No upset special here either

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The San Gabriel Valley League opener between defending champion Dominguez and Gahr was not the only one in which the status quo was maintained in the face of a challenge.

Upstart Long Beach Millikan (5-1, 2-1) entered its Moore League game against visiting Long Beach Poly with hopes of upsetting the perennial-champion Jackrabbits (4-1, 2-0), who last season won the league title for the 26th time since 1980 while the Rams finished fifth among seven teams in the standings.

Millikan quarterback Jake Holtz threw two touchdown passes, including one to the Rams’ top receiver, Kierre Beverly, that led to an early 7-0 lead. Poly, however, took control behind the play of running backs Melvin Richardson, Cory Westbrook and Ricky Johnson. Read more about the game in the Long Beach Press-Telegram.

Poly back-up quarterback Randall Cox played in place of junior Morgan Fennell, who sat out with back spasms that have bothered him the past two weeks.

It didn’t matter. Poly turned a would-be statement game for Millikan into one for itself.

The Jackrabbits, who suffered their only defeat this season in a nonleague encounter with Birmingham, haven’t dropped a league game since falling to Long Beach Jordan, 28-0, on Oct. 21, 1994, a span of 69 consecutive games.

They will try to extend the streak when they face host Long Beach Wilson on Friday.

- Lauren Peterson