The562’s coverage of aquatic sports in Long Beach in 2025-26 is sponsored by Watersafe Swim School.
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.
The562’s coverage of Millikan Athletics for the 2025-26 school year is sponsored by Brian Ramsey and TLD Law.
In recent years, it’s been rare to see a wire-to-wire battle in Moore League boys’ water polo, but the fans at the Long Beach Poly natatorium on Tuesday were treated to just that.
The stands were full for a senior-night matchup between Long Beach Poly and Millikan on Tuesday a game both teams had circled since the start of the season. The pair fed off that energy, trading blows in what became an instant classic, with Poly holding off Millikan in a tight 11-10 win.
“We played a really tough non-league schedule, including a tournament in Ventura this past weekend,” said Poly coach Ish Pluton. “We talked about every game being preparation for this one. We knew Millikan was good and that we needed to bring the right energy and mindset—and we showed up. They owned that win. As much as it sucks having a losing record, those hard games made them ready to beat a really tough Millikan team.”
After exchanging blows all game, the teams were tied through three quarters before a key pair of goals from Long Beach Poly senior Mateo Menes. Menes gave the Jackrabbits their biggest lead of the game and helped seal the win in the fourth quarter, finishing with a team-high three goals.
Asked about Menes’ contributions after the game, Pluton laughed. He said it was the most shots he’d seen the senior take all season and applauded him for seizing the moment.
“That was the coolest thing ever,” Pluton said of Menes. “I’ve never seen him do that.”
“I surprised myself—I was shocked,” added Menes. “Whenever I go up to the goal, I get nervous. I think, what if I miss or can’t swim back fast enough, what will coach say? But that pressure on my shoulders was almost too perfect. My whole family was here for senior night, my friends were in the crowd, and I didn’t want to let them down. So in that fourth quarter I just went all out.”
Millikan finished with a pair of goals in the final two minutes of the game, including a five-meter shot from Luc Poissant. A goal from Cooper Dixon brought the Rams within a score, but the Jackrabbits’ lead proved to be big enough to hold on to as the clock wound down.
“This was my seniors’ best performance in leadership where we stayed focused and owned our mistakes,” Millikan coach Luke Garrison said after the game. “That’s something we’ve preached all year. We have a lot of games before CIF starts, and if the team that showed up today at Poly shows up the rest of the year, we’ll be just fine.”
The game’s tightness can be summarized in the first quarter alone, which featured five lead changes and four ties. Nine goals were scored between the two teams in the quarter (5-4 Poly), each by a different player.
“There was a whole bunch of nervous energy and the defense wasn’t quite focused on either team,” Pluton said. “That’s how the first quarter went and then the second quarter everyone settles in on offense and defense and it starts to become that chess game where we try to figure each other out.”
One of those chess moves came in the fourth quarter, with Pluton switching to a traditional offense on the first play, setting up a goal by Aiden Greenwood that sparked a 3‑0 Jackrabbit scoring run.
“We changed our offense knowing that if we could get the ball to Greenwood as a set and a center, we could score a critical goal and shift the momentum. That’s exactly what happened to open the fourth,” he said.
Jeremiah Estrada-Ramos, Aiden Greenwood and Townsend Kato each finished with a pair of goals for the Jackrabbits alongside Menes’ team-high three. Ryan Oatey and Carlo Menes also had a goal.
Millikan was paced by Luc Poissant, who matched the game-high with three goals. Dixon and Zavier Velasco each scored twice, while James Fernandez, Josh Linder, and Kody Rankin each added a goal.
Long Beach Poly will continue league play at home against Wilson next Tuesday, while Millikan will be on the road at Jordan.
