Jackrabbits stay perfect in league with easy victory

LONG BEACH » After surviving an overtime thriller last week, this one had much less drama as Poly dominated Wilson High 46-0 in a Moore League showdown at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Friday night.

The explosive offense of the Jackrabbits (6-1, 3-0) was simply too much for the Bruins as they were once again led by senior quarterback Darius Curry, who completed 14 of his 22 pass attempts for 219 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions.

Curry did a fantastic job spreading the ball around as receivers Charles Cliton and Jordan Malau'ulu all had touchdown receptions. Wide receiver Ezekiel Orozco also had two TD catches in this game despite racking up just 21 receiving yards.

Running back Benjamin Harris even got in on the action with a brilliant 54yard touchdown run in the second quarter, and senior Michael Beresford also scored an impressive 97yard kickoff return touchdown on the opening kickoff in the third quarter.

Even back-up quarterback Deuce Jackson capped off the game with a 29-yard touchdown run in the final seconds of the fourth quarter.

Malau'ulu had four receptions for 60 yards, including the TD and Luke Buggs also had four receptions for 94 yards.

It wasn't just the offense or the special teams that played well in this game for Poly; it was the Jackrabbits' staunch defense, which shut out the Bruins.

Poly had four sacks and forced four interceptions, which the Jackrabbits converted into 14 points in this game, all in the first half.

The Poly defense also ensured that Wilson didn't score on the two first-half turnovers or the two second-half giveaways from the Jackrabbits offense.

The Bruins (3-4, 2-2) had opportunities to get into this game, but couldn't cash in on the four turnovers from Poly.

Numerous penalties and four of their own turnovers were huge momentum killers for them. Quarterback Mack Cooper struggled against that aggressive Jackrabbits defense, throwing three interceptions with only two completions for 44 yards, while also getting sacked four times.

The running back tandem of Christian Chapman and Laighton Scott were the lone bright spots on offense for Wilson.

Chapman had 98 rushing yards on 21 carries and Scott ran for 75 yards on 18 carries and had one reception for 35 yards.

Wilson coach Scott Meyer spoke before the game about his running back duo and how both change the offense for the Bruins.

“I've said it before, we're a completely different team, both are excellent runners,” Meyer said. “Size, speed, great vision, so getting the running game going will really open up things for Mack.”

While that didn't happen as Meyer had hoped on this forgettable night against Poly, it could be something to build on as the season moves forward.