Football: Long Beach Poly appears to have found its quarterback
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Three games into the season, Long Beach Poly is still playing two quarterbacks.
A quick question: Why?
The Jackrabbits appear to have their man in senior Chaiyse Hales, who looked impressive for most of the first half Friday as Poly took a 13-0 lead over Narbonne at Veterans Stadium.
Hales completed 12 of 20 passes for 152 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. He showed a nice touch on both of his scoring passes, each going to a different corner of the end zone.
Hales was under center for five of Poly’s six drives, but it should have been six of six the way he was playing. Senior Nicholas Pope was unable to do much when he got his turn, completing one of three passes for nine yards.
After giving up a big chunk of yardage on Narbonne’s opening drive, Poly is dominating in all facets. Narbonne quarterback Troy Williams has completed nine of 16 passes for 58 yards, but the Gauchos have been unable to establish any semblance of a running game, gaining a combined 25 yards in 13 carries.
Take away Narbonne’s first drive, when it marched from its 17-yard line to the Poly 27 before a fourth-down pass fell incomplete, and the Gauchos have gained no first downs in their subsequent five drives.
Poly’s Hayden Hunt attempted a 59-yard field goal at the end of the half that was well short.
Poly will get the ball to open the third quarter, with a chance to all but put the game out of reach unless Narbonne can locate some offense.
--Ben Bolch