Dennis Helps Poly Produce a Good Start

Junior running back Hershel Dennis rushed for 169 yards and scored three touchdowns to lead top-seeded Long Beach Poly to a 41-17 victory over Fountain Valley in the first round of the Southern Section Division I playoffs Friday night at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach.

Dennis scored on touchdown runs of 55 and four yards in the third quarter to break open a close game.

“Hershel Dennis has been our ‘go-to guy’ for the last two years,” said Long Beach Poly Coach Jerry Jaso, whose team shared the championship last year with Santa Ana Mater Dei.

“We’ve come to expect big plays from him, and he hasn’t let us down.”

Early in the second quarter, Fountain Valley (5-6) jumped on top. Robert Chavez finished a 12-play, 73-yard drive with a two-yard run.

It took the Jackrabbits (11-0) only 14 seconds to tie the score.

On Long Beach Poly’s first play from scrimmage, Josh Hawkins caught a 66-yard touchdown pass from Markee White.

White completed seven of 10 passes for 141 yards.

Long Beach Poly took a 14-7 lead two minutes later when Dennis scored his first touchdown on a 52-yard run.

Casey Clark’s 26-yard touchdown pass to Chad Triplett late in the first half would have tied the score but a motion penalty against Fountain Valley nullified the touchdown.

In the second half, the Long Beach Poly defense, led by Marcedes Lewis and Kim Taylor, dominated.

The Jackrabbits’ blocked two punts, sacked Clark seven times and held Fountain Valley to less than 50 yards to secure the victory.

Late in the game, Adams Norland caught a deflected pass from Clark and went 51 yards for Fountain Valley’s final score.

Long Beach Poly defeated Fountain Valley in a first-round playoff game for the second consecutive year.

Long Beach Poly will play Santa Fe Springs St. Paul, a 16-13 winner Friday night over Redlands, in a quarterfinal next Friday. The Jackrabbits are attempting to make their fourth consecutive appearance in the championship game.