Long Beach Poly learned a lot about perseverance last season, as it overcame a terrible start to make it to the state title game.
Photo by Louis Lopez
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.
Wide receiver John Smith
Photo by Louis Lopez
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 galleryLocal 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)
