LB Poly bounces Los Alamitos
LONG BEACH- Long Beach Poly might not be as dominant as in years past, but as Los Alamitos found out Friday night, the Jackrabbits are still a force.
Sparked by a defense that limited the Griffins to just 185 total yards, Poly rolled past Los Alamitos, 24-7, in a CIF-SS Pac-5 Division first-round game at Veterans Stadium.
“Poly was just too physical for us,” Griffins coach John Barnes said. “They didn’t allow us to get anything going offensively.”
Los Alamitos, the No. 2 seed from the Sunset League, did strike first following a 57-yard interception return by junior cornerback Hayden Fielding. Three plays later, tight end Michael Colins made a one-handed grab of a pass by Poly transfer Dylan Lagarde in the far corner of the end zone to give the Griffins (8-3) a 7-0 lead.
But that lead was short-lived as Poly (6-5) marched 74 yards in six plays on its next possession, eventually scoring on a 9-yard run by Kaelin Gray. Gray, normally a wide receiver, finished with a game-high 152 yards rushing on 18 carries.
“Kaelin is a big-time player. He’s been our MVP all season,” Jackrabbits coach Raul Lara said.
Los Alamitos had an opportunity to regain the lead in the second quarter, but Nick Richardson (102 rushing yards) fumbled after a stinging tackle by safety Dabness Atkins on the 82-yard line. Ryan Edwards recovered the fumble. Los Alamitos never reached the red zone again.
“I don’t know if that was the key play of the game, but it did make a big difference,” Barnes said.
Poly’s special teams provided the next score when Rodney Godfrey blocked a Brett Beighton punt at the 17-yard line. It rolled through the end zone for a safety.
Later, Poly’s Michael Teo blocked another punt. Josh Fasavalu recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown.
