The562’s coverage of Jordan Athletics is sponsored by John Ross, Class of 2013
The Jordan track and field team made history on Wednesday with a 63-41 victory over the Long Beach Poly boys.
Head coach Sharaud Moore was ecstatic.
“It’s a long time coming, the boys are happy, really happy,” he said. “It’s Poly. To defeat the giant and have it be for a title–when’s the last time Jordan did that?”
There are still two weeks to go in the Moore League track schedule, but at the moment the Panthers, Jackrabbits, and Bruins are all tied for first place with one loss apiece. If Jordan does indeed keep winning and force a co-championship, it would be historic. The Jackrabbits are the 25-time defending league champs, and Jordan hasn’t won a track title in either gender since their boys shared the title with Poly in 1999.
The Panthers’ last Moore League championship in any sport was a boys’ basketball championship won under legendary Northtown coach Ron Massey in 2009.
“Everybody gave it their all today,” said Moore. “This was either we’re going to win or die, but when we leave there’d be nothing left.”
Moore said the day came down to the mile relay at the end of the day, where the quartet of Darryll Stevens, Ahmad Diouf, Elijah Jones, and Jordan Washington won the event and the day for the Panthers.
Washington is having a special sophomore season, and is a threat to win the 100 and 200 for the Panthers at league finals; he’s currently top 10 in both events in the CIF Southern Section with season bests of 10.6 and 21.64.
Moore said the Panthers also swept the throws against Poly thanks to Sione Felemi and Chris Tufunga. He also said star football player Damian Henderson ran on the school’s 4×100 relay, which Jordan won as well.
