One of the biggest upsets in California history and likely the most important victory in Sacramento-region history will be re-set early in the 2011 football season.
According to the Sacramento Bee, perennial national power
Long Beach Poly which has sent more players to the NFL than any in the nation, will take on
Grant (Sacramento, Calif.) as part of the California Football Classic on Sept 3.
Grant's Shaq Thompson will return
next season as one of the nation's
top recruits.
Photo by Anthony Brunsman
Grant defeated Poly 25-20 for the 2008 CIF Open Division Bowl championship at the Home Depot Center in Carson, costing the Jackrabbits a possible mythical national championship.
According to the Bee, the Grant-Poly contest will be the marquee contest of a two-day, six-game showcase, put on by the event organizer Matt Williams.
The site for the game has yet to be decided – likely either Sacramento State, Sacramento City College or American River College.
Grant (13-1 last season) opens the season the week before against CIF Division II Bowl Champion Folsom, a team it defeated 49-14 to start the 2010 season but was eliminated by with a 41-20 defeat.
The game ends any speculation that Grant was headed to Dallas to play in the annual Herbsteit Classic at Cowboys Stadium.
Grant will return one of the nation's top all-round players
Shaq Thompson. Poly, winners of 18 Southern Section crowns, is coming off a disappointing 8-3 season.
"We're going to find out how good we are pretty fast," Grant coach Mike Alberghini told Bee writer Bill Paterson.
