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The562’s coverage of Long Beach Poly is sponsored by Bryson Financial.
The Long Beach Poly football team saw a frustrating season end in shocking fashion on the road Friday in the CIF Southern Section Division 4 quarterfinals. The Jackrabbits led host Pacifica by as many as 21 points in the game and had a 41-24 lead going into the fourth quarter. The Tritons scored 21 unanswered in the fourth to end the Jackrabbits’ season, 45-41.
“Our defense couldn’t get a stop and that’s on me,” said Poly coach Stephen Barbee. “I thought we had a solid game plan, and they kept making plays and converting. In the playoffs you got to do better. Both halves we came out on fire and we took our foot on the gas. You can’t do that in the playoffs.”
Taking the foot off the gas was a season-long issue for the Jackrabbits, who led at halftime against Millikan before giving up the lead, then let Northview back into the game last week when it appeared over, and did the same in their season ending loss tonight. In all three cases, the Poly sideline visibly relaxed with a lead, something not typical of their teams over the years—teams that had more success in nonleague and league play than this year’s Poly team.
It was something coaches tried to address throughout the season—asked what was responsible for that trend, Barbee said, “I don’t know, to be very honest. I’m not going to put anything on the kids. So it’s my inability to keep their focus.”
The game couldn’t have started more auspiciously for the Jackrabbits, as they led by two scores in a blink. The defense took the ball away at midfield on a fumble recovery by Pierce Tusa, and then running back Harry Johnson rumbled through defenders 31 yards for a huge gain. QB Deuce Jefferson hit Kamarie Smith for a five yard score to give Poly a lead.
After another three and out with a sack by Sammy Vai, Poly got the ball back again, with Jefferson connecting with Coley for a 29 yard gain, and then hitting Smith for a 24 yard catch and run touchdown to go up 14-0 after just five minutes.
After that, as has often been the case this season, Poly fell victim to mental mistakes. The defense gave up a long drive that included a defensive holding penalty, resulting in a field goal by Pacifica. The Poly O then went three-and-out as Jefferson missed an open Smith for a first down.
Poly got another defensive stand thanks to a fourth down sack by Toa Tamasoa, but the offense once again failed to capitalize as Smith dropped a third down pass. After a Poly defensive back slipped in coverage, Pacifica got a 59 yard score, and then Poly muffed the ensuing kickoff, resulting in a go-ahead 24-yard run by Pacifica seconds later.
The lead gone thanks to a slew of offensive, defensive, and special teams mistakes, Poly seemed to wake up. A long drive with a lot of power runs was capped by a Jaden Hernandez touchdown run to put Poly back up 21-17, and then after an intentional grounding backed Pacifica up to their own goal line, they snapped it through the uprights to put Poly up 23-17 on a safety.
Poly had a chance to take control before halftime but their drive stalled at the Pacifica 15 when Jefferson ran on third and one and didn’t gain anything at the sideline. The Jackrabbits then attempted a field goal that went wide right.
In the second half, Poly went up 30-17 right away on a 66 yard touchdown reception by Juju Johnson, who reached out to snag a pass one-handed and then sprinted through a broken tackle to paydirt. The defense got a stop and then another run-heavy drive ended in a touchdown, this time by Tristan Ventura, which put Poly up 38-17 mid-third.
As happened so many times this year, though, that was when the wheels started to fall off for Poly—as they were on the verge of putting the game away. Oxnard would score touchdowns on their next four drives, aided by the eight defensive holding/pass interference flags the Poly defensive backs drew in the game, as well as other lapses in coverage.
Meanwhile the Poly offense also sputtered. Jefferson started 10/15 for 200 yards and three touchdowns. After taking the 21-point lead he was 4/14 for 48 yards, including a three-and-out that gave the ball back to Pacifica for the go-ahead touchdown. The team’s best drive down the stretch was a seven-minute field goal drive—but even that featured a Jefferson to Smith touchdown that was called back on a hold (the fifth TD called back on Poly in two playoff games).
The Jackrabbits had two drives to potentially retake the lead but turned it over on downs both times.
Poly finishes the season at 6-6.
