Poly Runners Rise Up Against Van Nuys, 44-18

Poly High’s ground game is its bread and butter. Opponents know it. Opponents’ coaches know it. But few teams can stop it.

The Parrots flourished on 344 yards rushing to roll over Van Nuys, 44-18, in a Valley Pac-8 Conference game Friday night at Van Nuys.

The Parrots (5-1, 3-0) have won five consecutive games since their season-opening loss to Belmont. Van Nuys dropped to 1-4, 0-3.

Poly running backs Jermaine Pledger and Ronald Botley paced the ground-oriented offense, rushing for a combined 310 yards in 33 carries.

Pledger ran for 181 yards in 19 carries and Botley finished with 129 yards.

But, it was Van Nuys’ Harold Boudreaux who attracted the most attention. The 6-foot, 190-pound senior tailback gained a career-high 213 yards in 23 carries and scored on runs of 48 and 63 yards in the second half.

Boudreaux, sporting a never-say-die attitude, didn’t seem to notice that his team trailed, 36-6, late in the third quarter. He was still running as if a touchdown would tie the score. “You just can’t give up out here,” Boudreaux said.

The Parrots dominated, particularly in the first half, scoring on all four of their possessions to take a 23-6 lead at intermission.

Pledger’s 46-yard touchdown run on the Parrots’ first possession capped a 65-yard drive that took just 3 minutes 27 seconds.

Botley raced 41 yards on the second play of Poly’s next possession to give the Parrots a 14-0 lead with 4:57 left in the first quarter.

The Wolves answered with an impressive 80-yard drive and scored on Bill Calhoun’s 19-yard pass to wide receiver Gary Guemiksizian.

Poly quarterback Lance Garcia, who earlier had scored from four yards, had a big second half, rushing for another touchdown (10 yards) and throwing two to wide receiver Michael Vreeland. Vreeland’s scores, of 49 and 41 yards, came in the third quarter.