by Jason Jordan, USA Today High School Sports
USA TODAY High School Sports is a partner of High School Football America
Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, Calif.) football fans could very well get their first glimpse of five-star quarterback Malik Henry when the Jackrabbits head over to Narbonne (Harbor City, Calif.) Thursday, according to Long Beach Poly head coach Antonio Pierce.
“We’re hoping that he’ll be ready to roll Thursday,” Pierce said of Henry. “We’re still going through the paperwork process, but we’re hoping he’ll be ready to go.”
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Henry, a senior Florida State commit who is ranked No. 1 among quarterbacks in the ESPN 300, transferred to Long Beach Poly this month after spending four months at IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) last spring.
Before transferring to IMG Academy, Henry spent his sophomore and junior seasons at Westlake (Westlake Village, Calif.). As a junior he threw 2,362 yards and 26 touchdowns.
When asked if the Jackrabbits were preparing to have Henry under center Thursday, Pierce laughed and said, “We prepare everyone on the team to be ready at any time.”
“In all seriousness, Malik gets as many reps as anyone else,” Pierce said. “You just never know; it’s not in our hands. If it was in our hands, obviously, we’d say he’s playing, but he’s gotta go through the paperwork process. He’s a high-profile player and we want to be thorough and make sure we not only protect him, but we also protect Long Beach Poly. But, again, we’re hoping for Thursday.”
Here’s what Henry will bring to the Jackrabbits’ offense.
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