The Long Beach Poly administration is withdrawing the Jackrabbits’ football team from this year’s CIF Southern Section playoffs, the day after the final game of the regular season and two days before the CIF-SS playoff brackets are set to drop.
A statement issued to the562 from Poly administration reads:
“Long Beach Polytechnic High School acknowledges the recent CIF ruling related to violations of CIF Bylaw 202 within its football program. In accordance with that ruling, and as part of an ongoing internal investigation, Poly will withdraw from postseason play. The school is fully cooperating with CIF and the District, as a thorough review of our processes and systems is conducted to ensure full compliance with CIF rules and District policy. While student and employee matters are confidential, our commitment remains to support our students while upholding the integrity of our athletic programs.“
The Jackrabbits had six players ruled ineligible due to falsifying address change paperwork this season, part of a wider crackdown by the CIF-SS that saw 19 players at Bishop Montgomery, eight at Millikan, one at Compton, and more than a dozen others around Southern California ruled ineligible.
The Jackrabbits later had one of those players, Kevin Alexander III, ruled eligible by the CIF-SS and allowed to play in the last two games of the season. Additionally, the Jackrabbits forfeit a win over Tustin due to the use of an ineligible player. That forfeit was Poly’s first in football since 2015, when an ineligible player participated in three Moore League games which the Jackrabbits then forfeit. That led to Wilson being crowned the Moore League champions and Poly missing the playoffs for the first time since 1979 (which was also the last time they’d forfeit games).
Now, a decade later, Poly will miss the playoffs for the second time since 1979 due to their voluntary withdrawal from the playoffs. With the Jackrabbits having been in second place, this likely moves Lakewood into second place behind league champion Wilson, and could then slide fourth-place Millikan into the Moore League’s third guaranteed playoff bid. The Rams also forfeit two games from earlier this season due to the use of an ineligible player.
The Poly football players and families were informed of the administrative decision in a meeting on Friday afternoon at Poly.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
