This Dennis Proved a Menace

It didn’t matter that defensive coordinators concocted schemes centered on stopping him. Hershel Dennis was going to be at his best in Long Beach Poly High’s biggest games come rain, shine or nine men in the box.

Against Concord De La Salle, the nation’s top-ranked team, the Jackrabbit tailback rushed for 161 yards, including carries of 30, 27 and 33 yards.

Against Huntington Beach Edison, Poly’s foe in the Southern Section Division I final, Dennis had 189 yards and scored all three of his touchdowns in the fourth quarter as the Jackrabbits rallied for a 42-28 victory.

“As a big player in a big program, I have to make big plays in big games,” Dennis said. “I tried to come through for the team and really help us win those big games.”

For his accomplishments--he finished the season with 1,740 yards rushing and 24 touchdowns, helping Poly win its third consecutive Division I title--Dennis has been selected winner of the Glenn Davis Award, given annually by The Times to the top high school football player in Southern California.

Dennis joins former Poly quarterback Chris Lewis as the only Jackrabbits to win the award since its inception in 1987. Lewis was honored in 1998 before moving on to Stanford.

“It’s an honor,” said Dennis, who has narrowed his college choices to USC, Washington and Oregon. “A lot of hard work I’m doing is being recognized.”

Dennis would have accumulated better statistics had he played on a team that did not wrap up most of its victories before halftime.

“When we were scoring a lot of points, he came out after first series in the third quarter,” Coach Raul Lara said.

Having to share the ball with backfield mate Rory Carrington and with the team’s receivers didn’t help his statistics.

But when a game was on the line, there was little question who was going to get the call.

After Edison played Poly to a 21-21 tie heading into the fourth quarter, it was Dennis Time.

He responded by running for 109 of his 189 yards in the fourth quarter--including touchdown runs of 11, four and 34 yards--as the Jackrabbits pulled away.

“Hershel is the kind of back that gets stronger every quarter,” Lara said. “He creates and makes people miss, so when he’s supposed to get a loss, he gets a gain because of the gifts he has.”

Dennis did most of his speaking on the field. Before games, he would sit in a corner of the locker room and keep to himself. Still, he exuded a quiet confidence that was infectious.

“Hershel brought a leadership to the team,” offensive guard Winston Justice said. “He led the offense and set the tempo for all of us.

“The offensive line was the father of the team and Hershel was the son, so we tried to get him the publicity. After he got a 200-yard game, it made me feel like I had a good game.”

Said Dennis: “I wanted to graduate with three [championship] rings on my fingers, and we got it done.”

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Glenn Davis Award Winners

A look at The Times’ high school football players of the year:

2000: Tyler Ebell, Ventura, RB

1999: Matt Grootegoed, Mater Dei, RB/DB

1998: Chris Lewis, LB Poly, QB

1997: DeShaun Foster, Tustin, RB/DB

1996: LAntoine Harris, Loyola, TE/DE

1995: Chris Claiborne, J.W. North, LB/RB

1994: Daylon McCutcheon, B. Amat, RB/DB

1993: Glenn Thompkins, Eisenhower, QB/DB

1992: Travis Kirschke, Esperanza, DL

1991: Billy Blanton, Mater Dei, QB

1990: John Walsh, Carson, QB

1989: Kevin Copeland, Dorsey, WR

1988: Derek Brown, Servite, RB

1987: Russell White, Crespi, RB

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The Glenn Davis Award

The award is named after the 1946 Heisman Trophy winner from Army, who, before teaming with Felix “Doc” Blanchard to form the famous “Mr. Inside-Mr. Outside” combination, starred at Bonita High. While at the La Verne school, the Bearcats won the Southern Section title in 1942 by beating Newport Harbor, 39-6, with Davis scoring five touchdowns.