It’s no secret that Long Beach Poly’s offense will lead with its run game, as it has for most of the team’s 100+ year history. The Jackrabbits threw it just 14 times out of 58 plays against Millikan last week, and could absolutely have a similar ration against Wilson and for the rest of the season.
But that doesn’t mean the Jackrabbits don’t have a potentially potent passing game, too. While the passing game struggled against some of Poly’s top-tier nonleague opponents, quarterback Mehki Jordan was precise and efficient against Millikan last week, going 11/14 for 114 yards and a touchdown. Jordan’s ability to escape the pocket and gain yards running it is a weapon as well.
The Jackrabbits have plenty of weapons at receiver, as usual. Keyonta Lanier is a 6’1” junior that’s been excellent this year, while 6’3” Jordan Riles adds another speedy option with range. The fastest option for Poly has been Ramil Brown, a sprinter on the school’s CIF-SS championship winning track team last year. Kyren Racheal and Anthony Curtis have both also had big receptions this year.
It’s easy to see why the Wilson secondary has been picked on this season with a phenomenal front seven in front of them and multiple underclassman in rotation. Leading this group is team captain Soloman Bowie, who has four of the 15 forced turnovers for Wilson this season. The safety has also come up for an impressive 33 tackles, and sets a great example for guys like sophomore Saadite Green Jr. with his confident demeanor. Green Jr. has a team-high four interceptions.
Both defensive secondaries have shown weaknesses, especially early in games, and both teams have very capable receivers. If those trends continue it will be the big plays in the secondary that will decide who wins this game.
