Long Beach Poly (Calif.) vs. Granite Bay (Calif.)
Manusamoa Luuga and Poly started 1-3, but have stormed back to make it all the way to the Division I championship game.
Photo by Heston Quan
The California Division I State Bowl Game features a pair of teams that didn't look like sure bets to even make the playoffs early in the season. Poly (12-3) was off to its worst start in anyone's recent memory sitting at 1-3 after a three-game losing streak early in the year that included a 56-0 drubbing at the hands of Narbonne (Harbor City). Undeterred, the Jackrabbits turned their season around with 12 straight wins, including a march through the tough Pac-5 playoff bracket and a convincing 28-7 win against Clovis North (Fresno) in last week's Division I Southern California Regional Bowl. Led by UCLA-bound linebacker
Jayon Brown, Poly has been most improved on defense. After allowing 131 points in the first four games of the year, it's given up only 112 in the last 11 games.
Read Leland Gordon's game previewLikewise, Granite Bay (12-3) also stumbled out of the gate to a 1-3 record through the first four weeks of the year. The Grizzlies scored only 19 points total in their first two games (losses to Westlake and Oaks Christian) but averaged nearly 42 in the following 12 contests.
John Cooley is the team's leading rusher with 1,556 yards and 17 touchdowns. The 5-10, 180-pound senior had a season-high 215 yards and four touchdowns in last week's 45-17 blowout of St. Ignatius (San Francisco) in the Northern California Division I regional championship.
Mitch Stephens: Poly 20, Granite Bay 17
Jamie DeMoney: Granite Bay 23, Poly 20
Stephen Spiewak: Granite Bay 21, Poly 20
Leland Gordon: Poly 21, Granite Bay 20
Kevin Askeland: Poly 28, Granite Bay 14
Steve Montoya: Granite Bay 17, Poly 14
