Carson’s Preston Leomiti, right, stops Long Beach Poly quarterback Ace Faagata (18) during their nonleague game on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in Long Beach. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Carson’s Jorge Valencia (24 jumps over Long Beach Poly’s Eris Swift (43) as Swift trips up Carsons Chris Fields III (1) in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, September 11, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly’s Jayden Coley (3) tries to get past Carson’s TeeJay Hamilton (27) in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, September 11, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly’s Logan Kirk (21) tries to stop Carson’s Chris Fields III (1) in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, September 11, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Carson’s Derric Myers (12) tries to take down Long Beach Poly’s Elijah Dawson (6) in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, September 11, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Carson’s Tytus Salagi (2) tries to get past Long Beach Poly’s Ian Douglas (56) in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, September 11, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Carson’s Preston Leomiti (9) stops Long Beach Poly’s Jeron Johnson II (9) in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, September 11, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Carson’s Chris Fields III (1) looks for an open teammate as the Colts take on Long Beach Poly in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, September 11, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly’s Jayden Coley (3) breaks free from Carson’s Preston Leomiti (9) and runs the ball in for a touchdown in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, September 11, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly’s Logan Kirk (21) stops Carson’s Nathan Williams (6) in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, September 11, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly’s Jayden Coley (3) races for yards as the Jackrabbits take on Carson in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, September 11, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Carson’s Eric Myers (7) is stopped by Long Beach Poly’s Ian Douglas (56) and Dezmen Howard (8) in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, September 11, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly’s Jeron Johnson II (9) races around Carson’s defense in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, September 11, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly’s Jayden Coley (3) tries to get through Carson’s Darren Panton (8) and Derric Myers (12) in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, September 11, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly’s Kasim Shepherd, left, tries to stop Carson quarterback Chris Fields III as he runs with the ball during their nonleague game on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in Long Beach. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Carson’s Aj Umoh (11) tries to stop Long Beach Poly’s Ace Faagata (18) in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, September 11, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly’s Zion Anderson (5) looks to get around Carson’s defense in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, September 11, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly’s Kasim Shepherd (24) is on Carson’s Darren Panton (8) as he misses a touchdown pass in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, September 11, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly’s Ace Faagata (18) looses the ball while trying to score for the Jackrabbits in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, September 11, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Carson’s Chris Fields III (1) tries to break free from Long Beach Poly’s Zion Anderson (5) in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, September 11, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach Poly’s Zion Anderson (5) tries to get thorough Carson’s defense in Long Beach, CA, on Friday, September 11, 2026. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
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Carson’s Preston Leomiti, right, stops Long Beach Poly quarterback Ace Faagata (18) during their nonleague game on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in Long Beach. (Photo by Tracey Roman, Contributing Photographer)
LONG BEACH — The little details mattered most Friday night in the nonleague football showdown between Carson and Long Beach Poly.
The Colts took advantage of a fast start, both offensively and defensively, and held on late for a 17-14 victory after the Jackrabbits missed a pair of field goal attempts – including a late try that would have tied the score.
Meanwhile, Carson (3-1) got a crucial 34-yard field goal from kicker Monico Flores-Segovia with less than three minutes remaining in the third quarter that proved to be the difference and pushed the lead to 10 points.
“It meant the best for me and my team,” Flores-Segovia said. “I’m just thinking about the extra points on the board.”
https://x.com/tracy_mcdannald/status/2098618729672454149?s=46
Colts coach William Lowe credited his kicker for having “ice in his veins” despite a lack of prior experience.
“The kid never even played football before,” Lowe said. “Barely didn’t know much about it. … He’s good.”
Poly (1-3) answered and cut the deficit to 17-14 on running back Jeron Johnson II’s 1-yard touchdown run with 9:22 remaining.
The Colts had a chance to put the game out of reach, but quarterback Chris Fields III was hurried on a fourth-and-9 at the Poly 26-yard line. The high-arcing throw reached the end zone, but it was a wild toss that landed a few feet away from the intended receiver and resulted in a turnover on downs with 5:42 to play.
Twenty-two seconds later, the Jackrabbits thought they pulled ahead on an apparent 66-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ace Fa’agata to wide receiver Kasim Shepherd. Instead, it was called back for a penalty.
Still, Poly marched to the Carson 16-yard line for a fourth-and-3 with 1:16 left. But the Jackrabbits missed a 34-yard field goal wide left – their second missed kick of the half.
4Q (1:13): Carson 17, LB Poly 14 @breezepreps
A missed 34-yd FG that would have tied the game for the Jackrabbits pic.twitter.com/4wWrW4U9as
— Tracy McDannald 📎 (@Tracy_McDannald) September 12, 2026
Lowe credited his defense for holding serve.
“Our defense, they only gave up one touchdown,” Lowe said. “They just played solid. Like I told the guys after the game last week, we just gotta learn to play 48 minutes. I’m really proud of the guys that they were able to play a full 48, with full effort.”
Colts linebacker Preston Leomiti had one of the bigger contributions. His forced fumble on a Fa’agata dropback and the recovery for a 49-yard touchdown return pushed the early lead to 14-0 through the game’s first two possessions.
Leomiti said the defense’s film session helped make the play possible.
“We saw the week before that the lineman is not picking up the linebackers’ blitz, so we took advantage of that,” Leomiti said. “When he cocked back, I slapped it out and took it.
“(The run) felt great, it felt great. The stands cheering, man.”
On the previous drive, the Carson offense exclusively ran the ball right at Poly to open the game. All 10 plays on the 73-yard scoring drive were runs split evenly between Fields and running back Tytus Salagi.
Fields’ first two carries went for 15 yards apiece before he capped the drive with a 6-yard keeper for the touchdown.
1Q (6:47): Carson 7, LB Poly 0 @breezepreps
QB Chris Fields III on the 6-yd keeper for the TD. The Colts exclusively ran the ball 10 times on the drive. pic.twitter.com/qKCZG6ednl
— Tracy McDannald 📎 (@Tracy_McDannald) September 12, 2026
Fields ran for 113 of his game-high 160 yards in the first half. He was able to overcome throwing a first-half interception and fumbling early in the third quarter.
“Coming into the game, we knew that we were the stronger team, the tougher team, the more athletic team, the better team overall,” Fields said. “We just wanted to come out and give it to them. We knew that they couldn’t stop anything that we had to give to them.”
After Fields’ fumble, Colts defensive back DeShawn White immediately got possession back with an interception.
The Carson defense also got a sack from linebacker AJ Umoh, a tackle for loss from tackle Trent Afusia and a quarterback hurry that forced an incompletion from defensive end Kingston Sula.
“(Our defense) is the MVP of the game,” Fields said. “I made some mistakes down the stretch, but they had my back and we played together as a team and came up big.”
The Colts overcame a strong performance from Jackrabbits receiver Jayden Coley, who finished with seven catches for 98 yards and a touchdown.
2Q (10:57): Carson 14, LB Poly 7 @breezepreps
Poly WR Jayden Coley breaks a tackle on his 29-yd TD catch. @johnwdavis pic.twitter.com/tDQ3n65RNN
— Tracy McDannald 📎 (@Tracy_McDannald) September 12, 2026
Defensively, Poly has got an interception from Shepherd.
Lowe was impressed with his team’s resolve against an opponent that includes five-star Miami-bound cornerback Donte’ Wright Jr. and four-star junior receiver/defensive back Zion Anderson.
Poly, though, was without UCLA commit and cornerback JuJu Johnson, who has been out since rolling his ankle in the season opener.
“They’ve got guys at DB, you know?” Lowe said. “Our kids are really good about not being selfish and trying to do what it takes to win. We knew our game plan was going to have to be to establish the run early.
“All their guys are just so dynamic. They’re dangerous with the ball in the their hands, and you saw we didn’t kick it to them, we didn’t punt it to them. We just tried to limit as much damage as they could do.”