Rabbit on the Run

Will the assembly line that is Long Beach Poly football ever come to a

halt?

One year after tying Mater Dei for the Division I championship and two

years after winning an undisputed crown, the Jackrabbits have been

running rampant this year, sprinting, possibly, to yet another title.

Gone is all-everything quarterback Chris Lewis, now playing at

Stanford. But Poly hasn’t missed a beat, with three potential NCAA

Division I receivers (Josh Hawkins, Mike Willis and Donte Candler) key

players on a potent offense.

The Jackrabbits running game revolves around junior Hershel Dennis

(6-0, 190 pounds), who has rushed for more than 1,000 yards for the

second straight season.

But for how frightening Poly is on offense, the strength of this team

is its defense, a stop unit that boasts several other Division I players.

Among them are senior linebacker Marvin Simmons (6-0, 218 pounds), who

has committed to UCLA; senior defensive end Ray Tago (6-3, 275 pounds),

who has drawn the attention of USC, Arizona, and Arizona State; as well

as two of the top juniors in the state, tackle Manuel Wright (6-6, 290

pounds) and Darnell Bing, a 6-2, 210-pound free safety, whose right thumb

is in a cast and is questionable for Friday’s game.

The Poly defense has been no less than outstanding this year: It shut

out four of its five Moore League opponents, and six of its 10 opponents

overall. During the regular season, the Jackrabbits defense yielded just

42 points.

Poly will be tested by a Fountain Valley High offense that is

averaging nearly 23 points (22.8) a game.