Poly Looking for a Better Result

Long Beach Poly Coach Sharrief Metoyer expects a better game today when the Jackrabbits meet Compton Dominguez in the California Hoop Challenge at Cal State Dominguez Hills, even though one of his starters, Kansas State-bound guard Curtis Allen, will be serving a one-game suspension for his role in a fight at the end of a game Wednesday against visiting Compton.

The Jackrabbits were leading, 62-53, with 15 seconds left when Allen and Compton senior forward Richard Munns began exchanging punches, Metoyer said. Both coaches decided not to resume the game. Southern Section rules require players ejected for fighting to be suspended for their team’s next game.

Poly, ranked No. 13 in the Southland by The Times, is hoping to make up for its 73-36 loss to No. 4 Dominguez on Dec. 12 in the Tournament of Champions at Huntington Beach Ocean View.

“They just handed it to us,” said Metoyer, who took over this season for Ron Palmer, who retired after 25 seasons. “We weren’t playing well and they were a lot further along than we were.”

Poly bounced back from its fourth-place finish at the TOC to win a tournament in Coral Springs, Fla., the following week. With a 62-53 victory Wednesday over Compton -- its 59th consecutive Moore League win -- Poly has won eight of its last nine games.

The Jackrabbits are scheduled to play Dominguez at 6 p.m. in the fourth of five games.

-- Dan Arritt

Girls’ Basketball

One of the most competitive leagues this season might be the Olympic, home to small-school powers such as Cerritos Valley Christian and Brentwood.

The worst record in the league belongs to Van Nuys Montclair Prep at 8-3. The second worst belongs to Los Angeles Pacific Hills at 10-3. The favorites to earn the three automatic qualifying bids for the playoffs are Downey Calvary Chapel (14-1), Brentwood (13-3) and Valley Christian (14-3).

League play among the favorites begins today with Calvary Chapel playing at Brentwood.

“Of all the schedules, I think ours is much tougher,” said Brentwood Coach David Smith, who has only one senior starter, point guard Jennifer Jackson. “But I’m not going to take anything away from [league opponents]. Anyone who’s winning is doing something right.”

-- Martin Henderson

Boys’ Soccer

Coach John Reich of Calabasas agrees with Coach Kevin Corley of Simi Valley Royal.

Thousand Oaks, ranked No. 6 in the Southland by The Times, should be favored to win the Marmonte League title this season. But that doesn’t mean the defending champion Lancers are unbeatable.

The Coyotes proved that Wednesday with a 2-1 victory over a visiting Thousand Oaks team that was playing without senior Diego Barrera and junior Jason Leopoldo, who were taking part in a U.S. Soccer Federation training camp for the under-18 and under-20 national teams at Home Depot Center in Carson.

“They weren’t at full strength, but it was still a big win for our kids,” Reich said. “They were ready to celebrate winning the league championship. But then they repeated what I’m always telling them: ‘Go out tonight and celebrate, but tomorrow get back to work.’ ”

-- John Ortega

Girls’ Soccer

After Huntington Beach Edison’s first loss of the season, an evenly played 1-0 game against La Costa Canyon on Dec. 30, the team gathered on the sidelines for a quick meeting.

“We said to each other, ‘It’s better to lose now than later in the year,’ ” senior forward Brianne Wahrenbrock said.

It has been only 10 days since that meeting, but Edison (12-1-2) is back on the right track. The Chargers, ranked No. 2 in the Southland by The Times, won, 2-1, over No. 7 Los Alamitos (10-3-1) in a Sunset League opener Thursday afternoon at Los Alamitos.

In the 56th minute, defender Maile Lawrence arched a penalty kick from about 40 yards that Wahrenbrock redirected into the net for her 17th goal of the season.

“We were fired up over the tournament loss,” Wahrenbrock said. “It was an intense game all around.”

-- Elia Powers

Wrestling

Daniel Winter pinned Dustin Fong at 1:41 of the first period to lift Fullerton Troy to a 36-23 victory over La Habra Sonora in a Freeway League match Thursday night at Sonora.

Winter’s pin gave Troy a 30-23 lead to clinch the match and put the Warriors in the driver’s seat for the league title.

Both teams won seven matches, but Sonora was unable to record any pins while Troy benefited from falls by Tyler Adams (119), Steve Cruz (189) and Michael Williams (215 pounds) as well as a forfeit victory at 103 pounds.

-- Rafer Weigel