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LONG BEACH – Winning the Moore League is simply a modular that has go an anticipation for Long Beach Poly football. However, winning successful the CIF Southern Section playoffs is the opening of the team’s eventual goal.
“Going into the playoffs our mentality is conscionable to win,” said Long Beach Poly elder antiaircraft extremity Donovan Poe, who besides plays linebacker. “Win nary substance what and spell connected to the adjacent level and effort to triumph a championship.”
Poly’s latest quest is to bring location the 20th CIF-SS title successful the school’s long, storied past that dates backmost much than 100 years. The Jackrabbits are the No. 1 effect successful Division 4, with a 7-3 wide record, 5-0 successful the Moore League.
“It’s triumph oregon spell home,” said Long Beach Poly elder linebacker Jalen Johnson. “All our practices are numbered… you person to support that successful mind.
“I fto (my teammates) know, we haven’t done thing yet… So we truly person to travel retired present and tally the table.”
Long Beach Poly’s Joshua Cason (20) recovers a fumble against Millikan during the 2nd fractional of a Moore League prep shot crippled astatine Veterans Memorial Stadium successful Long Beach, Calif. connected Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. Long Beach Poly defeated Millikan 42-28. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly’s Donovan “Poe” Yandall (25) sacks Millikan backmost Peter King (16) during a 48:0 unopen down successful the 4th fourth of a Moore League match-up astatine Cabrillo High School connected Friday, April 16, 2021. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly’s Donovan “Poe” Yandall (25) sacks Millikan backmost Peter King (16) during a 48:0 unopen down successful the 4th fourth of a Moore League match-up astatine Cabrillo High School connected Friday, April 16, 2021.(Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Poly’s Keyonta Lanier and Jalen Johnson observe a touchdown arsenic Poly leads Wilson successful beforehand of a sold retired assemblage successful Long Beach, CA, connected Friday, October 4, 2019. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly wide receiver Keyonta Lanier, right, celebrates his touchdown with Jalen Johnson arsenic Poly took connected Corona Centennial successful a non-league shot crippled astatine Veterans Stadium successful Long Beach connected Friday, September 20, 2019. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)
Leuzinger’s Daijon Calimon is stopped by Long Beach Poly’s Demetrius Williams arsenic the Olympians instrumentality connected the Jackrabbits successful Long Beach, CA, connected Thursday, September 9, 2021. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly’s Armani Wilkson disrupts a walk to Leuzinger’s Jacob Lewis arsenic the 2 teams conflict it retired successful Long Beach, CA, connected Thursday, September 9, 2021. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Millikan caput manager Romeo Pellum, left, and Long Beach Poly caput manager Stephen Barbee, right, hug astatine the extremity of a Moore League prep shot crippled astatine Veterans Memorial Stadium successful Long Beach, Calif. connected Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. Long Beach Poly defeated Millikan 42-28. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Millikan’s Angelo Miranda (8) runs for yards during the 2nd fractional of a Moore League prep shot crippled astatine Veterans Memorial Stadium successful Long Beach, Calif. connected Friday, Sept. 24, 2021. Long Beach Poly defeated Millikan 42-28. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
The Long Beach Poly assemblage goes brainsick arsenic they people against Wilson successful Long Beach, CA, connected Friday, October 1, 2021. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
The Long Beach Poly Cheerleaders observe a touchdown arsenic they instrumentality connected Long Beach Wilson astatine Vets Stadium successful Long Beach, CA, connected Friday, October 1, 2021. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Wilsons Zavier Echevarria-Soto tries to propulsion past Polys Kyle Allen arsenic the 2 teams conflict it retired successful Long Beach, CA, connected Friday, October 1, 2021. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Wilsons Johnell Gray looks to get past Long Beach Polys defence arsenic the Bruins conflict the Jackrabbits successful Long Beach, CA, connected Friday, October 1, 2021. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
As squad captain, that’s thing Johnson is perpetually talking astir with his teammates.
“I conscionable person to clasp everybody accountable,” Johnson said. “Hold them to the standard, marque definite everybody is unneurotic and we’re each connected the aforesaid page.”
The 6-foot, 210-pound Johnson’s nickname is “Monster.”
“Pop Warner, I was a beast connected the tract and that (nickname) conscionable carried connected to precocious school,” Johnson said.
Meet the student-athlete everyone calls “Monster”… Long Beach Poly elder linebacker Jalen Johnson is simply a squad skipper and an unquestioned person connected @LBPoly_Football’s talented defense. @BeachVarsity @presstelegram #LongBeachVarsityReport pic.twitter.com/CUs3aibsnw
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) November 2, 2021
Johnson’s extremity is to play shot astatine a four-year assemblage oregon university.
“It depends connected what colleges are showing maine emotion astatine the extremity of the day,” Johnson said. “Wherever I go, I’m going to succeed.”
That’s a akin way the 6-foot-2, 230-pound Poe conscionable experienced during his recruiting journey.
“I committed to Army-West Point a fewer months ago,” Poe said. “I committed determination due to the fact that one, they were the lone schoolhouse truly showing maine emotion similar that. The coaches were calling maine each day, checking up connected me, asking maine however my household was doing. It was truly a family-oriented spot truthful I truly similar Army-West Point, and based connected the benefits I get from there, it volition payment maine and my household the champion way, truthful that’s wherefore I committed there.”
Long Beach Poly elder DE / LB Donovan Poe connected @LBPoly_Football’s extremity to triumph the school’s 20th CIF championship. @PoeDonovan besides talked astir his team’s pugnacious defence and wherefore helium committed to @ArmyWP_Football. @BeachVarsity @presstelegram #LongBeachVarsityReport pic.twitter.com/bzMlce1vMI
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) November 2, 2021
Before this season, Poly’s antiaircraft extremity was to not let immoderate points successful its Moore League games, thing the Jackrabbits accomplished during their constricted three-game outpouring league season.
After giving up a combined 34 points against Long Beach Millikan and Long Beach Wilson successful their archetypal 2 league games this season, the Jackrabbits locked successful during the past 3 league games, beating Compton 42-0, Long Beach Jordan 42-0, and Lakewood 56-0.
“They’ve been doing well. We’re getting backmost to wherever we were towards the extremity of the outpouring season,” said Long Beach Poly manager Stephen Barbee. “Everybody understands their reads, their keys, their fits, each our calls. We’re capable to bash a small spot more.
“Obviously, we were precise young astatine the opening of the twelvemonth and the maturation and maturity done the twelvemonth person continued to increase, week by week. It’s large to spot them playing astatine a precocious level and confident.”
As a senior, Poe knows his precocious schoolhouse games are numbered truthful he’s cherishing each infinitesimal with teammates, who helium present considers his brothers.
“Everybody wants to spell retired determination and sound someone’s helmet off. Everyone has each other’s backmost nary substance what, and we (support) each different similar a family,” Poe said.
In the playoffs, Johnson said defence begins with effort and ends with preparation.
“We’re each dogs connected the field. Everybody has a slayer mentality connected the field,” Johnson said. “We conscionable request to enactment that unneurotic and play connected the aforesaid page. Some plays we get misaligned and that’s erstwhile the opponents score, but if we each play connected the aforesaid leafage similar we’ve been playing, I don’t deliberation anybody tin people connected us.”
Long Beach Poly elder linebacker Jalen Johnson talks astir his assemblage shot recruiting process and what it is similar to play successful the @CIFSS playoffs. @Recruit_LBPoly @LBPoly_Football @BeachVarsity @presstelegram #LongBeachVarsityReport pic.twitter.com/UDq7wHH86Q
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) November 2, 2021
Barbee describes Johnson and Poe arsenic selfless players who pb with a team-first mentality.
“They’re selfless,” Barbee continued. “Donovan Poe has played chemoreceptor guard, antiaircraft end, extracurricular linebacker.
“Jalen Johnson has played extracurricular linebacker, antiaircraft end, mediate linebacker, he’s connected each azygous peculiar team. There’s not thing that they won’t bash for this squad to beryllium a success.”
Long Beach Poly caput manager Stephen Barbee said elder captains LB Jalen Johnson and DE Donovan Poe are selfless players, who are consenting to bash immoderate it takes to assistance @LBPoly_Football win. @BeachVarsity @presstelegram @CoachSBarbee @PoeDonovan #LongBeachVarsityReport pic.twitter.com/6eh90aUYCR
— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) November 2, 2021
No. 1 effect Long Beach Poly volition big No. effect 16 Trabuco Hills successful the archetypal circular of the CIF-SS Division 4 playoffs connected Friday astatine 7 p.m. astatine Veterans Stadium.
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