The562’s coverage of Long Beach Poly Athletics for the 2025-26 school year is sponsored by Former Jackrabbits Wendell “WoWo” Moe, Jr. & Tyson Ruffins.
This year, the Long Beach Poly girls’ basketball team is trying to do something no other team in California history has ever done. The Jackrabbits enter the year with 211 consecutive wins in the Moore League, a remarkable streak that dates all the way back to 2008 and encompasses 19 consecutive league championships for Poly. That win streak is the second-longest in state prep history, trailing only Troy’s run of 219 straight league wins from 1996-2018, which means that if the Jackrabbits can once again run through the Moore League they would dethrone Troy.
“Well, I didn’t know that,” said longtime Poly coach Carl Buggs with a laugh. “You learn something new every day.”
Buggs is often the last to learn about some historic streak or accolade he and his Jackrabbits accomplish. He also doesn’t know that a league title this year would make his program just the eighth in California history to win 20 league titles in a row, or that he enters the season with 642 career wins (and a remarkable varsity basketball coaching record of 642-132). Buggs is eight wins away from becoming the 16th coach in California history with 650 girls’ basketball wins–his longtime Moore League rival Lorene Morgan is just seven wins away from the same feat, highlighting how strong the league has been historically.
This year may not be the Moore League’s most talent-packed year, and it’s not Poly’s either. But the reason Buggs is so blissfully unaware of the historical context for his team’s success is that he’s busy doing what he does every year–trying to get his team to be a little better each day than they were the day before. This year? There’s plenty of room to grow.
“This is probably the most inexperienced team I’ve had in my years coaching,” said Buggs. “We have just one returnee with valuable game experience who started last year–everybody else was more of a role player, and they’re going to have to step up. They’re great kids and they work hard, there’s not a lot of experience but I love their attitude.”
The lone returner is Ana Villamar, a guard on last year’s team who started most games, but who was also only fourth on the team in scoring with 4.8 points per game. A first-team All-Moore League honoree, she helped lead Poly to a 22-6 overall record and an undefeated 12-0 Moore League slate before the Jackrabbits uncharacteristically fell in the opening round of the playoffs.
“We want to win every game but we’re going to take it day by day and not look too far ahead,” said Villamar. “We’ve got to just focus on us and not anybody else and keep playing our game.”
Villamar said that the Jackrabbits have bonded throughout the Summer and Fall and are excited to have their new faces on the court together.
“We have the chemistry side, and when you have that the rest will come on the court because you know each other so well,” she said.
The other major factor for Poly will be 6-5 senior center Imani Hagens, who adds an immediate post presence. The Jackrabbits also return second-team All-Moore League guard Milia Misher, post Simdi Akpamgbo, and sophomore Bella Archer. Buggs said the team’s freshman class will also provide some immediate help, especially freshman guards Eliana Mao and Nevaeh Johnson, as well as wing Jovahnah Dalton.
“The biggest adjustment for all of them is how hard they have to play at the varsity level, all the time, every possession,” said Buggs. “We’re playing our normal (difficult) schedule and our preseason record may not look too good because we’re trying to play tougher opponents early in order to prepare for league and the playoffs.”
