Advertisement
Varsity Times Insider

Football: Poly and Lakewood on tap

Los Angeles Times staff writer Ben Bolch
By Ben Bolch
Staff WriterFollow

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Just listened in on Long Beach Poly’s pregame huddle (did I need permission?) and heard Coach Raul Lara tell the Jackrabbits it would be an ‘easy game’ IF they played every play, didn’t miss assignments and tackled.

That’s a lot of ifs against a Lakewood team that is vastly improved over the last time these teams met in early October during a 32-15 Poly victory. I think this game will be closer because of the presence of Lakewood running back Jerry Stone but Poly’s tradition, size and depth should make the difference.

Advertisement

No ifs, ands or buts about it.

--Ben Bolch

Varsity Times Insider
Ben Bolch

Ben Bolch has been a Los Angeles Times staff writer since 1999. He is serving his second stint as the UCLA beat writer, which seems fitting since he has covered almost every sports beat except hockey and horse racing. Bolch is also the author of the recently released book “100 Things UCLA Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die.” He previously covered UCLA basketball from 2010-11 before going on to cover the NBA and the Clippers for five years. He happily traded in gobs of hotel points and airline miles to return to cover UCLA basketball and football in the summer of 2016. Bolch was once selected by NBA TV’s “The Starters” as the “Worst of the Week” after questioning their celebrity journalism-style questions at an NBA All-Star game and considers it one of his finer moments.

Advertisement