Despite a challenging season marked by injuries and a league record of 0-3 with an overall standing of 3-5, Poly’s football team has consistently demonstrated resilience through both their highs and lows, particularly in early Rio Hondo League games. Although the team has taken four straight losses to begin league play, senior wide receiver Jack Lentz spoke about what the team looks to improve to close out the season, “Injuries and lack of depth are definitely some of our weaknesses because they lead to inconsistent practice and game attendance among the players.”
In their match-up against the South Pasadena Tigers, the Panthers, though fueled by the crowd’s energy, could not clinch the victory. Sophomore wide receiver Maxwell Leaks said, “While we felt disappointed in letting the fans and ourselves down, we put forth effort to the final whistle and know what we need to work on.” Leaks also added that the team’s resilience with players playing both offense and defense is a strength that can not be taken away from the team, “We definitely are a tough team, continuously playing through so many injuries and making multiple guys play both sides of the ball.”
With so many injuries, the team has called on several freshmen to jump into big games, but getting such experience early on in their careers shows promise for the future. Junior AB Shorter said, “The freshmen this year have stepped up to the challenge when the team needed the support. After constant injuries, the freshman players picked up the missing pieces to help us be as successful as possible throughout the season.” Following their loss against the Tigers, the Panthers endured two tough losses against the Spartans (44-7) and Temple City Titans (7-6) despite solid efforts from the team.
Now looking towards potential postseason play, the Panthers will face off against Monrovia on Nov. 1. The team has high hopes in securing this win for their record in order to make CIF Southern Section playoffs and to end the season with an even or positive record.
Senior Jackson Brathwaite looks to continue to improve as the season goes on and commented,  “We are looking to win the next two games so we can make it to the playoffs. The coaches have been there to push us during practice with conditioning, hitting drills, and teaching us about technique. Since there are a lot of first-year players on the team, the coaches have been patient in making sure we know our roles”.
Looking at the program’s future, the Panthers continue a theme of consistently improving under Coach Henderson, especially with the surge of talent in the freshman class. All in all, it’s safe to say the Panthers’ future is bright.