The hype starts here—we’re just two days away from this year’s Moore League Super Bowl, the annual matchup between Long Beach Poly and Lakewood that seems to dwarf all other games in terms of intensity, attendance, and of course, pre-game verbiage.
We know you know all the numbers: Poly hasn’t lost a league game since 1994, with 80 consecutive wins. You have to go back even farther, to 1982, to find the last time a Lancers squad knocked off the ‘Rabbits. This year they’ll try to get it done in front of a crowd likely to reach into 10,000-plus territory at Vet’s, on Friday at 7:30pm. And since we know you’re sick of all the hype, we’re going to shove all the other stuff aside and focus for a bit on what this game really is: a contest between the two best football teams in the city for the last several years. Today, we break down what you can expect when Poly’s offense is on the field, and Lakewood’s defense—tomorrow, we’ll tell you about when those roles are reversed.
Poly’s Offense
When you talk Poly football, you’re talking 112 years of tradition—but when you talk about protecting their historic Moore League winning streak, you’re talking (on offense at least) about a guy with exactly one week’s experience: new starting quarterback Chris Leachman.
After sophomore starter Dylan Lagarde failed to get it done in the first four games of the season (just 35 offensive points in the first four games), Poly coach Raul Lara decided to start Leachman against Jordan in the league opener last week—a decision that led to Lagarde transferring to Los Al. But Lara says Leachman was a guy he had his eye on since long before the season started. Health problems (mono) caused Leachman to lose almost 40 pounds last Spring and Summer, and kept the senior out of practice for a long time—he’s worked hard to get back into shape during the Fall, and if Friday’s game against Jordan was any indication, he’s ready to go.
In his first start, Leachman threw for 203 yards and two TDs, while diving into the end zone for another one—in other words, he gave them the performance they’ve been waiting for. With the offensive line pulled together and able to give him time, the lanky, poised quarterback has plenty of weapons to find, from the playmaking sophomore Randall Goforth (who has made two incredible catches this season, including one for a TD against Jordan) to his security blanket, sure-handed junior tight end Earnest Pettway, the Rabbits’ go-to option on third downs. And that’s not to mention track star Kaelin Clay outside, and gritty sophomore Richard Smith, who made a few plays against Jordan. The passing game will be going against one of the best secondaries in the nation, so they’ll be tested—but there are certainly a lot of options for Leachman to try.
One of the reasons the passing game is so important is that Poly has really struggled running the ball this year—last week they did not get the same uptick on the ground that they did through the air, averaging three yards a carry as a team against a banged-up Jordan team. Some of that is blocking—Poly’s line doesn’t have the fierceness and the cohesion that they’ll need to if they want to block downfield and really spring their backs. The runners have rotated as much as any position, as Poly’s coaches try a number of talented backs to see who will be the right fit. So far seniors Cory Westbrook, Markes Jackson, and Michael Simmons have gotten the bulk of the carries, along with junior Kameron White (who had a few flashy runs in the second half last week). Simmons seems to be the most versatile, as he’s a great screen-catcher, is a physical blocker in pass protection when they ask him to be, and has good speed. They’ll need him, or at least one other rusher, to step up if they want to put up enough points to hang with Lakewood. Lakewood’s offense is good enough that the ‘Rabbits can’t count on winning this one 14-10—they need to get TDs on the board, and in a hurry, if they want the win.
Lakewood’s Defense
If you were perusing high school football previews a few months back, you were most likely reading about the Lakewood offense, not the defense. The offense had all the returning starters and hype; the defense had all the question marks. It’s a defense that lost their best lineman, linebacker and safety to graduation over the summer, but after five games, it’s a defense that’s limited their opponents to 42 points and has forced 20 turnovers.
“This group plays assignment football so well,” said coach Thadd MacNeal. “That allows them to play physical and make plays, so far, we’ve been successful… we’re very pleased with the turnover discrepancy.”
On the defensive line, ends Todd Barr and Justin Utupo have solidified the front seven. Barr leads the team in tackles (35) and sacks (4) and Utupo has added 18 tackles and 3 sacks. Linebackers Ryan Cummings and Rahim Cassell have tallied 28 and 22 tackles respectively, and they will have to play disciplined football on Friday against Poly’s traps, counters and screen passes.
The secondary could dictate the outcome because that’s the one place the Lancers have shown real weakness. Even though that weakness has really only shown itself in the first half of games, that could be enough for Leachman to throw a touchdown or two. Against Crenshaw specifically, the half-roll out from the quarterback and a receiver attacking the flat was more than effective.
For Lakewood to dominate this game, it’s going to come down to the secondary, namely corner Brennan Kelley and safety Dion Bailey. Kelley will be covering Randall Goforth, who had some great catches against Jordan last week, and Bailey may find himself coming up and covering Leachman’s favorite target, tight end Earnest Pettway.