Category: Sports

On Thursday, April 21, the Poly Jackrabbit’s Badminton Team faced off against the Lakewood Lancers in their last Moore League game.
They seemed to reach their goal of ending the last game sharp, as they won big games and decimated the Lakewood Lancers by a wide margin of 20-1.
Two girl’s doubles, Sydney Hernandez and Cassandra Mullen, pulled off great victories against other double pairs that had previously defeated them.
“It was very nice, but they went strong and won in definite fashion. They put a stamp on it, and that to me was the highlight,” head coach Steve Meckna said. With a record of 12-0 in the Moore League and momentum on their side, the Jackrabbits seemed to be in great shape for their championship games.
The Jackrabbits did an amazing job, placing both first and second in girls’ and boys’ singles. Seniors Mary Nguyen and Kristine Nguyen were able to take these places as they had last year. Senior Sambo Kim took first for boys, and junior Eric Lam took second.
As for doubles, junior Eric Shu and senior took first place, while sophomore Jonathan Ly and junior Ryan Keo took third. The girls pair of senior Sydney Fernandez and junior Cassandra Mullen did overwhelmingly well. Although they came in at 4th place, they were able to defeat their opponents in all their games to come out on top at first place.
The Rabbits now have CIF on the road ahead of them, but they are off to a great start. As long as they stay sharp and consistent, the future for them looks very bright.

r the final stretch of the season, with Moore League individuals in the first week of May, and CIF the following week. The Jackrabbits are fresh off a team win against the Lakewood Lancers, and a previous loss against the cross-town rival Wilson Bruins.
On Tuesday, April 26, Poly faced Lakewood High School in a 14-hole tournament. On the par 56 match, the Jackrabbits won 310-344. Jericho Betts shot an even par 56, while junior Andy Peterson and Jacob Betts both shot 61.
On April 22, Poly faced the Wilson Bruins for the second time this season. The first match against the Bruins was much closer, but Poly still put up a fight, losing 405-365. Brothers Jericho and Jacob Betts shot scores of 76 and 77, respectively. Senior Jack Evans was third on the team with 80, followed by Peterson shooting 85 and Auggie Gvildys shooting 87.
“It was a decent score for us. I just wish it would have been a bit better,” said head coach Bill Dodge.
Overall, the team had a small   slump from the first match against Woodrow Wilson. The Bruins won the first match 358-389. Jericho Betts shot six better his first time, and Peterson shot 12 better. Peterson had difficulty coming back from his astounding first match score of 73, and shot 85 the second time.
“Maybe the focus wasn’t there in our players for a few holes,” said Dodge.
Finishing up the last two Moore League matches, the Jackrabbits finished second in the Moore League. The team had a league score of eight wins and two losses. The two losses were both to the powerhouse Bruins.
“We had a great season this year. We came in second place alone for the first time in my four years of golf; we came in tied second years prior. We swept all teams in Moore League except Wilson,” said Jericho Betts.
With Moore League matches over, the best individuals from Poly are getting ready for Moore League Individuals next week. The four-day individual tournament, taking place from Monday to Thursday, starts out with 28 league contestants and gets cut to 16 contestants. The following week is CIF Individuals and CIF team matches. Poly made CIF as a team.

Poly swim has had a busy couple of weeks, dominating not only the Moore League competition but also caused some big splashes down in San Diego.
This past weekend from Friday, April 22 to Sunday, April 24, a select group of swimmers traveled down to San Diego to participate in the annual Dick Draz’s Iron Man relays. This “Iron Man” style relays combine both boys and girls to swim the hardest of events ranging from the 100 meter freestyle to the killer 400 meter Medley.
Being the outside team didn’t phase the Jackrabbits, as they dominated the meet winning first place overall.
In addition to participating in the relays the Jackrabbits also toured San Diego colleges, including UC San Diego where the team met up with the school’s swim coach to connect with prospective student-athletes.
Last week on Thursday April 21, the girls added yet another win as they glided right past the Millikan Rams. Unfortunately the boys team was not as successful going up against the Rams losing by with a close score of 89-81.
It was a fairly easy victory for the Lady Jackrabbits, as they swept most of the events for a (124-46) victory. Typical for the girls, there were a wide range of great swims and even better times, including a 500 meter CIF consideration time of 5:28.70 for junior Isabella Magalong who was named swimmer of the meet.
The Jackrabbits also had their second to last Moore league meet on April 27 against Cabrillo but could not be reported on due to press time restraints.
As the Moore League comes to an end, both teams are preparing for Moore League finals next week. The girls will have their preliminaries and finals on Tuesday, May 3 and Thursday, May 5, respectively. Meanwhile, the boys will have their preliminaries on Wednesday, May 4 and finals on Friday, May 6. Both will be held at the Cabrillo Aquatic Complex.
The girls, who as of now are undefeated in the league, look to completely reclaim the Moore League championship title after having to share the title with the Wilson Bruins for the last year. As for the boys, the young yet dynamic team is seen to be building momentum as they enter the final stretch of the season.

On April 19 and 21, the Poly Softball and Baseball teams played against the Cabrillo Jaguars and the Wilson Bruins. Both teams had massive statements to make as they both had to follow up on their previous match-ups against the Wilson Bruins.
For the baseball team, the game against the Jaguars didn’t seem to be much of a challenge. They had a well-played game, winning by a margin of 13-1. Six of the 13 runs came in the first inning, allowing the Rabbits to gain momentum at the very beginning of the game.
“Our team was very solid that day. We didn’t play down to our opponent and we were able to get an early lead and then were able to cruise on from there,” said junior Gavin Palagonia.
As for the next game against the Bruins, the Jackrabbits were looking to get a victory after taking a loss in their previous match-up. The game was intense, with pitchers on both teams playing great. However, Poly was not able to capitalize on their opportunities, and Wilson was able to score twice in the second inning. As a result, Poly would take another loss against the Bruins with a score of 2-0.
The pattern would end up being the same for the Lady Jackrabbits as well. The first game was predicted to be an easy one, since the Jaguars had lost to weaker opponents in the Moore League and have an overall record of 6-12.Also, because Poly was playing on their home turf, they did not have very much to worry about. Poly ended up beating Cabrillo by a wide margin of 18-2. Although Poly played  fantastic, they were still preoccupied with playing Wilson next.
Every year, Poly and Wilson have had very close games. With the two teams evenly matched each year, they have come to share a rivalry. The Rabbits have always aimed to defeat the Bruins, and were finally able to achieve this goal in the last game on March 22. This was the first time that they had beaten the Wilson Bruins since 2007. However, this following game turned out to have a completely different outcome.
While Poly came to get another big win, the Bruins were seeking vengeance and were able to pull off a victory against Poly. The game turned out to have a big setting, because it was on senior night and the Jackrabbits were playing at home again—Joe Rodgers Stadium.
Wilson pitcher Joette Vega had a dominant game, not allowing the Rabbits to score capping off the game with a score of 5-0. Although the Rabbits were able to hit Vega’s pitches, they were unlucky and the ball continued to roll to the opponent each time.
“We knew we had to win and knew it was going to be a very tough game. They really wanted to beat us after we won the first round,” claimed junior Mikaela Vidovich. “They came out dominant. We could not catch a break.”
Both the softball and baseball teams look to redeem themselves in their following games. Both teams played against the Jordan Panthers on Wednesday, April 27, which could not be reported on due to time constraints. After tough losses from the Bruins, the teams should come out playing hard with lots of energy. Now that the first round of Moore League is out of the way, both teams have learned what they are up against and should play much better.

Poly Boys Volleyball had two intense matches of the Moore League season this previous week.
On Tuesday, April 19, students and fans watched the Poly Jackrabbits go head-to-head with the Wilson Bruins with bated breath. Long rivals, the Jackrabbits and Bruins volleyed it out at Wilson High School to take the Moore League win. Much to the disappointment of Poly, Wilson swept the boys varsity volleyball team in all three sets (25-22, 27-25, 25-20).
“We lost our team chemistry which affected our mind set heading into the game. I told the team that we needed to attack every team with no mercy,” says varsity coach, Justin Oleole.
On Thursday, April 21, the boys varsity volleyball team stole hearts, inspired fans, and dominated the Lancers in the outstanding 5-set match victory (32-30, 10-25, 13-25, 25-17, 15-9). The Poly vs. Lakewood match took place at Lakewood High School. The win put Poly and Lakewood at a tie for the top standing in Moore League this season.
“That was the craziest match ever!” exclaimed varsity middle blocker Sam Leiwis. “There was some volleyball, some Jerry Springer, and some WWE. It’s the LB baby,” Lewis says, referencing an emotional outburst that resulted from Kristain Tafao arguing with a chair official over a yellow card in the middle of the third set. After a misunderstanding with the coach, and then a brief argument between coach and assistant coach, the crowd was pulled intensly into the heat of the match.
The incident did not phase the team but rather inspired them to push harder. “Tafao re-entered the match in the fourth set and played his best volleyball of the season, making inspired, crisp sets and chasing down balls on defense with abandon,” Gazette Sports reported.
Thursday’s match definitely boosted the morale of the team. “Being able to overcome a huge deficit was probably the proudest moment as a coach. The team really came together after a tough 2 and 3 game fall,” says Oleole.
The next match is away on Thursday, April 28 against Cabrillo.

The boys basketball team is on a historic postseason run, competing in the Division II State Championship game on Saturday, March 26. This is after they won 61-54 win against J.W. North on Saturday, March 19 at the CSULB Pyramid. The teams had met at the CIF Championship two weeks before, where the Huskies won 61-58. However, the most recent game’s outcome was different and the Jackrabbits were victorious 61-54.
The start of the game was very low-scoring, with both defenses playing strong and shots getting unfriendly bounces. After the first quarter, the Huskies led 9-8. Both teams were evenly matched in the first 16 minutes and neither team had big leads. The Huskies, however, gained momentum going into halftime, aided by a buzzer beating three-pointer, which gave J.W. North a 26-23 lead.
Poly slowed down the Huskies in the second half and did not allow their opponent to score consecutive buckets. The Jackrabbits got more rebounds in the second half and maintained a sizable lead through the final minutes. Throughout the game, Poly was efficient in perimeter shooting, getting three-point shots from senior shooting guard Harrison Bonner, senior small forward Garrison Gowens, and sophomore point guard Daryl Polk. Senior small forward Drew Buggs was the star of the game, getting 20 points, six rebounds, three assists, and a steal for his team.
“I just want to do whatever I can so my team can win,” said Buggs.
On Tuesday, March 15, the boys also defeated the Los Alamitos Griffins in the state semifinal game. In front of energetic student sections from both sides, the teams were closely matched throughout the game. Going into halftime, the Jackrabbits trailed 26-28.
The Griffins appeared strong coming out of the locker room, extending their lead to 33-26. However, the Griffins lost momentum, to the triumphant Jackrabbits.
Poly’s lock-down defense allowed the Jackrabbits to go on 20-0 run in the third and fourth quarters, catching Los Al by surprise. The Jackrabbits allowed 8 points in the third quarter and a mere 3 points in the final quarter. Junior power forward Zafir Willams finished the night with 16 points and 16 rebounds, Buggs had 16 points, and Bonner had 12 points. Bonner’s underrated defensive skills and three-point shooting has helped the Jackrabbits in this postseason run.
While the Jackrabbits have won many CIF championships in recent years, the state title has eluded them time and time again. The last boys team to win state was back in 1984, over thirty years ago.
“It’s definitely a great feeling that we got the opportunity [to play at State]. It’s something we’ve all dreamed of,” said Buggs.
The boys will face the Junipero Serra Padres at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento on Saturday, March 26. The Padres have an overall record of 25-5, compared to the Jackrabbit’s 24-10. Win or lose, this is the last game of the season, and the final time the seniors will suit up as Jackrabbits.

Fresh off their 53-44 win against Clovis West in Fresno on Tuesday, March 15, the girls basketball team was ready for another title against Chaminade in the CIF State Open Division SoCal Regional championship at the Pyramid Saturday night.
Before Saturday’s game, Coach Carl Buggs had hoped that “the girls come out and play hard and follow the game plan they had planned.”
Things were starting out smooth for the Lady Jackrabbits as they tied with Chaminade 8-8 with 3:52 in the first quarter. However, even with pretty good defense, Poly still trailed 18-9 at the end of the first quarter. The girls started the second quarter with a rocky start, and it was hard for the Jackrabbits to execute all the way through, falling behind Chaminade 29-25, by halftime.
The third quarter started off better, with Poly and Chaminade tied at 30 points. The Jackrabbits finally led 35-31, three minutes into the third quarter. Towards the end, Chaminade was up by one against Poly 38-37. Poly senior Da’Jah Jackson hit a huge three pointer that put Poly up again by 40-38, deep into the 4th quarter. It was back-to-back minutes before points were scored again.
Action packed and intense, with only 49 seconds left in the game, Poly junior Ayanna Clark shot one free throw to tie up the game 47-47. A Chaminade turnover left Poly the ball to tie the game with only 27 seconds left. At that point, Coach Buggs called a timeout to regroup.
Another outstanding shot by Jackson put Poly up 49-47 with 10 seconds left. This time, Chaminade called a timeout. With the clock ticking down, it was Chaminade’s Leonna Odom who made a shot that bounced off the rim, then bounced twice on the heel before falling through the hoop. That ended the game 50-49, with Chaminade winning the state title.
Jackson stated after the game that “the shot bouncing 3 times before going in was heartbreaking, and it still feels like a dream and not reality.”
All in all, the Lady Jackrabbits had a fantastic season, filled with hard work and memories to last a while. Great season, ladies!

On Tuesday, November 17, LBUSD Adapted Physical Education and Special Olympics Southern California hosted the 2015 LBUSD Fall Games at Cabrillo High School.
The LBUSD Adapted Physical Education is a program where physical education teachers come out to the schools to exercise with special education students throughout the day; the Special Olympics Southern California is a branch of the Special Olympics that creates inclusion in sports for everyone regardless of their disabilities.
This is an event where the two organizations came together to have sports training and athletic competitions for the students. It gives the students with disabilities the opportunity to show off their skills and be amazing athletes as well.
This year the event involves a six-week basketball training program geared to teach and develop fitness skills the participants will be able to use every day of their life. A lot of people were encouraged to come out as volunteers to support the athletes as they participated in the competition.
The students were involved in many games and had a good time while they played and had fun with their friends. It was a great time for both the students and the volunteers because everyone was able to get out, be active, and have a good time.
Julia Hasselwander, the Adapted Physical Education teacher at Poly, trained the student athletes for this year’s event. She is a very encouraging figure for the students and motivates them to do their best when they go out to play.
This a great event for the community that has been going on for the past couple years now and, because of the positive success, should be able to continue for years to come. As students learn about the event, they were encouraged to come out and help.
“I have volunteered in Special Olympic events before but never something partnered with the Long Beach schools,” said senior Imani Martin. “I love volunteering and helping out at the other events so it would be great to help out my own school mates.”
Getting the word out about this event should encourage more students from the schools to come out as volunteers and support their fellow classmates.
“It seems like it would be a great event and I would love to come out and bring the team with me next time,” said senior Ayesha Kosaka member of the girl’s basketball team. “Knowing that I am able to help out them out makes me feel good and I would be happy to be able to contribute.
Because of such a great outcome, the two organizations are likely to partner up again in the spring for the 2016 LBUSD Spring Games.

The Long Beach Poly girls basketball team opened their season in the Beach Classic tournament at Redondo Union High School from November 30 through December 5.
The Jackrabbits, arguably one of the top teams in all of Southern California, kicked off their season against local competitor, the St. Anthony Saints. Poly however would be missing their top 4 post players, top junior and USC commit Ayanna Clark, junior transfer Jasmine Jones, junior Kathryn Headspeth, junior Aiyanna Barnes and senior, Cal State Northridge commit Eliza Matthews. The absences of these players left the Jackrabbits undersized all week, hurting them in some games.
“Not having all of the team definitely hurts us, but we have plenty of good talented guards that help make up that gap” said senior guard Da’Jah Jackson.
After a back-and-forth game, Poly came up short against St. Anthony losing 44-41.
“It was tough,” said senior guard Cierra Belvin. “It wasn’t the way I would’ve like to start off my senior year, but it’s a long season so we just have to improve and learn from our mistakes.”
Poly reassured everyone that they are still a top team by winning the consolation championship. Poly beat North Torrance in a much needed bounce back game by a score of 52-35. The girls then played Mira Costa, where they held their opponent scoreless through the first 18 minutes jumping out to a 17-0 lead and finishing strong with a 55-37 win. The lady Jackrabbits were able to ride their momentum into their next game where they won a 58-55 thriller over Lynwood to capture the Consolation championship.
Starting junior guard Danae Miller played well throughout the week, helping the shorthanded Jackrabbits capture a consolation title. She is the starting point guard and one of the top guards around. Sophomore center Kennedi Shorts gave outstanding performances as the Jackrabbit’s lone center. The Jackrabbits also relied on their trio of senior guards Siana Fields, Da’Jah Jackson, and Cierra Belvin. Fields, a Clemson commit, is the team leader, as a returning starter, who looks to help lead the team accomplish their goals of capturing CIF and State championships. Jackson is one of the team’s top shooters and looks to be a major offensive threat this year. Belvin is also a leader on this year’s team.
“We are just trying to improve as a team and improve our chemistry. I’m also staying on people about coming to practice ready to work and keeping their grades up” said Belvin.
The girls basketball team will travel to Arizona on Friday, December 18 to play in the Nike Tournament of Champions, one of the premier tournaments in the country.

On Wednesday, December 16, the Poly Surf Team will participate in their final competition of the Sea View League for the 2015-2016 season.
The league finale is being held at the Huntington Beach Pier beginning at 8 A.M. and will last until 2 or 3 P.M. Participants who will compete are the top surfers from each of their schools. These schools include Poly, Wilson, Millikan, Mater Dei, Los Alamitos, and Corona Del Mar.
The Poly roster includes the top ranked surfers in the events composed of six boys’ short board, two long board, two girls’ short board and long board, and a body board.
The boys who will participate in the short board event are seniors Sean Love, Spencer Steffen, Chad King, Isaac Nelson, and Ellis Armendariz, as well as freshman Darren Deutsch. For each event that takes place, coaches Jeff Montooth and Jason Manack has lined up alternative surfers in case the competing surfers would not be able to perform.
On the girls’ side, the short board surfers will be sophomores Juliana Skjonsby and Cora Fahringer, as well as other team members. The girls’ longboard will consist of seniors Eileen Sok and Gabby Cooper. The body boarders are sophomores Mitchell Rita and Jared Cox, boys’ longboard by juniors Graeme Tanaka and Kevin Miranda.
The surfers prepared for this big event by simply going to practice every day and surfing.
“The best conditioning for surfing, is quite frankly, surfing. The surfers knew what they needed to work on for the finale,” said Montooth.
Although the surf team is not part of the Moore League, the Sea View League will award the surfers who will place top five with trophies. Despite the end of the surf season, the coaches are hopeful for a girls’ surf season if there are enough participants. When asked about the season, senior Eileen Sok said one of her favorite memories was when “Montooth and Manack would go into the water with these kooky looking surf caps.”
The Poly Surf Team did well for their first season, beating Corona Del Mar just a few weeks ago.