Football: Long Beach Poly facing issues

The disappointing exit from the Southern Section Division 1 football playoffs for Long Beach Poly last week could be a sign of changing times.

Poly, a 19-time Southern Section champion, lost to Chaminade, 50-14.

It’s the second year of a Long Beach Unified School District transfer rule that’s stricter than the Southern Section and CIF. If you transfer within the district, you have to sit out a year. Everywhere else you sit out about a month.

That could be causing some athletes to stay at their schools. Also, Poly has lost out on some promising freshman athletes because of rules on what happens when a campus is full.

Coach Antonio Pierce, who finished his third season, will have to adjust. It’s not as if Poly is lacking in talent, but clearly on offense, the lack of a passing attack really hurt the Jackrabbits this season.

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