Category: Sports

  • Badminton Defeats Major Competitors

    On March 2 Poly’s Badminton team defeated Cabrillo High School in close contest advancing to 2-0 on the season. The final score of the game was 12-9. The Jackrabbits are off to a incredible start this year winning against the two best teams in Moore league, Lakewood and Cabrillo. “Lakewood and Cabrillo are the schools to reckon with, the beginning of our season is a quick baptism by fire,” said Coach Steven Meckna.

    There was an intense nailbiter at Cabrillo for the Poly squad. In one of the first matches of the night,senior Eric Shu, the team captain, suffered a leg cramp. Even with this injury, he “managed to win three out of his four matches, even though being partly disabled, a very heroic effort that night from Eric,” said Coach Meckna.

    Shu described what helped him overcome the injury, “My teammates, they motivate me, so I really wanted to motive them back.” It was a group effort win against such a tough Cabrillo squad.

    Junior Fei Law said, “We’re more determined to fight and win and improve each other.”

    As senior Cassandra Mullen put it. “There isn’t one person who’s like picking everyone up, we all pick each other up.” The Jackrabbits next game is against Compton High School, then they have a bye week, and then are off to face Jordan at Jordan High School.

  • Girls Basketball Wins 120th CIF Championship

    Girls Basketball Wins 120th CIF Championship

    On Saturday March 4, Poly’s girl basketball team once again won the CIF Southern Section Open Division girls basketball championship.

    This marked the 120th CIF title for the School. The girls hadn’t won the CIF crown since

    2010. This was also the first Open Division title that the program has won.

    This was not a typical game for the Jackrabbits as they headed into halftime down 36-32. Most of the season the Jackrabbits steamrolled their opponents, but were ready to make adjustments when

    necessary. “When it’s money time, it’s money time, and that’s when you need your big three.”

    said coach Buggs.

    Ayanna Clark, Jasmine Jones, and Danae Miller lead the Jackrabbits in scoring on the

    night. Clark had 20 points, Jones had 14 and Miller had 12.

    For years, the girls basketball team has maintained a strong reputation. With countless CIF Championships, it seems that the program will only go on up from this point.

  • Swim Starts Off Strong

    Poly’s swimming season has started. There was a girls swim meet against Los Alamitos and Marina,  which in they lost by a small margin. The thing with those swim meets is that they were D1 teams which made it harder because they were faster. This made good turnouts to the girls swim team with the fact that they can get an idea of the future of the season.
    The biggest competition so far is with Wilson High School since the Bruins have been maintained a 44 year winning streak in the boys swim meets. Boys varsity swim team is hopefully going to kill it this season because the boys have the capability of beating Wilson from all their hard work and effort.

    Most of the good swimmers have gotten a head start on this sport, having played five years old, such as Isabella Magalong a senior student member in the girls swim team, and Leilani Davila, a former member of the swim team. Many think that swim should actually be considered an individual sport but our swim team has a different opinion about that. As Magalong states, ”Before high school swim I would participate in club swimming, which in the time I saw it as an individual sport, but now I see it as a group sport,and as a team everyone has an aspect and each get points and have it as an accumulative effort.”

  • Track Goes to New York

    Poly’s boys and girls track and field athletes are heading to New Balance Indoor Nationals at the Armory Track in New York this weekend, March 10-12. The athletes will compete in a variety of events against schools from other states. Junior Ariyonna Augustine will be competing in the 60 meter dash and 200 meter dash. Last year Augustine won CIF-SS Division 1 championship in the 100 and the 200 meter dash.

    Augustine said she is scared of the competition but “confident” and wanting to “out everything on the track.” Her goal is to get a personal record, faster than 6.4 seconds in the 60 meter dash.

    When asked about their upcoming meet in New York, sophomore Jaelyn Predium felt “very excited” and glad to go somewhere she has never been before. Jaelyn will be competing in the 60 meter dash emerging elite.     The other track and field athletes that will be attending this New Balance indoor meeting will be Zhane Smith in the girls long jump and triple jump, Zion Bowens and Aaron Shampklin in the 60 meter championship series, De’Varriea Oleas in the 60 meter hurdles, and Tariq Harness and DeAngelo Chester in the 60 meter emerging elite. Poly will be also represented by girls 4×800 and distance medley relay teams.

  • Baseball Takes Tough Loss

    Poly baseball played an away tournament March 3 hosted by Los Alamitos. They lost 8-7, but it was an overall good game.
    Junior Mike Mauai was selected Player of the Game. When asked about his thoughts on the game, junior outfielder Nolan Brown said, “It’s a good game to see where we are as a team.”
    Players were prepared for the game but did not come out with the win. Junior center fielder EJ Andrews said he prepared for the game by, “taking practice very seriously, working on my defense, and hitting.”
    The coach was preparing the team by working a lot on defense.
    Brown said coach was preparing them by “working on a lot of drills, and defense. Defense has been a big emphasis throughout the season.”
    Their defensive practice is showing in the games but their offense is not quite good enough.
    Andrews’ thoughts on the coach are that “he brings a lot of enthusiasm to the sport, he gets us pumped up for the game. His favorite saying is ‘practice makes perfect.’”
    All of the players practice every day. Senior catcher AJ Renteria said he prepares for games by “hitting every day, working out everyday, practicing hard everyday, [and] no days off.”
    The Poly Jackrabbits also played a home neutral tournament game against the Loara Saxons. Unfortunately, the Jackrabbits lost by a score of 2-1, but their good defense showed. Senior Jake Creamer was selected Player of the Game. The Jackrabbits have only played a few games, and now hold a 2-2 record. Poly is now third in the Moore League.

  • Softball Starts Off Rough

    Softball Starts Off Rough

     

    The Long Beach Poly softball team has started their season with a rough stretch with a 2-4 record. Against Tustin High School Poly won 8-2 and unfortunately St. Anthonys beat us in a 7-1 loss this past weekend.
    3 year varsity player and returning shortstop  Evelyn Sablan said, “our defense did a good job, we hit the ball hard but it wasn’t the outcome we were looking for.” The girls have been playing well but some teams are better than others, but that’s not a problem for our Lady Jackrabbits they are ready to face the Moore League teams and hope to win Moore League.
    Their next game is not until March 25 which gives the team time to practice harder and improve on their communication skills. Returning catcher, senior Crystal Cepeda says, “I’m looking forward to playing with the team after taking a year off and enjoying my last year playing softball as a senior.”
    Another key point is that the team needs to work together as two year returning varsity catcher Alexis Durand said “I’m looking forward to everyone playing together as a team, I think we can be better than last year if we put in enough hard work we can succeed.” The team has a lot of potential this upcoming season after moving players up from junior varsity. “There is a lot more talent on the team, which should lead to a Moore League title,” said senior Jaclyn Pangelinan.

  • Basketball’s Journey through CIF

    Basketball’s Journey through CIF

    Game of the Year: Long Beach Poly vs. Chino Hills

     

    After defeating Bishop Alemany on Friday, February 17, the Long Beach Poly Boy’s Basketball team was scheduled to play the popular Chino Hills.

    The Chino Hills Huskies are the number one ranked high school basketball team in MaxPreps, and are also even more famous for members of the team called the Ball Brothers. These are three actual brothers: Lonzo, Liangelo, and LaMelo Ball. Senior Liangelo Ball and sophomore Lamelo Ball are famous on Youtube channels such as Ballislife or BallerVisions which features basketball mixtapes for the best high school phenomenons in the nation.

    The team also features three other less known yet still great players, such as sophomore

    Onyeka Okongwu and senior Elizjah Scott who are cousins with the ball brothers. The key players on the Chino Hills team all stand over 6 foot, with Okongwu being the tallest at 6’9”. This puts Poly at a height disadvantage, and the rest of the factors also make them the underdog in the matchup.

    Poly certainly knew they came in as the underdog, and certainly had an immeasurable pressure coming in. With over 2,500 tickets sold, fans sitting in the stairways of the stands and even standing on the rails, it could be seen that people expected a lot from both of the teams.

    Starting from the tip-off, Poly fought their way through the whole game. For most of the first quarter, they stayed in the lead, capped off by a near half-court shot by junior Darryl Polk at the end of the first.

    Senior Zafir Williams’s layup is denied by Chino Hills sophomore Onyeka Okongwu.

    However, Chino Hills slowly started to pull away with the victory after the first quarter ended. Although sophomore Lamelo Ball was held scoreless, big men Scott and Okongwu always found a way to get the

    rebounds to either push the ball up court or put the ball back in the hoop. The two bigs combined for 17 offensive rebounds and combined for 51 points.

    Senior Zafir Williams continued to fight, and ended with 31 points and 16 rebounds. This didn’t prove to be enough, and with Poly missing easy layups and rebounds, they ended the night with a loss of 98-74. Poly will continue on to play Corona Centennial in the consolation bracket, and Chino Hills will go on to play Mater Dei in the CIF semifinals.

    Boys vs. Alemany

    Long Beach Poly Jackrabbits played a non-league playoff game hosted by the Alemany Warriors on Friday, February 17, at 7 P.M. This game was part of the CIF Southern Section 2017 Boys Basketball Championship – Open Division. The Jackrabbits defeated the Warriors with a score of 66-48. Poly dominated most of the game.

    In the first quarter they scored 17-6, in the second quarter they scored 18-7, in the third quarter they scored 18-21, and in the fourth quarter they scored 13-14. This upgraded the Jackrabbits overall record to 22-6 and the Warriors 24-4, and both teams still have 12-0 league records. Long Beach Poly ranks 83 Nationally, 19 in California, 11 in the Southern Section, 17 in Division 1, and 11 in Division 1AA.

    Girls vs. Alemany

    On Saturday, February 18, the girls basketball team defeated the visiting Brea Olinda, 61-33. It was a closely contested contest, until the second quarter where the Jackrabbits went on a 15-4 run.

    The scoring for the Jackrabbits was lead by senior Ayanna Clark who scored 15 points and also snagged 13 rebounds on the night. This win marks number 500 for Coach Carl Buggs. Coach Buggs was as cool as a cucumber the whole game, even when Poly entered the 2nd quarter tied. “There was no adjust- ments to make, you work all year so that in that moment you know who you are, just play Poly basketball,” said Coach Buggs.

  • Softball

    The girls varsity softball team will start their season in a tournament on February 25, which is this coming Saturday at Katella High School in Anaheim. “The girls have been practicing hard to prepare for the upcoming tournament,” said senior and three-year varsity player Jacyln Pangelinan. Girls varsity softball coach Kenith Munger has been coaching for many years, and knows the game very well. He hopes to lead the team to a Moore League title.

     

    The team has a chance with the new additions to the team who came from the Junior Varsity team. First baseman and two-year varsity player Madison Demos said, “I can’t wait to get back between the lines and play.”

  • Spring Sports 2017 Preview

    Track:

    As track season is rapidly approaching, the Trackrabbits are getting ready to dominate. In order to prepare for the season they are “training for two to three hours after school and on Saturdays,” said senior Lauren Fillipow who is committed to Southern Oregon. This is a tight-knit team whose goal is to “just push each other to do our best, so that we can all improve together and since a lot of the team is seniors, we want to have a great last high school season,” said senior Melissa Tanaka.
    Nate Cooper, a junior who recently participated in a cross country race in Oregon, stated, “My personal goals for the season are similar to everyone else’s goals on the team. I hope to make my times as fast as I personally can, and to help my team as much as possible.” Hopes are high for the Trackrabbits, and we can be positive that they will live up to their expectations.

    Swim:

    The next sport for the Poly Jackrabbits in the upcoming spring season is swim. Last season for girls swim, junior Tevykah Pouv coined the Varsity group as the “dream team.” Looking back on last year, junior Priscilla Long said, “Last season for Moore League we won and it was such an amazing feeling” and for this coming season Long wants to “work towards the same goal we had last year. I’d like our team to continue to work together and stay united no matter what the outcome is.”
    For boys swim, Poly came in second with Wilson in first. Junior Ethan McCarthy stated, “This year I think we have high hopes for beating Wilson at Moore League and that’s the goal, too.” Both girls and boys swim are looking towards a bright, ambitious season.

  • Moore League Soccer

    Moore League Soccer

    Poly’s boys soccer team finished the Moore League season on a sour note with three straight losses. They lost 4-1 at Millikan on February 1, 1-0 at Wilson on February 3, and 2-0 vs. Lakewood at home February 6.

    On Tuesday, January 31, Poly’s girls varsity and junior varsity (JV) soccer teams competed in an away game at Cabrillo against Cabrillo.

    The Lady Jackrabbits came out on top defeating the Lady Jaguars with a score of 3-0. “It was a good win,” said JV sophomore Skylar Herrera, “because we knew it was a big game for us. So we wanted to get the win because last time we played against Cabrillo it was a tough game.”

    Poly’s girls are looking forward to competing during the CIF playoffs. Varsity player senior Sarah Pilster said, “We pretty much have a pretty solid team, like we’re cohesive and like we work really well together. I can’t wait for us to see what happens during CIF.”

    Varsity senior Lauren Carroll described playing against Cabrillo as a preparation. “I think it was a big confidence booster for going into the bigger games like Millikan and Lakewood,” said Carroll. “We used this as a preparation to practice our form and it was more of a practice round than anything else.” When asked what their team could improve on, Carroll replied, “Our determination in the second half because we tend to let up a lot during that so I think we could improve on discipline for sure.”

    On February 2, the Poly girls soccer team defeated the red hot Millikan Rams with a score of 1-0.

    The Rams had been rolling, scoring 19 goals in their last three games but their offense was completely shut down by Poly’s tenacious defensive. Poly’s only goal came from sophomore Nicolle Villarreal in the second half. When asked about the goal Nicolle replied, “ It was really shocking and surprising, I didn’t even no-tice I scored the goal until my teammate rushed over to me and started celebrat-ing.”

    Two players attempt to take the ball away from Wilson.

    This was a hard fought and important game. Millikan is one of Poly’s biggest rivals when it comes to soccer, and always brings the best out of this young Poly squad. “The game was a major turning point for us in the season, cause we’ve been tying a lot and it was against Millikan,” said sophomore goaltender Caris White.

    Poly competed against Compton on Tuesday, February 7, with the Lady Jackrabbits coming out on top by a score of 13-1. Girls soccer will finish the regular season at Lakewood on Thursday, February 9.

    Poly’s boys soccer team finished the Moore League season on a sour note with three straight losses. They lost 4-1 at Millikan on February 1, 1-0 at Wilson on February 3, and 2-0 vs. Lakewood at home February 6.

  • Signing Day: Poly Players Commit

    Signing Day: Poly Players Commit

    Signing day finally arrived on Wednesday, February 1 and the student athletes were ecstatic to continue their athletic journey. On this day, athletes committed to colleges, officially signing and agreeing to pursue their sport on to the next level.The gym was packed with eager family members and students who wanted to support their fellow Jackrabbits. Poly junior Sara Rubinelli, who attended the event, explained: “It was an amazing experience watching kids I’ve grown up playing soccer with officially commit to the college of their choice.”

    Families and friends have displayed their continual and endless support for their athletes on and off the field. The crowds cheering for each soon-to-be collegiate player clearly demonstrated how close the Poly community really is.

    There was a herd of Jackrabbits that signed on to play sports at the Collegiate level on Wednesday, February 1.

    Many of the student athletes sat eagerly to sign their papers to officially announce their collegiate careers. The four years that Poly provides is crucial for any student or athlete to become the best person they can be.

    Poly High School’s positive, rigorous environment prepared each and every athlete to become the person they were sitting behind the signing table. Senior, Lauren Fillipow stated, “Poly has prepared me by showing me what a family is like, how they always support each other, and how a team should work.” Fillipow signed with Southern Oregon University to continue pursuing her passion for cross country.

    Choosing what college to commit and sign for is an integral step in a student athlete’s journey. The athletes carefully determined which college was best for them and their future. College is often pictured as this terrifying unknown, but these student athletes are confident in their decisions. Senior, Luz Lopez said, “I just didn’t get the same feeling that I got when committing to Marymount… of course I’ll be playing college ball.” Lopez has signedwithMarymountCalifornia University to compete at college level soccer as a goalkeeper.

    Consistency and motivation provided these athletes with an array of endless opportunities. Twenty-seven Jackrabbits signed to continue doing what they love after their four years of Poly athletics. Overall, it was an inspiring day for the whole Poly community.

  • Ayanna Clark Named McDonald’s All-American

    Ayanna Clark Named McDonald’s All-American

    The biggest stage for any senior high school basketball player in the United States is the Mcdonald’s All-American Game in Chicago, Illinois. Poly is blessed to have girls’ basketball player Ayanna Clark inducted into the game, and boys’ basketball players Zafir Williams and Myles Johnson have been nominated.

    For Ayanna Clark and other players inducted into this year’s 40th annual Mcdonald’s All-American Game on March 29, this is a dream come true. For this game, the top 600 best players in the nation are nominated, then around 30 are chosen to be able to play. With thousands if not millions of high school basketball players in the country, chances for any player being inducted is slim. However, Ayanna is the fifth girls basketball player from Long Beach Poly to be named for the big event.

    On January 31, Clark was given a ceremony during lunch where she was named as an All-American and also received her all-american jersey. After being awarded, she thanked everyone, “I just want to thank

    my coaches and my teammates and everyone else who’s been there for me” Clark said.

    Her varsity coach, Carl Buggs, also had some words to say. “I’m just so proud of her and what she’s done the past four years. Now she is rewarded, great job. Love you girl!”

    Clark is committed to USC and looks forward to playing on the next level. She has been a force to reckon with in high school, and it seems that it will be the same thing in high school. Many Mcdonald’s All-Americans end up playing pro-ball in their future, and we will see if this is the same case with Clark.

    Nominee: Myles Johnson

    Myles Johnson also known as “Myles The Monster” is a senior basketball player at Long Beach Poly High School. Myles’ effort and passion for the game has ended in great results, one of them being that he has been nominated to play in the All American 2017 McDonald’s High School Basketball. Myles is a dedicated player that has grown up playing basketball and having great influences.

    Nominee: Zafir Williams

    When Myles got nominated he said he felt honored to be nominated and it felt good to be chosen from the wide variety of other high school students that there are all over the nation. His goal is to pursue becoming an NBA player like one of his family members. He has many opportunities to enter colleges. Johnson explained, “Colleges contact me all the time.” He has received offers from many competitive colleges such as Yale, Princeton, Cornell, UC Davis, and UC Irvine.