The562’s football coverage for the 2025-26 school year is sponsored by Long Beach Poly alums Wendell “WoWo” Moe, Jr. & Tyson Ruffins.
In the 75 years that the Long Beach Poly football team has called Veterans Memorial Stadium its home, the Jackrabbits have won 12 CIF Southern Section titles, produced dozens of NFL alums, hundreds of college football players, and won even more games. Friday night was the final scheduled game for the Jackrabbits at historic Vets before it’s demolished at the end of the season–although Poly could still end up hosting a playoff game or two at Vets as well.
While Friday’s game wasn’t a classic along the lines of the 2012 Fog Bowl against St. John Bosco or the 2001 national championship against De La Salle–but it was a fun and fitting Senior Night game with big plays by both Poly and Compton, who were playing in their final Moore League game before departing for the Hub City League next season. In the end, the Jackrabbits won 55-22.
After the game, Poly coach Justin Utupo expressed displeasure that his Poly squad (5-5, 5-1) didn’t play a cleaner game.
“It’s just not good enough,” he said. “You go into November and you’re still not flying to the football and tackling, not able to punch the ball in on the goal line in four tries on offense, you’re kicking the ball out of bounds on special teams–it’s just not clean football. It’s not what we prepare for throughout the week. And so I think that’s the most disappointing part.”
Utupo had his team run sprints at halftime with a 35-6 lead, and admitted that the history of Vets was part of his frustration with the Jackrabbits.
“You gotta love playing in this venue and this environment,” he said. “Playing on this field, you’ve got to give more. It starts with me and how we prepare mentally for these games. We can’t keep allowing teams to stay in games, we have to find a way to put them away.”
The Jackrabbits didn’t punt on the night and started out up 7-0 after their opening drive as Legend Galeai’s pass to Tristan Ventura scored a touchdown. After a three-and-out by the Poly defense, Poly took over in Compton territory thanks to a long return by Kamarie Smith. But they were stuffed at the goal line on a pair of runs by Ventura, and then a sweep by Smith was stopped short to force a turnover on downs. Poly ended up taking a 14-0 lead on a punt return by Smith early in the second quarter.
The next Compton drive got all the way to Poly’s goal line, but Cal commit Deon Jackson intercepted Compton QB Leton Washington in the end zone to cut the drive short. The Jackrabbits then got a 41-yard score from Galeai to Jayden Coley to make it 21-0 Poly.
After a three-and-out Poly got back on the board on a touchdown run by sophomore Steven “Budda” Hunter that made it 28-0.
Compton showed no quit, however, and Washington proved himself a rare talent at QB for the Tarbabes, as he orchestrated a scoring drive in response, ultimately getting his team on the board with a 14-yard strike to Edward Rivera. Poly would answer back on a highlight-reel play by Smith, who broke seven or eight tackles as part of a 56-yard touchdown catch and run that saw him reverse field twice.
Smith has been known for highlight plays the last three years for Poly and was happy to get his first of 2025.
“I’ve been waiting for that moment, I’m not gonna lie,” he said. “All season I’ve been telling them it’s gonna come, it’s gonna happen, and that was just my time. I told my guys before the play I need you to block because something crazy is about to happen.”
The second half saw the two teams trade interceptions, but then saw Compton dig deep as Washington proved himself one of the best players in the Moore League. He orchestrated a touchdown drive that cut Poly’s lead to 35-14 after he kept it himself on a run.
Poly answered with another touchdown by Hunter and led 41-14 after three.
The next score would be theirs as well as Deuce Jefferson returned from injury and threw a 38-yard touchdown to Kymere Smith, but Compton answered with a touchdown from Washington to Ronnie Mixon that made it 49-22. Poly’s last score came late on a run by Jefferson.
Compton hanging tough with Poly in the second half was reminiscent of other Poly games in the Moore League, where they led Millikan and Wilson comfortably before seeing both teams come back, with the Rams falling short but the Bruins beating them on a two-point conversion. Compton was only outscored in the second half 20-16, which led to Utupo’s frustration.
The Jackrabbits will enter the CIF-SS playoffs as the two-seed from the Moore League, while Compton will hope for an at-large. CIF-SS brackets drop Sunday morning and will be posted live on our Twitter.
