The Long Beach Poly football team plays its third game of the year Friday night at home at Veterans Memorial Stadium at 7pm, as the 0-2 Jackrabbits are desperate to get their first win. It won’t be easy and they won’t be favored: Poly hosts undefeated Tustin, and the Cal Preps algorithm projects that the Jackrabbits will lose 24-14.
Poly fans will likely not agree with that projection, but the Jackrabbits will once again be without several key players: some out for another week or two due to injury, and some waiting on the CIF-SS sit-out period in another couple of weeks.
Poly’s season thus far is a little bit like a Rohrshach test. From one angle, they’re 0-2 for the second consecutive year with an offense that hasn’t been able to get off to a quick start, and which has managed just 23 points in two games. From another angle, they’ve been shorthanded but held their own against two quality opponents ranked highly in the state, with a legit defense and an improving offense.
This week’s game will go a long way towards determining which direction Poly is headed in–they’ll have a bye next week and then get into the Moore League schedule, and their final nonleague game is against nationally-ranked Mission Viejo.
Tustin has proven to be a complete team, with a 30-17 win over San Clemente and a 44-0 win over Foothill last week. Sophomore quarterback Ayden Edwards is a 6-3 gunslinger with SEC offers, and RB Eli Robinson is a Santa Margarita transfer with a team-high 21 carries the last two weeks. The top pass-catching targets are Hayden Koo and Rufai Azeez.
Defensively, the Tillers are loaded up front which could spell trouble for a Poly team that has yet to get a running game going. Defensive tackle Jon Ioane has offers from Oregon and others and plays alongside DT Jeremiah Williams who also has offers from Notre Dame and Kansas. Edge rusher Cooper Cook is also a D1-level player who can make noise.
After Friday’s game Poly will have a bye before traveling to Jordan and Lakewood to open Moore League play in two weeks.
