to be patient during the race and try to enjoy the race as much as she can.

    One of the highlights from this season, explained senior Lanae Caldwell, is having the opportunity to run in the Mount Sac race.

    “Thinking of all the other amazing athletes that have ran this race before me, made me proud to have ran this race,” Caldwell said.

    Senior Nate Cooper said his goal for the race is to achieve his best time for this season.

    “I am excited to see all the hard work we’ve put in over the past few years,” Cooper said.

    It is obvious that these student athletes put in a lot of work, time and dedication into their sport and academics. In the end, their hard work should pay off and hopefully they will feel content with their achievements.

  • Eric Wilson, #20

    Eric Wilson, #20

    Senior year means the end of an era for most students, but for Poly’s linebacker, Eric Wilson, this year is only the beginning.

    Wilson has been playing football for his entire high school career at Poly. He has met “incredible people from coaches and players to staff members” during his time at Poly. These people became his support system and his family. He said that the type of environment Poly has created for him is the reason it has kept him here the past four years.

    Being at Poly has allowed Wilson to “take on more of a leadership role on the team and form bonds that no one will be able to take from [him].” He has also has been given the extra confidence boost towards extraordinary goals with the help of being on varsity football for the past three years.

    Wilson said, “One of my long term goals is to play in the NFL.” But unlike his other teammates he also hopes to become “a professional saxophonist and win a Grammy award.”

    After high school, he plans to continue his football career and plans to double major in business sports management and music.

    The football star is notably popular among the Poly community. Wilson’s optimistic quality outshines the students around him. It is a characteristic that is necessary for playing on a team with such a great reputation.

    At the start of this year’s football season, Wilson said he “expected us [Poly] to go undefeated.” Even with our loss to Mission Viejo, he said, “our team can win the CIF Southern section championship and state title.”

    Wilson never loses sight of what he wants. When Wilson puts his mind to something, nothing will stand in his way.

    Poly football has played an important factor in who Wilson is today. He said, “through our football program, I’ve learned how to be a better young man, son and brother.” A teammate on and off the field, Poly’s football team is more than lucky to have the number 20.

  • Even Moore League Titles

    Even Moore League Titles

    On October 20th Poly’s Girl’s Tennis defeated Wilson High School 13 to 5. And more recently the Poly’s Girl’s Tennis Team dominated the Moore Leagues, finishing the regular season with an outstanding 19-0, ranking them third in the division 3 playoffs

    As of October 30th Poly’s Girl’s Tennis won the Moore League girls doubles finals, at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center. It was no ordinary game, with much adrenaline pumping and the crowd cheering.

    The game was came down to Poly juniors Mey Phy and Sarah Soderburg vs Poly freshman Ava Deguzman and sophomore Kate Johnson, the match was fierce yet a good display of sportsmanship and friendship. The match was won by the youngins Deguzman and Johnson, with the score being 6-3 and 7-6.

    So what’s next in store for the Girls Tennis Team? With the Moore League out of the way the team can focus on the CIF playoffs, whilst keeping the grind centered on winning a  championship.

  • Golf N’ Stuff

    The Long Beach Poly girls golf team had two matches in the past week. The first match took place on Tuesday, September 26 which Poly lost with a score of 213 – 264. The second match was Thursday, September 28 against Lakewood and Poly won with a score of 256 – 269. Both matches took place at Recreation Park.

    The girls prepared for their matches by practicing four days a week. During practice, they use the driving range to learn how to use all the clubs and when to use them. The girls also work on what is called their short game at the pitching green, and finally they go to the putting green to work on their putting. Besides that the girls have also had additional help this year.

    According to co-captain and junior Ellie Andrews, “For practices we also have a professional golfer helping us during our practices. His name is Dave Heinan.” Heinan has been helping the team since the season has started which is about a month ago.

    “Wilson has always been hard for us to beat because they are pretty much the best, but we have been getting better and Dave has really been a big help for becoming better and improving as a team,” Andrews stated.

    When asked about her opinion on how the team could improve other co-captain of the team and sophomore Hannah Vanwagner stated, “It is hard for everyone to have a good day all on the same day, so I think that consistency would help us to improve.”

    When asked about the disparity between their matches this week, Andrews said, “Wilson is the best in Moore league which makes them our toughest competition, but Lakewood we usually tend to beat every year.”

  • Fourth Quater Heartbreak

    Fourth Quater Heartbreak

    Long​ ​Beach​ ​Poly​ ​football​ ​played ​Mission​ ​Viejo​​ ​on​ ​Friday,​ ​September​ ​15, ​at​ ​Veterans​ ​Stadium. The Poly football team was adorned in their all black uniforms and the Poly fans supported them by wearing black as well.

    The​ ​Jackrabbits​ ​lost​ ​12-7.​ ​Poly​ ​now​ ​has​ ​a​ ​2-1-0​ ​overall​ ​record this season and ​Mission Viejo​ ​now​ ​has​ ​a​ ​4-0-0​ ​overall​ ​record. When​ ​asked​ ​his​ ​thoughts​ ​on​ ​the​ ​game​, senior ​Raymond Graham said,​ ​“We had the game in our hands and we let them take the momentum of the game.”

    During the first quarter, Poly defense held it down and blocked any advances towards the end zone.​ In the second quarter the Jackrabbits were not as successful and Mission Viejo scored the first touchdown of the game. Poly came back refreshed after halftime and Graham scored a touchdown for the Jackrabbits, making the score 7-6. In the midst of the fourth quarter Mission Viejo grabbed control of the game via a pick 6 and didn’t let go, despite Poly’s valiant efforts.

    This​ ​was​ ​Poly’s​ third​game​ ​this​ ​season.​ ​They​ ​had​ ​a​ ​game​ ​on​ ​August​ ​25​ ​against​ ​Los​ ​Alamitos. Poly​ ​won​ ​the​ ​game​ ​28-10.​ The ​Jackrabbits​ ​also​ ​had​ ​a​ ​game​ ​September​ ​1​ ​versus​ ​Narbonne.​ ​The game​ ​took​ ​Place​ ​At​ ​El​ ​Camino​ ​college.​ ​Poly​ ​won​ ​again​ ​(14-10).

    The​ ​game​ ​was​ ​for also a part of the​ ​Touchdowns​ ​Against​ ​Cancer.​ ​Touchdowns​ ​against​ ​cancer​ ​is​ ​a​ ​way​ ​to​ ​raise money​ ​to​ ​help​ ​fight​ ​childhood​ ​cancer.​ ​High​ ​school​ ​football​ ​team’s​ ​across​ ​America​ ​participate​ ​in this​, all​​ ​September.​ ​$16​ ​is​ ​pledged​ ​per​ ​touchdown, and all​ ​the​ ​money​ ​raised​ ​goes​ ​towards​ ​St. Jude​ ​Children’s​ ​Research​ ​Hospital.​ ​So​ ​far​ ​530​ ​touchdowns​ ​have​ ​been​ ​scored and​ ​$74,488 has been​ ​raised.​ ​Touchdowns​ ​against​ ​cancer​ ​was​ ​created​ ​by​ ​MaxPreps, Pledge​ ​It​ ​and​ ​St.​ ​Jude​ ​Children’s​ ​Research​ ​Hospital. ​ Long​ ​Beach​ ​Poly​ ​also​ ​has​ ​two​ ​upcoming​ ​games​ ​this​ ​month against Millikan and Wilson. Poly will be playing Millikan at Millikan on September 22 and is expected to be a good game due to their similar season statistics of two wins and one loss. Poly will play Wilson September 29 at Veterans Stadium.

    The​ ​first​ ​upcoming​ ​game​ ​is​ ​against​ ​Millikan,​ ​and​ ​it’s​ ​Poly’s​ ​first​ ​conference​ ​game​ ​this​ ​season. Poly​ ​is​ ​away​ ​and​ ​it​ ​is​ ​expected​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​good​ ​game​ ​based​ ​on​ ​both​ ​the​ ​teams​ ​similar​ ​season stats.​ ​When​ ​asked​ ​their​ ​thoughts​ ​on​ ​the​ ​upcoming​ ​game​, Junior​ ​Ulises​ ​Godoy​ ​said​ ​“Look good,​ ​feel​ ​good,​ ​play​ ​good.”​ The​ ​second upcoming​ ​game​ ​is​ ​against​ ​Wilson.​ ​Wilson’s​ ​record​ ​is​ ​1-3.​ Poly​ ​is​ ​expected​ ​to​ ​take​ ​1st​ ​place​ ​in Moore ​league​ ​again​ ​this​ ​season.

  • Long Beach High School Hockey

    Long Beach High School Hockey

    Long Beach Prep High School Hockey is a team made up of high school students who play  hockey. There is a JV and varsity team. In spring they play under the LA Kings and in the summer they play under the Anaheim Ducks.

    Hockey is starting to be a popular sport in Long Beach. Long Beach Prep gives high school students who play hockey  a chance to play other cities and represent Long Beach. Some of the other cities they play include El Segundo, Venice, Redondo Beach and Wiseburn.

     
    The coaches are Adam Stanovich, Austin Stanovich , and Matthew Dove. They teach hockey players new skills and help them become better players overall. The coaches have a passion for the sport and prepare players to play at a higher level. When asked what his thoughts were on the coaches, forward Josh Ribeiro said, “They know what they’re talking about.” The coaches are very experienced. When asked how do you feel about playing on Long Beach Prep defender Adin Keiter said, “I’ve been on the team for two years now (four seasons), and I feel that I’ve been able to develop my skill on a team that’s suitable for my skill level. When I started, I was only playing hockey for a couple months, so LB has been about 80% of my career.”

     
    Keiter also has a passion for the sport like many of the players on the team. Former JV goalie Steven Fitzer  said he “likes the fun environment and the competitiveness” of playing on Long Beach Prep. Fitzer also said, “I love the pressure and the non stop action” of being goalie. Many players say Long Beach Prep Hockey is like a family.

     
    The Hockey players are not only athletes, but scholars and many of them want to achieve a higher education and play in college. When asked how does it feel to be a part of Long Prep, forward Natalie Compton said,  “I feel like I am a part of a family and I get to hang out with people from other schools so it’s cool. It’s more of a normal high school experience than my school is so I think I need the experiences that come with being on the team.”

     
    Long Beach Prep is like one big family and a great part of the Long Beach community. It is also a great team to just watch. Long Beach Prep always appreciates if anyone comes out and supports the team in their upcoming summer season. So come out and support Long Beach high school hockey.

  • Softball Takes Easy Win

    Softball Takes Easy Win

    The Long Beach Poly softball team made a comeback with a 3-4 record after facing Cabrillo last Thursday March 16, resulting in a win for the jackrabbits. the score was 11-0 which is a mercy, a mercy rule is when a team is up by 10 before the 5th inning.

    The team played well and were working together, on the defense and the offense. The jackrabbits bats were starting to come alive, when 3 year varsity player, Evelyn Sablan hit a game changing 3 run Homerun. Which sparked a hitting streak Evelyn states after hitting the home run, “I had to work on my swing this game and as soon as I saw that pitch I knew I had to take the best hack I could at it.”

    After the home run the jackrabbits began to hit the ball like crazy to bring the game to 8-0. When senior Jaclyn Pangelinan got up to bat eager to hit, she states, “ After being hit by a pitch my first two at bats, I was eager to do more for my team. So when she gave me my pitch I swung with a purpose and it worked.” This resulted in an inside the park solo home run, bringing the jackrabbits even more alive than they already were.

    Cabrillo wasn’t ready for the jackrabbits. Although it was a good game, they still have to face Jordan on Tuesday March 21 in preparation for their rival Wilson on Thursday March 23. As Wilson being the rivals it will be an exciting game. In past years both teams have shared their share of wins and loses, with two good teams facing each other on the field it will be a good game, but the jackrabbits are ready to face their rivals with no problem.

    Devin Linares
    Senior Jaclyn Pangelinan preparing for a hit before she scores another home run for her team.

  • WAS IT THE REFS?

    On Wednesday, March 18, Poly’s girls basketball team lost the CIF State SoCal Regional Open Division Championship game against Clovis West. Although the scoreboard at the end of the game said 53-44, there were many things to be said about the game itself.

    In an interview with Gazette Sports, Coach Carl Buggs commented he “would never blame refs for a loss, but they shot 35 free throws, we shot 11.” Clovis West received 23 fouls in comparison to Poly’s 15, and though the difference may seem insignificant, the free throws added up to make a big difference. Of Poly’s 11 free throws they were only able to score three, while Clovis made 28 free throws to account for over half of their final score.

    Stephen Dachman
    After taking a dissapointing loss, the lady jackrabbits line up to shake hands with Clovis West.

    It may be downgrading to blame the refs for a game, but this just might be the case for this one. Oddly enough, the refs seemed to make the worst calls at the most clutch and momentous occasions. The crowd reacted with boos, and Poly was never able to catch fire.

    In the beginning of the game, the Lady Jackrabbits started off with a turnover and were not able to pick up their energy for the rest of the game. However, the team had a difficult time regaining momentum. Senior forward Kathryn Headspeth commented, “Nobody had energy from the start. The bench didn’t have energy. The people on the court didn’t. Sometimes there was, but it died off.”

    Similar moments have happened in sports, such as the Conference Finals in 2002 with the Sacramento Kings and the Los Angeles Lakers. With an astounding lineup in both teams, the series seemed to be a playoff series for the ages. In the 4th quarter of game six, the Lakers shot 27 free throws while the Kings shot nine. The Lakers took the victory and ended up with the NBA championship, but many people today still believe that the series was rigged.

    Much like the Sacramento Kings, the Lady Jackrabbits may have took a loss that they did not deserve. Due to these calls, the fans for Poly’s team can no longer witness history. Although the Lady Jackrabbits were not able to leave it all on the floor, it can be easily said that everyone knows their potential and that they deserved a fair game.

  • Spirit Leaders Perform Well at CSULB Competition

    Spirit Leaders Perform Well at CSULB Competition

    On February 26, 2017, Poly Spirit Leaders took part in a competition at CSULB. Song, Cheer Stunt Group, and Mascot competed in their divisions respectively. The small, but mighty Song team consisted of sophomore Kennedy Cofield and juniors Becca Gutierrez and Megan Villaverde. The Stunt Group was seniors Ashley Applewhite and Maggie Dines, sophomores Raelynn Rios and Joanna Rowden, and freshman Ayona Young. The mascots competing this competition were sophomores Coco Sanabria and Thaili Sweet.

    In order to prepare for their competition, Cofield said, “Song drilled the dance over and over again full out with strong arms and facials.”

    Cheer’s Dines said, “We were at practice every single day for at least two hours. We would run and then stunt for the rest of practice to build up our endurance and make sure that at competition, when we weren’t tired, we could hit the routine. Every time something got hard or the group started to get frustrated with each other, we reminded ourselves that we are capable of making this routine and that we just needed to keep a positive attitude and keep encouraging each other no matter what happened.”

    Song performed their competition routine again. The theme for the song portion was “Teamwork,” so the song mix for the routine had to reflect that. “High School Musical”, “Everything is Awesome,” and Lorde’s “Team” were included.  The routine was choreographed by Cynthia Negrete and her daughter Marissa Negrete. Their fast-paced dance and cheerful facials expressions kept the audience intrigued. Villaverde said, “I’m proud of song for pulling through and getting second even though we were all sick.”

    The Mascots also did their routine with Sweet as the second bunny. The Mascot routine has to have a storyline that is conveyed to the audience and gets the audience participating in supporting their team. The theme was “Create a Lover,” and Jonathan Rabbit was a mad scientist who decided to make his own perfect lover. It had songs including, “Somebody to Love” by Queen.