The562’s coverage of Long Beach Poly is sponsored by Bryson Financial.
Long Beach Poly has released its schedule for the upcoming football season, which features the Jackrabbits’ usual blend of quality nonleague opponents with its annual Moore League schedule. The biggest news coming with the release of the schedule is that after months of speculation, it’s been confirmed that Poly will play one more season at historic Veterans Memorial Stadium on the LBCC campus.
Vets has been Poly’s home for nearly 70 years since the stadium opened in the 1950s, built with taxpayer bond money after a letter-writing campaign begun by Long Beach football alums fighting abroad in World War II. LBCC, which now owns and controls Vets, has spent the last few years planning its demolition and reconstruction. Plans last Fall initially called for demolition and construction to begin at the conclusion of the 2024 football season, which would have brought Poly’s time at the historic venue to an end.
As construction timelines shifted over the course of the season, fans and the team weren’t sure if 2024 would end up being the last, complicating efforts to pay tribute to the history between the school and stadium. Now it’s been confirmed the team will play 2025 there, and that the stadium will be demolished to make way for a new Veterans Memorial Stadium after that.
The Jackrabbits open with a home game against Leuzinger, as they’ll welcome a strong Olympians team that finished top 40 in the state last year. Then Poly travels to Lincoln to face San Diego’s top team in 2024, and a team that beat Poly soundly early in the 2024 season.
The Jackrabbits then host Tustin before taking their bye in the fourth week of the season. Their final nonleague game will come in October when they travel to Mission Viejo, another possible revenge game after suffering a sound defeat to the Diablos last year at SoFi Stadium. The Moore League schedule features road games at Jordan, Lakewood and Cabrillo and home games against Millikan, Wilson, and Compton.
The premiere league games will include what is anticipated to once again be the Moore League championship between Poly and Millikan, with the Rams handing Poly a rare league loss last year. The other game likely to draw a ton of interest is the road game at Lakewood, as new Poly coach Justin Utupo faces off against the Lancers he coached for the last few years (as well as his alma mater).
Poly struggled in 2024 but return plenty of top-end talent including defensive backs Julius Johnson, Donte Wright, and Deon Jackson. Wide receiver Kamarie Smith will lead a talented offense that includes tight end Jaden Hernandez and quarterback Deuce Jefferson.
2025 Long Beach Poly Football Schedule
8/22 vs. Leuzinger
8/29 @ Lincoln
9/5 vs. Tustin
9/12 BYE
9/19 @ Jordan*
9/26 @ Lakewood*
10/3 @ Mission Viejo
10/10 vs. Millikan*
10/17 vs. Wilson*
10/24 @ Cabrillo*
10/31 vs. Compton*
