Reviving a Legacy
Long Beach Poly has been a football powerhouse for more than a century, boasting 829 wins, more than 80 alumni who have reached the NFL and 21 CIF Southern Section championships, the most of any high school in California.
The 2025‑26 season ended in disappointment. For the first time in five decades the Jackrabbits failed to qualify for the playoffs, a collapse blamed on transfer‑ineligibility issues and a cascade of coaching changes that left the program adrift.
A New Coaching Era
Enter Travon Patterson, a former Jackrabbit star who returns to the sidelines as the team’s first‑year head coach since the tenure of Raul Lara, who guided the school to five section titles. Patterson’s appointment signals a deliberate effort to blend tradition with a fresh vision.
The roster he inherits is loaded with talent. Two five‑star recruits — Tae Wright, headed to Miami, and JuJu Johnson, bound for UCLA — headline a group that also includes returning stalwarts Steven ‘Budda’ Hunter and Elijah ‘Bubba’ Dawson in the backfield, as well as four‑star prospect Zion Anderson, who counts Georgia and Alabama among his suitors.
Building the Future
Along the line, veterans such as Sammy Timu and Denzel Rosen anchor the offensive front, while the secondary features the same elite playmakers who will lead the defense. Strength coach Gregg Washington, a fixture in the program for decades, continues to shape the physical development of the squad.
The schedule is designed to test the team early, with Moore League matchups against traditional rivals and road trips to Downey, Tustin and Rancho Cucamonga. Each game is seen as a stepping stone toward reclaiming the league title, a feat the Jackrabbits have not achieved in back‑to‑back seasons since 1976 and 1977.
Patterson’s ultimate goal is clear: restore a culture that has historically produced NFL talent and championship teams. With an alumni‑heavy coaching staff, a healthy roster and a pipeline of elite recruits, the Jackrabbits hope to write the next chapter of a legacy that has defined California high school football for generations.