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Football: St. Bonaventure lineman healthy for Poly showdown

Los Angeles Times staff writer Ben Bolch
By Ben Bolch
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Linemen don’t regularly get a lot of publicity, but they will be crucial in determining the outcome of the nonleague clash Friday between No. 2 Long Beach Poly and No. 3 St. Bonaventure at Long Beach Veterans Stadium because both teams feature smash-mouth running games.

St. Bonaventure Coach Todd Therrien was happy to report Tuesday that defensive lineman Daniel Saipale, a sophomore who had played only in the Seraphs’ season opener before suffering a broken hand, will return this week against the Jackrabbits. Saipale is not a starter but is considered a key reserve who is expected to be on the field plenty.

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-- Ben Bolch

Varsity Times Insider
Ben Bolch

Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. Twice awarded top-10 finishes in feature writing by the Associated Press Sports Editors, he began his second stint as the UCLA beat writer in 2016. His first stint, during the 2010-11 season, ended with yet another crushing loss to Florida in the NCAA tournament. Over his 25 years at The Times, Bolch has also covered the Lakers, Clippers, Dodgers, Angels, USC men’s basketball and high schools. His favorite athletes to cover were Dave Roberts, Jamal Crawford, Jose Lima, David Eckstein, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Thomas Welsh, Josh Kelley and Aday Mara. Bolch is also the author of the book “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.”

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