Making the Grade

In recent years, many Long Beach Poly High football players have received scholarship offers from Division I schools, but several have fallen short of NCAA admissions standards because of low test scores.

Here’s a look at some of Poly’s players and what became of them their freshman years--or what would have been their freshman years--in college.

Darnell Bing, DB--academic nonqualifier.

*--* CLASS OF 2002

*--*

Rory Carrington, RB/LB--on roster at Idaho State.

Chris Davis, DB--on roster at New Mexico State.

Hershel Dennis, RB--on roster at USC.

Winston Justice, OL--on roster at USC.

Marcedes Lewis, TE--on roster at UCLA.

Kevin Tapp, CB--on roster at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Pago Togafau, LB--on roster at Idaho State.

Manuel Wright, DL--nonqualifier.

*--* CLASS OF 2001

*--*

Donta Chandler, WR--on roster at Utah State.

Josh Hawkins, WR--on roster at Oregon State.

Ernie James, DB--on roster at Idaho State.

Marvin Simmons, LB--nonqualifier.

Raymond Tago, DL--nonqualifier.

Soane Taliauli, LB--redshirt at Utah.

Raymond Washington, DB--nonqualifier; on Fresno State’s 2002 roster.

Mike Willis, WR--redshirt at Oregon, but left after one year.

*--* CLASS OF 2000

*--*

Lonnel Penman, WR--redshirt at San Diego State.

Kim Taylor, DB--nonqualifier; on Washington’s 2002 roster.

Marley Tucker, DB--on roster at Oregon.

*--* CLASS OF 1999

*--*

Jeremy Johnson, TE--redshirt at Fresno State.

Kareem Kelly, WR--on roster at USC.

Chris Lewis, QB--redshirt at Stanford.

Dennis Link, LB--on roster at UCLA.

Samie Parker, WR--redshirt at Oregon.

Darrell Rideaux, DB--on roster at USC.

*--* CLASS OF 1998

*--*

Herman Ho-Ching, RB--on roster at Oregon.

Ryan Iata, DE--nonqualifier; on San Diego State’s 2002 roster.

*--* CLASS OF 1997

*--*

Marques Anderson, DB--on roster at UCLA.

Michael Pollard, LB--nonqualifier; on USC’s 2002 roster.

Researched by staff writer Bob Rohwer with help of Student Sports magazine.