HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL CITY 3-A CHAMPIONSHIP : It’s a Season to Remember for Poly

Poly High capped a spectacular turnaround Friday night with a 28-8 victory over Lincoln in the City 3-A Division championship game before 10,000 at East Los Angeles College.

The championship was the first for Poly (11-3) in football. The last time the Parrots played in a title game was in 1968, when they lost to Canoga Park, 34-27. Lincoln (9-4-1) was making its first appearance in the finals since 1935.

Poly finished 1-8-1 last season and hadn’t won a conference game in the previous two seasons.

“We won this game for our school and our conference (Valley Pac-Eight),” said Fred Cuccia, Poly’s second-year coach. “These kids hadn’t won much in recent years. Maybe now they’ll finally get some respect.”

The game figured to be a matchup between the running of Poly and the the passing of Lincoln.

But the showdown never materialized. Parrot running back Jonathan Campbell was overpowering, finishing with 200 yards in 32 carries and scoring two touchdowns. He ended the season with 2,107 yards and 31 touchdowns.

“I never have done anything like this in my life,” Campbell said. “We’re No. 1 now, and that’s about all I can say. But let me tell you, I worked hard for those yards tonight. It may have looked easy from the stands, but on the field Lincoln was hitting very hard.”

Lincoln quarterback Gaspar Ortega, who entered the game with 2,165 passing yards, completed eight of 20 against Poly for 98 yards and one touchdown. He also threw an interception, which later resulted in a Poly touchdown late in the first half.

After taking a 19-8 halftime lead, Poly didn’t play conservatively in the second half. With a 22-8 lead late in the third quarter, Cuccia decided to go for it on fourth and one with the ball on the Parrot 48. Campbell got the first down on a five-yard run. Ten plays later, Campbell put the Parrots ahead, 28-8, on a three-yard run up the middle.

“They definitely were the better team tonight,” Lincoln Coach Randy Rodriguez said. “Give them all of the credit. Their running game was impossible to stop.”

Poly finished with 401 yards in total offense. Lincoln had 165.

The Parrots started strong, driving 75 yards in 14 plays on their first possession. Quarterback Lance Garcia capped the drive with a two-yard keeper.

Lincoln came right back, as Ortega threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to his younger brother, Marcelo, who also caught a pass for the two-point conversion to put the Tigers ahead, 8-7.

Lincoln’s lead didn’t last for long, as Poly drove 80 yards in eight plays on its next possession. Campbell capped the drive with a three-yard run up the middle on third-and-goal, giving the Parrots a 13-8 lead with 11:58 remaining in the second quarter.

Poly increased its lead late in the first half. After taking over on the Lincoln 40-yard line, Garcia connected with Michael Vreeland on a 44-yard pass play to give the Parrots a first down on the Lincoln 16. Five plays later, Garcia scored on a two-yard run to give Poly a 19-8 halftime lead.