Long Beach Poly loses to Serra in regional football final that lives up to hype

GARDENA >> The Long Beach Poly versus Serra shot crippled lived up to the hype.

It was a classical precocious schoolhouse crippled that came down to the last possession. Poly, the CIF-SS Division 4 champions, came into the crippled connected a 10-game winning streak.

However, Serra bushed Poly 21-17 successful the CIF SoCal Regional Division 1-A title crippled astatine Serra High Saturday night.

Poly took a 17-14 pb with 3:25 near successful the 4th fourth erstwhile elder backmost Shea Kuykendall connected with sophomore wide receiver Titus Bordeaux for a 12-yard touchdown pass.

Long Beach Poly TD with 3:25 near successful the game. Poly leads Serra 17-14. @LBPoly_Football @presstelegram @BeachVarsity #LongBeachVarsityReport pic.twitter.com/13KMyC0ruM

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) December 5, 2021

Poly’s pb would beryllium short-lived. It lone lasted 20 seconds.

On the adjacent possession, Serra elder backmost Maalik Murphy, who is committed to the University of Texas, connected with elder wide receiver Troy Crozier connected a 75-yard touchdown walk with 3:05 near successful the contest.

Serra’s Maalik Murphy with agelong TD walk to Troy Crozier. Serra leads 21-17 with 3:05 near successful the game. #LongBeachVarsityReport pic.twitter.com/S1FtV0gh0Y

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) December 5, 2021

Poly had different accidental to triumph the game. Sophomore Timmy Tuiagamoa’s 33-yard kickoff instrumentality enactment the Jackrabbits astatine the Cavaliers 33-yard enactment with little than 3 minutes to go.

However, an violative holding punishment pushed Poly extracurricular the reddish portion and a fourth-and-30 Hail Mary propulsion by Kuykendall was intercepted by Serra’s Tre’ Harrison to seal the game.

Ultimately, missed opportunities connected discourtesy successful the reddish portion and giving up 2 agelong touchdown passes connected defense, were the quality for the Jackrabbits.

Both defenses made timely plays passim the game, and they began close aft kickoff.

Poly inferior cornerback Kylen Allen intercepted a Murphy walk with 9:59 near successful the archetypal quarter.

Murphy would decorativeness the crippled completing 13 of 24 passes for 217 yards, 3 touchdown passes, and 1 interception.

Kuykendall completed 17 of 41 passes for 137 yards, 2 touchdown passes, and 2 interceptions.

“Us getting successful the reddish portion 2 antithetic times and coming distant with zero points, 1 astatine the extremity of the fractional and 1 with an interception successful the extremity zone, was wholly a difference,” said Long Beach Poly manager Stephen Barbee. “That’s a plaything of 14 points.”

Long Beach Poly manager Stephen Barbee explains however missed opportunities successful the reddish portion ended up being the quality against Serra. @CoachSBarbee @LBPoly_Football @BeachVarsity #LongBeachVarsityReport pic.twitter.com/gtHkkAta9g

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) December 5, 2021

Before the game, Barbee said helium wanted to found the run, determination the chains connected discourtesy and unit Murphy.

Poly’s defence sacked Murphy twice.

However, the 6-foot-5, 235-pound backmost stood beardown successful the pouch and showed the quality to flight unit connected what could person been a safety.

Maalik Murphy’s flight quality connected afloat display. @SmvOperator pic.twitter.com/VuZ2ohGjfl

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) December 5, 2021

Poly finished the crippled with 34 carries and 148 yards rushing. Junior moving backmost Devin Samples had 21 carries for 92 yards rushing.

Poly’s receiving halfway was led by elder Tyson Bordeaux, who hauled successful 7 catches for 71 yards.

Sophomore wide receiver Jason Robinson Jr. had 3 catches for 31 yards and a touchdown.

Long Beach Poly elder linebacker Jalen Johnson said he’s arrogant of his team. @jalenjohnson21, who is simply a captain, said aft starting the play 1-3, nary 1 expected @LBPoly_Football to spell this acold successful the playoffs. @BeachVarsity @presstelegram @CoachSingh77 #LongBeachVarsityReport pic.twitter.com/zbFUCDUmgP

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) December 5, 2021

“I’m arrogant of the team,” said Poly elder linebacker Jalen Johnson. “We came a agelong way.”

“These guys person done thing but combat done adversity the full season,” Barbee added. “Coming disconnected the COVID outpouring play and having everything beryllium up successful question, to aft the archetypal week of our autumn camp, we got unopen down for 2 weeks.

“We had 3 days of signifier and we played Serra the archetypal clip to now, they’ve done thing but turn arsenic a team, turn arsenic individuals. It’s large to spot arsenic a coach.”

“We went 1-3 preseason truthful cipher truly expected america to beryllium retired present this far. We came up abbreviated but we had a agelong run, astatine slightest we’re CIF Southern Section champions,” said Johnson, who is simply a squad captain.

Johnson feels similar helium and the remainder of the elder people acceptable a code for the Poly shot programme that volition propulsion the schoolhouse guardant for years to come.

“I’m precise proud. We brought the 20th CIF-SS title to the school. Everybody counted america retired (after the) preseason,” Johnson added.

“To beryllium capable to bring location a 20th CIF title to Long Beach Poly is simply a peculiar feat and it takes a peculiar radical to beryllium capable to triumph a CIF championship,” Barbee continued.

“Unfortunately, it didn’t extremity the mode we wanted it to but I’m precise arrogant of this radical and however they’ve conducted themselves passim the year, winning with people and besides being humble individuals and a humble team.”

Barbee said he’s already looking guardant to playing Serra adjacent shot season.

Poly volition crook successful its shot instrumentality connected Monday but they volition besides statesman offseason weightlifting that aforesaid day.

Poly finished the 2021 play 11-4.

Long Beach Poly manager talks astir however arrogant helium is of his 2021 CIF-SS Division 4 Championship squad and however they fought done adversity each season. @CoachSBarbee @LBPoly_Football @BeachVarsity @presstelegram #LongBeachVarsityReport pic.twitter.com/LIuKKkYOQE

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) December 5, 2021