MaxPreps 2013 Preseason Xcellent 25 Football preview: No. 23 Long Beach Poly

To anyone who wishfully thought the Long Beach Poly (Calif.) dynasty was sailing off into the distance like a cargo ship from the Port of Long Beach, there is some bad news: The Jackrabbits are nowhere near ready to give up their spot among the most dominant football programs in America.

Poly detractors undoubtedly thought the program was on the way out last season when the Jackrabbits suffered one of their worst losses in 40 years and stumbled their way to a 1-3 start. It wasn't just a 1-3 start, it was a 1-3 start that included a jaw-dropping 56-0 loss to Narbonne (Harbor City, Calif.) that featured a running clock and no Poly first downs until just before halftime. It also included a 20-12 loss at Serra (Gardena) and a mystifying 29-6 home loss to Bakersfield (Calif.).

It was cause for panic for some in "the LBC" and cause for others to ridicule the program that has won 18 Southern Section titles.

See the entire Preseason Xcellent 25

Turns out Poly was just figuring things out, and in retrospect it was a muderer's row of opponents. Narbonne played in the Southern California Open Division Regional Bowl, Serra romped to a Division II State Bowl Game title and Bakersfield went 9-3.

The Jackrabbits put it all together after that tough start and quickly got back to where they are so accustomed to being: In the national Top 25 (computer) and winning a Southern Section Pac-5 title. You should expect nothing less from the school that has produced more NFL players than any other in the nation.

The returning Division I State Bowl Game participants come back this season with another brutal nonleague slate of games, and perhaps just as important, they come back with the knowledge that a team can always turn its season around and play for a state title after early adversity.

Poly is expected to be better on both sides of the ball this season and brings back about half of its starters. Those players are talented, as Poly teams never lack that, but they also bring with them the lessons they learned in last season's run to the title game.

John Smith is the big name on this year's team, a 6-foot-2 wide receiver/safety who is the No. 24 recruit in the 247sports.com Composite Rankings. He's joined in the defensive backfield by Iman Marshall, a free safety who is gaining recruiting interest.

And on the defensive line, Jason Fao is back as a fourth-year varsity star.



The offense does have some rushing talent to replace, but athletes are waiting in the wings, and Tai Tiedemann has shown an ability to manage games at quarterback despite not being a physically imposing figure.

It's a version should be just as fast, just as strong and just as dangerous as many of the Poly teams that have experienced wild success. So don't expect this ship to drift off into the distance this season.

See the entire Poly photo gallery

Local look: "Poly High is just one of those perennial powerhouse programs. People began to question that early last year, when the Jackrabbits lost three games in a row by a combined score of 105-18. With their backs up against the wall, the Jackrabbits didn’t lose another game until falling to Granite Bay in the CIF State Division I Bowl Game. Poly will undoubtedly be in the mix again this year in the Pac-5 Division and an easy favorite to win the Moore League. The Jackrabbits are solid on defense, especially up front with Jason Fao and in the backfield with returning stars John Smith and Iman Marshall and transfer Elijah Moody. The offense is more of a question mark, but they do have an experienced line and the highlight-reel Smith to count on."
- Dave Werstine, Long Beach Press-Telegram (@LBPrepSports)
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Size: CIF Southern Section Pac-5, State Division I

Enrollment: 4,470 (approx.)

2012 finish: 12-4, lost in CIF Division I State Bowl Game

Head coach: Raul Lara



Years at school: 23 (12 as head coach)

Career record: 131-28

Notable players coached:
DeSean Jackson (Philadelphia Eagles)

Marcedes Lewis (Jacksonville Jaguars)

Winston Justice (Indianapolis Colts)

Pago Togafao (NFL free agent)



Jayon Brown (UCLA freshman)

Gerard Wicks (Washington State freshman)
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No. of returning starters: 6 (offense), 7 (defense)

Key losses:
RB Manusamoa Lu'uga

LB Jayon Brown

RB Gerard Wicks

QB Eban Jackson



Key returners:
WR/SS John Smith

CB/WR Iman Marshall

LB Caleb Turner

DL/OL Jason Fao

DL Imani Mitchell

QB Tai Tiedemann



Key newcomers:
DB/WR Elijah Moody

DB Demetric Woodard Jr.
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Toughest game: Los Angeles City Section finalist Crenshaw? Nope. Trinity League power Servite? Not a chance. Central Section legacy Bakersfield? Ha! It's a brutal first four weeks against great teams. But the toughest opponent in the regular season is undoubtedly Centennial (Corona), which played in the Open Division state final last season. The game will be played Sept. 13 at Mission Viejo during the Mission Viejo Classic. And let's remember that the toughest games come in the Pac-5 playoffs, so Centennial may not be the strongest foe overall.

Question mark: Can this team find running backs to fill the void left by a pair of Division 1 recruits who left? It better. Tiedemann can't take this team all the way by himself, he needs a running game to provide balance and keep defenses honest. Juniors Jeremy Calhoun and James Brooks will try to fall in and produce.

Local outlook: "The Moore is less." That's the saying in SoCal, referring to Poly's league, which it has won in seven of the past eight years with unblemished marks (only two losses in eight years). But, the Pac-5 Division for the Southern Section playoffs is another story. No. 6 preseason team St. John Bosco (Bellflower) is about 10 miles away, Mater Dei is always good, St. Bonaventure is a perennial contender and of course No. 10 Centennial (Corona) could lurk in the regional playoffs (it plays in the Inland Division). The Pac-5 is perhaps the toughest bracket in America, so there barely any easy draws in the playoffs.

Overall outlook: An undefeated season is an unrealistic expectation. There are simply too many tough games early on. But this team has talent, and learned an important lesson last year, so a run through the playoffs is something that would not surprise anybody. The running game will have time to learn and acclimate, and if it's the right players, this team will be a contender to get back to a state title game. When you're the No. 3 dynasty in California, a new slew of players hardly means a drop in quality.

Coach quote: "Of course the 'bounce back' will be a factor this year. It will help us in many ways. For sure to never give up and always work hard. Our team will be better because of experience. I have most of the guys coming back from last year's Pac-5 championship team."
- Head coach Raul Lara
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