long beach poly

Long Beach Poly, a 12-time Southern Section football champion, announced on Friday it will not participate in this season’s football playoffs despite finishing second in the Moore League. The school earlier this season had six transfer students declared ineligible for providing false information on paperwork to the Southern Section, a violation of CIF bylaw 202.

Here’s the statement from the Long Beach Unified School District:

“Long Beach Poly High School acknowledges the recent CIF ruling related to violations of CIF Bylaw 202 within its football program. In accordance with that ruling, and as part of an ongoing internal investigation, Poly will withdraw from postseason play.

“The school is fully cooperating with CIF and the District, as a thorough review of our processes and systems is conducted to ensure full compliance with CIF rules and District policy. While student and employee matters are confidential, our commitment remains to support our students while upholding the integrity of our athletic programs.”

San Juan Hills became the latest school to announce forfeits on Friday for using ineligible players. Two transfer students had been in the transfer portal listed as “under review.” The school will forfeit nine games and is now 1-9. Both players were held out of a game on Thursday.

Norco earlier this week forfeited six games, dropping to 1-9 after a win on Thursday.

This crackdown by the Southern Section against students providing false information started during the summer when schools began submitting transfer paperwork. The Southern Section is using new technological tools to verify information. Bishop Montgomery received the harshest punishment, with 24 players declared ineligible, forcing the school to cancel its football season.

Other schools found to have ineligible players this season include Long Beach Millikan, Compton, Bellflower, Victor Valley and Orange Lutheran.

Southern Section commissioner Mike West said last month, “We’ve had a real influx of fraudulent paperwork. It’s been significant and very disheartening.”

SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

Second Round

DIVISION 2

Bishop Amat 25, Cajon 0

Newbury Park 26, Portola 18

Ventura 40, Northwood 27

Corona Del Mar 7, Linfield Christian 6

Downey 25, San Clemente 6

Westlake 20, Beckman 6

El Toro 19, Aliso Niguel 18

Upland 33, Gahr 23

DIVISION 3

La Serna 20, Foothill 13

Sunny Hills 20, Moorpark 0

Long Beach Poly 26, Norco 7

Glendora 13, Millikan 12

Mission Viejo 20, Corona Santiago 6

El Modena 25, Rancho Cucamonga 6

Eastvale Roosevelt 16, Santa Paula 13

La Habra 27, Bellflower 8

DIVISION 4

Canyon Springs 26, Temecula Prep 13

West Ranch 19, Inglewood 6

Riverside King 41, Gardena Serra 25

Great Oak 25, Schurr 18

Temecula Valley 33, St. Mary’s Academy 22

Riverside Poly 20, Chaminade 14

Compton 25, Claremont 13

Royal 14, Antelope Valley 6

DIVISION 5

Moreno Valley 13, Quartz Hill 12

Rancho Alamitos 18, San Gorgonio 7

Norte Vista 19, Northview 13

Castaic 14, Hacienda Heights Wilson 12

Don Lugo 12, Azusa 6

Anaheim 20, Long Beach Jordan 19

Vasquez 12, Westridge 0

Vista Murrieta 7, Buena Park 0

DIVISION 6

Leuzinger 25, Brentwood 13

Cerritos 8, Montebello 6

Loara 18, Garey 14

Adelanto 12, Artesia 7

Estancia 13, El Rancho 6

Alemany 12, Paramount 6

Palm Desert 13, Gabrielino 7

Hillcrest 20, Godinez 6

MONDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Games at 5 p.m. unless noted)

Quarterfinals

DIVISION 1

JSerra at Santa Margarita

Dos Pueblos at Edison

Huntington Beach at Camarillo, 7 p.m.

Orange Lutheran at San Marcos

Note: Quarterfinals (Divisions 2-6) Oct. 28; Semifinals (all divisions) Nov. 1; Finals (all divisions) Nov. 7-8 at Fred Kelly Stadium.

HIGH SCHOOL FLAG FOOTBALL

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

CITY SECTION

Bell 58, Bernstein 6

Cleveland 26, San Fernando 0

Eagle Rock 35, Sylmar 8

Fremont 20, Santee 13

Jefferson 24, Bell 12

Jefferson 32, Bernstein 7

LA Marshall 27, Verdugo Hills 13

LA Wilson 18, Hawkins 0

LA Wilson 42, Manual Arts 0

Narbonne 61, Fremont 6

Narbonne 50, Santee 0

North Hollywood 13, LA Hamilton 0

Panorama 64, Monroe 0

Roosevelt 25, Crenshaw 8

Roosevelt 21, Sotomayor 0

San Fernando 25, Arleta 0

San Pedro 25, Marshall 6

San Pedro 26, Verdugo Hills 7

SOUTHERN SECTION

Alemany 20, La Palma Kennedy 18

Aliso Niguel 33, Sunny Hills 7

Anaheim Canyon 57, La Mirada 0

Azusa 20, Pomona 0

Banning 31, Indian Springs 6

Beaumont 45, Redlands 6

Beckman 44, Sunny Hills 13

Bishop Amat 12, La Serna 6

Bonita 26, Northview 2

Bolsa Grande 40, Saddleback 18

Burbank Burroughs 19, Ramona Convent 0

California 56, Baldwin Park 7

Cajon 20, Burbank Burroughs 6

Camarillo 53, Thousand Oaks 6

Castaic 12, Saugus 6

Chaffey 33, Colony 6

Compton 18, Compton Early College 0

Corona Santiago 20, Great Oak 0

Costa Mesa 37, Los Amigos 0

Crean Lutheran 38, Paramount 12

Cypress 27, Lakewood 6

Desert Hot Springs 34, Rancho Mirage 6

Downey 34, La Serna 0

Duarte 10, Workman 6

Eastvale Roosevelt 24, Rancho Cucamonga 18

Edison 52, Anaheim 2

El Monte 24, Arroyo 0

Elsinore 33, West Valley 7

El Toro 33, Corona Centennial 6

Etiwanda 21, Corona Santiago 6

Fullerton 14, Placentia Valencia 8

Garden Grove 25, Westminster La Quinta 0

Glendora 7, Hacienda Heights Wilson 0

Hart 18, Saugus 0

Highland 34, Knight 6

Immaculate Heart 7, Village Christian 0

JSerra 26, Warren 12

Jurupa Hills 39, Fontana 6

Kaiser 32, Colton 0

Laguna Hills 25, Westminster 19

La Habra 26, El Dorado 6

Lancaster 20, Eastside 6

La Palma Kennedy 28, Tustin 6

Linfield Christian 52, Claremont 13

Long Beach Poly 28, Long Beach Jordan 0

Long Beach Wilson 25, Long Beach Cabrillo 8

Montclair 12, Rowland 6

Montebello 12, South El Monte 0

Newbury Park 32, Simi Valley 7

Newport Harbor 19, Huntington Beach 13

Norco 14, Murrieta Valley 7

Norwalk 18, Sacred Heart of Jesus 0

Ontario Christian 25, Anaheim 19

Orange 32, Garden Grove Santiago 6

Orange Lutheran 40, Fullerton 0

Palos Verdes 40, Bishop Montgomery 0

Placentia Valencia 25, Segerstrom 13

Portola 27, Rosary Academy 12

Quartz Hill 19, Palmdale 0

Rancho Alamitos 21, Ocean View 6

Redlands East Valley 52, Citrus Valley 6

Riverside Poly 28, Arlington 0

Rosemead 6, Gabrielino 0

San Gorgonio 61, Rim of the World 0

San Jacinto Valley Academy 18, Nuview Bridge 0

San Juan Hills 7, El Modena 0

San Marcos 47, Buena 0

San Marino 52, Alhambra 12

Santa Ana Foothill 32, Godinez 6

Santa Fe 13, Bell Gardens 6

Sonora 12, Garden Grove 6

South Hills 13, Los Osos 6

St. Bernard 12, Culver City 0

St. Lucy’s 55, Edgewood 0

St. Paul 26, Buena Park 20

Summit 25, Rialto 0

Tahquitz 19, San Jacinto 0

Temecula Prep 35, California Military Institute 6

Tesoro 46, Corona 14

Upland 19, Bishop Amat 14

Vasquez 18, Castaic 12

Villa Park 46, Katella 0

Vista del Lago 36, Lakeside 0

Warren 20, Schurr 7

Western Christian 25, Upland 20

West Ranch 21, Hart 6

Woodbridge 44, Laguna Beach 8

INTERSECTIONAL

Bishop Alemany 20, Granada Hills Kennedy 18

Eagle Rock 53, Keppel 0

Sylmar 32, Keppel 0

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

CITY SECTION

Eagle Rock 28, Bell 0

Elizabeth 19, WISH Academy 14

Sherman Oaks CES 40, AMIT 0

Sun Valley Magnet 60, Valor Academy 0

SOUTHERN SECTION

Anaheim Canyon 28, Aliso Niguel 13

Antelope Valley 19, Quartz Hill 6

Brentwood 38, Shalhevet 0

Chino 12, Vista del Lago 0

Culver City 20, Beverly Hills 13

Dos Pueblos 15, San Marcos 14

Foothill 21, Rosary Academy 6

Godinez 19, Westminster La Quinta 0

Hacienda Heights Wilson 26, La Canada 12

Highland 20, Lancaster 18

Inglewood 9, Leuzinger 6

Knight 47, Littlerock 0

Lakewood St. Joseph 32, Corona del Mar 6

Lawndale 50, Hawthorne 12

Long Beach Wilson 14, Santa Ana 13

Newbury Park 40, Oaks Christian 0

Orange Lutheran 53, Northwood 0

Oxnard 32, Oxnard Pacifica 6

Palmdale 6, Eastside 0

Santa Paula 39, Del Sol 0

Saugus 31, Fillmore 6

Torrance 27, South Torrance 0

Ventura 41, Buena 0

West Ranch 27, Canyon Country Canyon 6

INTERSECTIONAL

Ayala 20, Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Northridge 6

Ayala 18, Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Northridge 0

Merced 24, Bellflower 12

Wilmington Banning 32, Gahr 19

HIGH SCHOOL FLAG FOOTBALL

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

CITY SECTION

Huntington Park 20, Kennedy 7

Sotomayor 21, New Designs University Park 0

Sotomayor 8, New Designs University Park 7

Wilson 37, Huntington Park 6

Wilson 38, Kennedy 0

SOUTHERN SECTION

Aliso Niguel 13, Long Beach Poly 6

Classical Academy 53, Mission Viejo 0

Dos Pueblos 12, Aliso Niguel 0

Dos Pueblos 20, Fullerton 6

Esperanza 19, Woodbridge 6

Esperanza 19, Mira Costa 0

Fullerton 20, Long Beach Poly 6

Gahr 34, Cypress 13

Hacienda Heights Wilson 13, Villa Park 12

Lancaster 19, Saugus 12

Long Beach Cabrillo 33, Glenn 22

Long Beach Jordan 42, Mayfair 6

Mater Dei 25, Mission Viejo 0

Mission Hills 30, Santa Monica 0

Norwalk 13, Western 6

Orange Lutheran 32, Warren 6

Orange Lutheran 12, Western Christian 0

Sage Hill 15, Garden Grove Pacifica 0

Segerstrom 33, Garden Grove Santiago 0

St. Anthony 12, St. Paul 7

Vasquez 33, PACS 0

Villa Park 12, Hacienda Heights Wilson 13

Western Christian 20, Warren 6

INTERSECTIONAL

LA Marshall 35, Alemany 6

Mission Hills 30, Santa Monica 0

Vincent Memorial 28, Mira Costa 6

Vincent Memorial 21, Woodbridge 19

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

SOUTHERN SECTION

Agoura 20, Ayala 6

Agoura 48, Oxnard Pacifica 7

Anaheim Canyon 12, Upland 0

Anaheim Canyon 25, Upland 6

Ayala 39, Oxnard Pacifica 6

Beaumont 51, Shadow Hills 16

Bishop Amat 20, Hart 6

Bonita 25, West Covina 12

Bonita 45, San Gabriel 0

Bonita 48, Sierra Vista 0

Buena Park 14, Nogales 7

California 32, Montebello 0

Camarillo 26, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 8

Camarillo 33, Westlake 22

Canyon Springs 19, Yucaipa 7

Chaparral 33, Ontario Christian 8

Chino 13, Colton 0

Citrus Valley 23, Los Osos 19

Corona Santiago 6, El Dorado 0

Esperanza 20, Aliso Niguel 14

Fillmore 24, Calabasas 7

Fullerton 7, Mission Viejo 6

Keppel 12, Baldwin Park 12

La Sierra 23, California Military Institute 6

Los Osos 50, Victor Valley 2

Mater Dei 20, Esperanza 19

Mission Viejo 14, Long Beach Poly 13

Newbury Park 44, Highland 16

Norco 18, Murrieta Valley 0

Orange Lutheran 26, Aliso Niguel 0

Oxnard 52, Thousand Oaks 6

Oxnard 54, St. Bonaventure 0

Rio Mesa 28, Fillmore 0

Rio Mesa 46, Calabasas 0

Riverside Poly 21, Canyon Springs 0

Riverside Poly 24, Yucaipa 7

San Marcos 52, Highland 6

San Marcos 33, Newbury Park 12

Santa Margarita 13, San Marcos 0

Santa Margarita 44, Newbury Park 12

Sierra Vista 25, San Gabriel 15

Temescal Canyon 2, Norco 0

Temecula Prep 20, Chaparral 12

Temecula Prep 32, Temecula Valley 0

Temple City 28, Arroyo 6

Thousand Oaks 19, St. Bonaventure 14

Upland 19, South Hills 13

Upland 26, Corona Santiago 19

Warren 13, Mira Costa 6

Warren 12, Fullerton 7

Westlake 28, Camarillo 6

Woodbridge 13, Mission Viejo 0

Woodbridge 20, Warren 0

INTERSECTIONAL

Castaic 7, San Fernando 0

Bonita Vista 18, Downey 2

North County San Marcos 27, Santa Monica 0

Valencia 26, Kennedy 12

The Times’ preseason top 25 high school football rankings:

1. MATER DEI: It’s very possible the Monarchs can go unbeaten again with their exceptional receiver group, strong lines and top two-way player Tomuhini Topui, a USC commit.

2. ST. JOHN BOSCO: Experience on defense and improving sophomore QB Koa Malau’ulu will be key for the Braves to break through and finish on top.



3. ORANGE LUTHERAN: Strong offensive and defensive lines will help Lancers overcome inexperience at quarterback.


4. SIERRA CANYON: Trailblazers’ defense will be the best in Southern California, led by impressive depth on the line and in the secondary.



5. CORONA CENTENNIAL: Coach Matt Logan has scheduled three straight Trinity League opponents in attempt to prepare team for Division 1 playoffs.



6. MISSION VIEJO: QB Luke Fahey, an Ohio State commit, is the real deal and will have lots of weapons to help the Diablos succeed.



7. SANTA MARGARITA: With good coaches, improved line play and a healthy Trent Mosley, the Eagles are capable of making a big jump.


8. GARDENA SERRA: It’s a yearly challenge for the Cavaliers to stay healthy enough for their immense talent to make it through a 14-game schedule.



9. SERVITE: The offensive line is outstanding, which will help the Friars stay competitive in the tough Trinity League.



10. NEWBURY PARK: QB Brady Smigiel must gain chemistry with a new group of receivers, but the talent is there for the Panthers to have another big season.


11. CATHEDRAL: The Phantoms are ready to rise to prominence behind quarterback Jaden Jefferson.


12. JSERRA: New quarterback Koa Smith-Mayall is better than people think, and there’s young players ready to step forward.


13. VISTA MURRIETA: Coach Casey Candaele trusts quarterback Bryson Beavers, an Oregon commit.


14. YORBA LINDA: Coach Jeff Bailey keeps being underrated, but the Mustangs keep producing big wins.


15. EDISON: Junior quarterback Sam Thomson received lots of playoff experience during state championship run.



16. SAN JUAN HILLS: A strong summer performance showed the skill position players are ready, led by quarterback Timmy Herr.


17. OAKS CHRISTIAN: There’s talent throughout the lineup, including speedy running back Deshonne Redeaux, who will try to stay healthy.


18. INGLEWOOD: After reaching Division 1 playoffs last season, Sentinels are still the favorite to win the tough Bay League.

19. CHAPARRAL: Quarterback Dane Weber continues to progress, making his team very dangerous.



20. CORONA DEL MAR: The Sea Kings have returnees at key positions, making them a possible Bravo League title contender.

21. DAMIEN: Quarterback Isaiah Arriaza passed for nearly 3,000 yards as a junior, allowing Spartans to build around him.


22. PALOS VERDES: Defending state champions have junior QB Ryan Rakowski, CB Jalen Flowers and DB Cameron Hughes for challenging schedule.


23. DOWNEY: Quarterback Oscar Rios, an Arizona commit, can pass, run and lead.


24. SHERMAN OAKS NOTRE DAME: Transfer QB Wyatt Brown will combine with WR Luc Weaver to provide the Knights with offensive explosiveness.


25. OXNARD PACIFICA: Juniors Isaiah Phelps and Alijah Royster showed as sophomores they’re ready to become stars.


Others to watch: Los Alamitos, Long Beach Poly, Leuzinger, Long Beach Millikan, Tustin, Valencia, San Clemente.

“Welcome home.”

A Long Beach Poly assistant football coach offered a warm greeting to Mater Dei football coach Raul Lara on Saturday morning before the start of a summer passing tournament at Poly.

Lara, a Poly graduate who won five Southern Section championships in 13 seasons as the Jackrabbits’ head coach, was struck by some of the changes he saw, such as an all-weather sports field and bungalows on the old baseball field. The school has begun a $450-million construction project.

“I haven’t been here in a while,” Lara said. “They’re doing a lot of reconstruction. It’s pretty neat. It will be interesting when it’s completed. We didn’t have this. We had a dirt track, regular grass field. We used to have a pole by those two trash cans and we had a coach, Don Norford, that every time he yelled, ‘Hit the pole,’ everybody knew they were in trouble.”

Lara won a Southern Section Division 1 title and state championship last season in his first year at Mater Dei, and his team is a heavy favorite to repeat thanks to strong offensive and defensive lines as well as a receiving group that includes receiver Chris Henry Jr., who has commited to Ohio State, and tight end Mark Bowman, who has committed to USC.

“That group is special,” he said of his receiver group that includes Ohio State commit Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Georgia commit Gavin Honore and senior Koen Parnell.

Still to be decided is who starts at quarterback, with Wisconsin commit Ryan Hopkins competing with Minnesota commit Furian Inferrera. Asked if he could end up playing both, Lara said it was possible.

Asked if he was still having fun, Lara said, “It’s a different kind of fun. It’s more of a CEO fun. I have an awesome staff. All I do is make sure it’s functioning. They do a fantastic job.”

Saturday’s competition featured a rarity in that three outstanding tight ends were in the spotlight — Bowman, a USC commit; Andre Nickerson of Inglewood, an Southern Methodist commit; Jaden Hernandez of Poly, a Colorado State commit. Defensive backs were pushing and shoving and the tight ends were having none of that.

Long Beach Poly tight end Jaden Hernandez makes a catch.

(Craig Weston)

Mayfair has two college-bound defensive backs in Chaz Gilbreath (UC Davis) and Miles Mitchell (Air Force). Mitchell has a 4.5 grade-point average.

Poly’s Donte Wright is a junior cornerback committed to Georgia with a big upside because he’s 6 feet 2 and still growing with track speed. The Jackrabbits made it to the final of their tournament before losing to Mater Dei.

Teams are winding down their summer seven-on-seven passing tournament schedules. Coaches are starting to pass out shoulder pads because official practice begins July 28.

Many Southland sprinters will bring their own heat to the CIF State track and field championships at Buchanan High in Clovis where 100-plus temperatures are forecast for Friday and Saturday.

The absence of last spring’s 100- and 200-meter dash winner Brandon Arrington, whose leg injury in a league meet May 9 forced him to miss the San Diego Section finals and denies him an opportunity to defend his state titles, opens lanes for the fastest athletes in the City and Southern Sections to take advantage. A junior from Mt. Miguel, Arrington broke the San Diego County record (20.35) in the 200 at Arcadia in April and one week later set a section record (10.21) in the 100 at Mt. SAC.

The favorite in the 100 is Concord De La Salle junior Jaden Jefferson, who enters with the best qualifying time (10.30, three-hundredths of a second better than Arrington’s winning time last year), but challenging him will be Antrell Harris of Birmingham (who clocked 10.92 to win the City title May 22), back-to-back Masters Meet winner Demare Dezeurn of Bishop Alemany (10.35), RJ Sermons of Rancho Cucamonga (10.47) and Servite’s trio of Benjamin Harris (10.44), Robert Gardner (10.59) and Jorden Wells (10.63).

Senior Antrell Harris, center, of Birmingham was first in the 100 and 200 meters at the City Section finals May 22 in Lake Balboa.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

In the 200, Masters champion Sermons (20.97) will be in the first heat along with Temecula Valley’s Jack Stadlman (21.24), Dezeurn (21.04) has the fastest qualifying time in the second heat, Servite’s Jace Wells (21.05) and Newbury Park’s Jaden Griffin (21.36) are in the third heat, and joining Jefferson (21.11) in the last heat are Santa Margarita’s Leo Francis (21.14) and Harris (21.66).

Sermons, who announced the day before the Masters Meet that he will skip his senior year of high school to play football at USC, clocked a career-best 20.88 at the Baseline League finals and will try to beat Arrington’s winning time of 20.55 last year.

Servite freshman Jaelen Hunter (46.91) heads a talented group in the 400, which includes Stadlman (47.91), City champion Justin Hart from Granada Hills (47.45) and City runner-up Nathan Santacruz of Venice (47.48). Servite’s 4×100 relay was first at the Masters in 40.40 followed by Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (40.77), which will be in the same heat Friday as JSerra (41.44) and City champion Granada Hills (41.78), and Murrieta Valley (41.55) will be in Heat 4 with Birmingham (41.80).

Servite also has one of the faster foursomes in the 4×400 as the Friars figure to challenge for the team title, won last year by Long Beach Poly, which won the Masters race Saturday in 3:10.83. The loaded field also features Cathedral (3:12.20), Mira Costa (3:18.73), Long Beach Wilson (3:14.93), Culver City (3:14.80) and Granada Hills (3:24.15).

For the girls, Redondo Union’s Journey Cole and Chaparral’s Keelan Wright are in separate heats, but should they advance they would go head-to-head in the finals in a rematch of last week’s epic 100-meter showdown (Cole prevailed by five-hundredths of a second in 11.36). However, not to be underestimated are Malia Rainey (11.57) and Marley Scoggins (11.60) from Calabasas (11.57) and Carson’s Christina Gray, who ran 12.05 to win the City title.

Wright (23.21) is the leading qualifier in the 200. Other contenders are Rosary’s Justine Wilson (23.38), Scoggins (23.59) and Gray (24.62).

Long Beach Poly carried the baton around the oval in 45.94 at Masters to avenge its loss to Oaks Christian at last year’s state 4×100 final, and the two schools could match up again Saturday alongside City winner Carson (46.84), which was third in Clovis last year. Long Beach Wilson, the state team champion in 2024, has the top qualifying time (3:43.71) in the 4×400 relay.

In the distance events, Corona Santiago boasts two title contenders — Braelyn Combe in the 1,600 and Rylee Blade in the 3,200. Combe was second to Ventura’s Sadie Englehardt last year and won the Masters four-lapper last week in 4:44.36 (more than two and a half seconds better than her winning time at the Southern Section Division 1 finals), second-best among all qualifiers behind Chiara Dailey (4:43.57) of La Jolla in San Diego.

Blade ran 9:58.46 two weeks ago to break a Southern Section record that had stood since 1996 and cruised to the Masters win in 10:11.38. The Florida State-bound senior was third at state last year in 10:06.26 and she set a meet standard of 15:20.3 at the Woodbridge Cross Country Classic in September.

USC-bound RJ Sermons of Rancho Cucamonga will try to double in the 100 and 200 meters at the CIF State Track & Field Championships.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Stanford signee Evan Noonan of Dana Hills, winner of the Southern Section and Masters races the past two weeks, will try to defend his 3,200 state title (he won in 8:43.12 as a junior).

Aliso Niguel’s Jaslene Massey and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame’s Aja Johnson have the first and second best throws in both shotput and discus. Massey swept the events at Masters (49-7.50 shotput; 165-06 discus). Johnson is the defending state discus champion and won the state shotput title in 2023.

In the boys high jump, Mission League rivals Matthew Browner from Chaminade and JJ Harel of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame both achieved 6-10 to finish first and second at Masters. Harel cleared that same height to take second at the state finals last year behind Birmingham’s Deshawn Banks.

One day after making a big announcement about his future, RJ Sermons concentrated on the present and rebounded from a disappointing effort in the boys’ 100 meters to beat a loaded field in the 200 meters Saturday in the Southern Section Masters Meet at Moorpark High.

“Not having the best race in the 100 gave me more fire in the 200 and I feel like I understand that race all the way,” Sermons said after building a sizable lead around the turn and winning in 20.97 seconds — not quite matching his personal-best 20.88 achieved three weeks ago at Baseline League finals. “The most important thing right now is to stay level-headed and prepare well for state.”

A four-star cornerback from Rancho Cucamonga, Sermons declared on Friday he will forgo his senior year, reclassifying from the class of 2026 to 2025 in order to join his older brother Cameron at USC this summer.

“I was thinking about it for two months, finalized my decision about a month ago and announced it yesterday because Thursday was the last day of school,” said the 6-foot, 185-pounder who committed to USC in mid-December, fulfilling a lifelong wish to follow in the footsteps of his father, Rodney Sr., a running back for the Trojans from 1994-97.

Before he turns his attention to college football, though, Sermons still has unfinished business on the high school track and has definite goals for the state meet on May 30 and 31 at Buchanan High in Clovis.

“For the 200, I can go 20.8 [seconds] for sure and my goal is 20.6,” he said, after finishing fourth in the 100 in 10.47 Saturday and finishing in 10.36 at the section finals last week. “In the 100, I’ll need to run high 10.1 or low 10.2 to win state. My focus [in the 100] will be the start. The key is getting out of the blocks fast.”

Alemany sophomore Demare Dezeurn repeated as boys’ 100 meters champion in 10.35 seconds Saturday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Defending his Masters title in the boys’ 100 meters before placing second to Sermons in the 200 with a personal-best 21.04 was Bishop Alemany sophomore Demare Dezeurn, whose winning time of 10.35 seconds bettered his Division 4 record-setting 10.42 and was one hundredth of a second faster than his wind-aided time at last year’s Masters.

“My goal is to win next week and one day be able to tell my kids I was state champion,” said Dezeurn, who confirmed he is transferring to Palisades and wants to play football in the fall. “This is just the beginning for me. I wasn’t planning to win today, I just wanted to put a good time on the board.”

Servite sophomore Benjamin Harris, second to Dezeurn last year in the 100 and fifth at state, stumbled and fell while crossing the finishing line in the 100 (he was third in 10.44) and had to scratch from the 200.

Robert Gardner, right, anchors Servite’s 4×100 relay, which posted the fastest time at the Southern Section Masters Meet on Saturday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Servite’s depth makes it a state title contender in the boys’ 4×100-meter relay. The team of Jace Wells, Jaelen Hunter, Kamal Pelovello and Robert Gardner, won Saturday in 40.40. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame was runner-up in 40.77.

“We’re a whole new team from last year but none of us like to lose and we’re going to practice getting the baton around better for next week,” said Gardner, who ran the anchor leg. Hunter later won the 400 meters in 46.91, one second faster than Jack Stadlman of Temecula Valley.

Long Beach Poly got revenge on Oaks Christian in the girls’ 4×100, as Leila Holland, Nevaeh Lewis, Aniyah Brooks and Brooklyn Lee won in 45.94 after finishing second to the Lions at state last year.

Anchor runner Brooklyn Lee, right, of Long Beach Poly sprints across the finish line first in the 4×100 relay at the Southern Section Masters Meet on Saturday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

“This was very important and it feels good but we’re going to state to redeem ourselves,” Lee said. Oaks Christian (46.12) was second and Redondo Union (46.96) third.

After repeating as Southern Section champion in the 100 a week ago, Georgia commit Keelan Wright (11.41) from Chaparral was edged by five hundredths of a second by North Carolina A&T-bound Journey Cole of Redondo Union in the 100, but rebounded to win the 200 in 23.21.

Corona Santiago’s Braelyn Combe followed her second straight Division 1 section title with a winning effort of 4 minutes 44.36 seconds in the girls’ 1,600 meters, improving her time from last week by more than two and a half seconds.

Corona Santiago’s Braelyn Combe runs during the girls’ 1,600 meters at the Southern Section Masters Meet on Saturday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Grant Miller of La Serna was the boys’ 1,600 champion in 4:09.86. Stanford-bound Evan Noonan, who opted not to run the 1,600 (he won the section Division 1 title last week) to save his energy for the 3,200 meters, won the event in 8:55.76.

University of Oregon commit and reigning girls’ state long jump champion Loren Webster of Long Beach Wilson leaped 18 feet 11½ inches — the third-best mark behind only Ab Hernandez of Jurupa Valley (19-03½) and Kaylee Best of Norco (19-¾).

“I’ve been dealing with patella tendinitis the entire season but over the weeks the pain has decreased,” Webster said. “I was confident I’d win state last year because I’d jumped over a foot better than anyone else. As for this year I’d say 20 feet should win.”

Defending state champion Loren Webster of Long Beach Wilson competes in the long jump at the Masters Meet on Saturday.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

Texas commit Brandon Gorski of Mater Dei qualified for state for the fourth time in the boys’ high jump with a height of 6-6 to finish third behind Chaminade’s Matthew Browner and Sherman Oaks Notre Dame junior JJ Harel (last year’s state runner-up), who both cleared 6-10. Gorski also posted the third-best mark in the long jump with a 22-10½ effort.

Long Beach Wilson won the girls’ 4×400-meter relay in 3:43.71 and Long Beach Poly won the boys’ race in 3:10.83.

Aliso Niguel’s Jaslene Massey won girls’ discus (165-06) and shot put (49-07½). Reigning state discus champion and 2023 state shot put champion Aja Johnson of Sherman Oaks Notre Dame took second in both with marks of 158-08 (discus) and 45-08 (shot put).

1

2

3

1. Mater Dei senior Brandon Gorski competes in long jump at the Masters Meet on Saturday. 2. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame junior JJ Harel competes in high jump. 3. Servite freshman Jaelen Hunter separates from the pack on his way to winning the boys’ 400 meters. (Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

SOUTHERN SECTION SOFTBALL PLAYOFFS

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

QUARTERFINALS

DIVISION 6

Ramona Convent 2, Pasadena Poly 0

DIVISION 7

Culver City 12, Silverado 1 (five innings)

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Games at 3:15 p.m. unless noted)

SEMIFINALS

DIVISION 1

Norco at Ayala

El Modena at Temescal Canyon

DIVISION 2

JSerra at Great Oak

Santa Margarita at Los Alamitos

DIVISION 3

Marina at Yorba Linda

Westlake at Kennedy

DIVISION 4

Long Beach Poly at Harvard-Westlake

Warren at El Toro

DIVISION 5

St. Bonaventure at Riverside North

West Ranch at Cerritos

DIVISION 6

Ramona Convent at University

Rio Hondo Prep at Adelanto

DIVISION 7

Rancho Mirage at Westminster

Culver City at Riverside Notre Dame

DIVISION 8

Cathedral City at Lennox Academy

Hueneme at Calvary Baptist

Note: Finals (all divisions) May 30-31 at Bill Barber Memorial Park, Irvine.