Category: Sports

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.

The Poly girls and boys varsity soccer teams are preparing for their upcoming 2015-2016 seasons.  Both teams have played in multiple non-league games to get ready for the soccer season to come.
The Jackrabbit’s first non-league game took place on Monday, November 30 against Huntington Beach High School, who beat Poly with two goals, one in each half.  The boys came back to their next game ready to play and beat Crespi High School 3-0, with one goal in the first half and two in the second half.
The girls soccer team has had a rocky start to their season with multiple ties and losses, winning only once. Although the lady Jackrabbits have not started their season as well as they had hoped, many of the players are still expecting an exciting season.  Their first non-conference game was on Tuesday, December 1, against Warren High who beat the Jackrabbits 4-0.  Midfielder Skylar Herrera was selected as the Player of the Game.  The girls also tied with both Downey High and Palos Verdes on December 3 and 7, both tied at (0-0).  The lady Jackrabbits also tied (1-1) with Woodbridge on Thursday, December 10, where senior forward Tavia Leachman was selected player of the game.
Their most recent non-conference tournament game was on Saturday, December 12, against South Hills High School, where Poly won with a score of (1-0), pulling out their first win.
“We are playing well and adjusting to the new formations and players.  I can tell we are going to build a strong team chemistry on and off the field.  I can’t wait to compete and do well as a team this season,” said Leachman.
“Our team this year possesses great ability and talent.  At this point, we are working things out to make sure we are successful during the season so we can secure another Moore League title.  We also hope to make it to the finals in CIF playoffs and get that ring,” said senior midfielder Madi Brown.
Both the boys and girls teams will soon move into the Moore League season.  Girls soccer has a home Moore League game versus Jordan on Tuesday, December 15, and boys soccer has an away, non-conference game against Los Alamitos High School on Wednesday, December 16.

Josh Talbott, has joined fellow Jackrabbit underclassman Camren McDonald as a potential University of California, Los Angeles commit as of November.
UCLA, a dream school for those focused on both academics and athletics, is a football powerhouse and has featured many Poly alumni on their roster, most recently including Jayon Brown and Colin Samuel.
Talbott debuted this season as a starting safety. During his successful junior year, Talbott got a handle on the field and the competition despite Poly’s very young 2015 team. Talbott stood out on the field throughout the entire season and even competed against the Millikan Rams with a broken wrist.
Talbott’s determination paid off at the close of the Jackrabbit’s bittersweet season when UCLA recruitment contacted Talbott with an offer.
In Talbott’s words, “There’s nothing like earning something you’ve been working your whole life for.”
Following his first offer, Talbott hopes that he can work towards even more offers from top-tier schools like UCLA, not only for himself, but also for his teammates and friends.  Talbott is “hungry” for more success and does not plan to stop at only UCLA.
As for next year, Talbott believes that the Jackrabbits do not need a standout player for the 2016 season, but only an “entire team that steps it up.”
As of Wednesday, December 16, Talbott has another offer from WSU.

The varsity boys basketball team opened their winter season at the 64th annual Pacific Shores tournament at Redondo Union High School starting on Monday, November 23.
The Jackrabbits lit up the floor in the first three games of the tournament, beginning with a (48-42) win against Campbell Hall, a (62-59) win against Inglewood, and a (55-48) win against Roosevelt but eventually fell short in the tournament’s championship round against the host, Redondo Union, with a  (64-49) loss.
“I think we did pretty well but we still have a lot of work to do as far as building team chemistry,” said senior guard and forward Garrison Gowens. “We just have to play to win and learn how to not play for ourselves, but as a team.”
Junior forward Zafir Williams, who lead the Jackrabbits in points, was named both Player of the Game and Most Outstanding Player for the championship game. Williams had to step up a lot to compensate for centers John Duff and Myles Johnson being out due to transfer rules and an injury. Both are expected to return in late January.
There are new leaders on the team with captains Harrison Bonner, Drew Buggs, and Reuben Williams.
“It feels really good to be named one of the captains so I’m just trying to improve everyday,” said senior point guard Reuben Williams.
“I enjoy being a leader and having my teammates look up to me. This is my third year starting on varsity, my second as captain. I have won a CIF championship and I know what it takes to win so I embrace the role of teaching the underclassmen,” said senior star guard Drew Buggs.
During Poly’s third game against Roosevelt, Buggs injured his knee leaving the Jackrabbits without one of their captains and top scorers on the court.
“Drew is a big part of us winning but we can pick it up off at the bench and come out on top,” said Gowens.
The Jackrabbits will be on the court once again this Wednesday, December 16, in the Tarkanian Classic tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This past week, the girls varsity tennis team beat Wilson to become the Moore League champions two years in a row on Friday, October 30.
The Lady Jackrabbits went undefeated in Moore League and challenged themselves mentally and physically by playing matches against Division I teams like Redondo Union and Mira Costa.
“The girls had really good year,” said senior Ariana Crockett, the undefeated doubles champion along with her partner Megan Gutierri.
Before the back to back wins this year and 2014, the team had been in a dry spell since 2004.
“Girls filter in and out of high school teams with different ranges of talent as well,” says Crockett, “but to be apart of a year where a team of girls came together wanting to achieve the same goal and actually achieving it after such a long time is really just too great.”
One of the captains, Jasmine Roberts, has been on the varsity team since her freshman year and a victory her senior year is one to remember.
Although Jasmine lost her singles championship to Wilson senior Olivia Mendoza, her and partner Sara Soderberg won in a 10-point tiebreaker to victory.
On the win, Roberts says “Of course I wanted to win the singles too but to win with Sara, she really was a major part of how amazing this season was for me. I’m glad to be able to share this win with her and experience it with her.”
“My last year wouldn’t have been the same without the girls that stuck in the program all the way into their senior year and its been a really good season. Now we have to continue and move to CIF which is also really exciting,” says Ariana Crockett.
The teams first CIF match was held November 4. Due to press restraints we were not able to cover the matches, but scores will be available next issue.

On Friday, October 30, senior Jack Jones was named a 2016 U.S. Army All-American during a lunchtime ceremony. Jones earned the All-American status by his electric performances at receiver, cornerback, and return specialist over his high school career.
This season, Jones has proven to be one of Southern California’s best receivers, providing a consistent target for the quarterbacks. His acrobatic jumps over defenders, decisive cuts, and quickness prove hard for defenders to prepare for him.
Jones was selected as one of the top 90 senior football players in the country to compete in the bowl game. Jones has met some of these players previously at football scouting events such as The Nike Opening and Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge.
Jones follows in the footsteps of past Jackrabbits who reached All-American status. These include receiver DeSean Jackson (2005), receiver John “JuJu” Smith-Schuster (2014), cornerback Iman “Biggie” Marshall (2015), and lineman Joseph “JoJo” Wicker (2015).
“I’m honored to be able to play after JuJu and Biggie, it doesn’t get any better than that,” said Jones.
Many players who played in the All-American Bowl have gone on to have successful college and professional football careers, including Andrew Luck, Odell Beckham Jr. and Adrian Peterson.
The nationally televised bowl game will take place on January 9 in San Antonio, Texas. Jones will continue his All-American season against Millikan on Friday, November 6, and will then face tough opponents in the Pac-5 playoffs.
While earning All-American honors, Jones has acquired a large list of scholarship offers to colleges, including USC, Texas A&M, and Notre Dame.

As they are more than half way done with the Sea View League competition, the Poly Surf Team hosted Los Alamitos and Corona Del Mar last Monday and Tuesday at Bolsa Chica.
The Poly Surf Team began their fifth competition in the league against Los Alamitos on Monday, October 26. With the intention of redeeming themselves with a win after losing to Los Alamitos in the previous meet held on October 13, the Poly surfers were ready for the challenge. At last Monday’s event, senior surfer, Sean Love, accumulated most of the points for Poly by placing first in the body board heat and second in the short board heat.
“It wasn’t a matter of practicing that much, but it was based on my experience of how long I’ve been surfing,” said Love, when asked on what he did differently this around in comparison to the past matches.
Also freshman Poly surfer, Marco Lepre, had only competed twice before, and placed second in the other boys short board event, adding an additional five points to the Poly side. Even with the high scores, Poly fell short 102-68.
The competition against Corona Del Mar was held the next day, Tuesday, October 27. The event was quite monumental for the Jackrabbits as they won their first competition in the Sea View League. Unlike Poly’s one year, Corona Del Mar has had at least five years of surf team experience. In fact, a couple of years ago, Corona Del Mar won the entire Sea View League. However, Poly was ready to be in the running with one of the Sea View League’s top teams.
In the first heat of the day, Sean Love placed second, while Spencer Steffen placed first in the second heat. For the girls short board in the third heat, sophomore surfer Cora Fahringer placed first while senior Eileen Sok placed first in the girls long board heat. In the boys long board heat, Poly placed first and second with the help from juniors Graeme Tanaka and Keven Miranda, adding more points to Poly’s scoreboard. At the end of the competition, Poly beat Corona Del Mar 85-76 with an upset victory.
The Poly Surf Team will continue their competitive season on Monday, November 9, against Mater Dei at Bolsa Chica.

It is the middle of October but the August heat still has yet to pass. With highs in the 100s, practice has not been much fun in the sun for some of the nation’s best athletes.

Many of the Poly coaches and staff have changed their regular routines around to accommodate the heat.

For some teams, the sun has been a blessing in disguise, getting some athletes out of strenuous practice on some days. This proved true for the Poly girls soccer team last week when Coach Collins rewarded her players with cool treats to escape the heat.

“Instead of running and conditioning, we eat Popsicles, take naps and bond as a team,” says senior varsity soccer player Madison Brown.

The basketball team is having a football scrimmage instead of the normal conditioning the players do in their morning practices but, luckily, the basketball boys get the luxury of practicing early in the morning.

“It’s a great feeling going to practice before the heat comes. I’m happy we get all of our working out done in the morning and have the rest of the day to focus on school and not think about the practice I would have had sweating in the sun,” said senior varsity basketball player Drew Buggs.

Even indoor sports teams are feeling the burn. Varsity volleyball player Maddi Olea jokes about adding an air conditioning system into the gym. “We would be able to practice longer in a more comfortable environment, I think it would be a really good investment and would make lots of us more excited and energetic for practice, especially this year,” said Olea.

Our varsity football team has already played two away games in tremendous heat, one in Arizona against the Centennial Coyotes and another in Las Vegas, Nevada against the Bishop Gorman Gaels. Playing in those cities has made the team appreciate the beautiful Long Beach weather.

“It may be hot now, but I know some other schools have it much worse than us,” said junior varsity football player Joshua Brown. “Playing in extreme weather like in Arizona and Las Vegas showed us as a team that weather can really affect your game if you let it.”

With the approach of the winter months, we will all have to wait and see if the sun gives these hardworking athletes a break this year or if they will have to endure more scorching temperatures throughout the rest of the season