Back on Track: '4th and Forever' Catch-Up

Things are looking up for Long Beach Poly. After winning games against Jordan and Lakewood, their longtime rivals, the Jackrabbits are riding high. Making it to the playoffs seems like a real possibility again. As they gear up for their next game, the coaches are determined to make sure each player takes care of needs off the field too so they can continue to give 100 percent for the football team.

After the Lakewood game, team discipline coach Ty Burford seeks out Jeremiah Hollowell's mother Margaret to make sure she knows that Jeremiah's supposed to meet with him. All students on academic probation turn in the form meant to alert parents that their children are at risk of failing.

"OK, I'm tired of Jeremiah," Margaret tells Burford as they begin to discuss his grades. "I need your help."

School is important. Margaret tells Burford and Jeremiah that as much as she loves football and seeing Jeremiah do well as a Jackrabbit, graduating high school trumps that in the end. She doesn't want him to have to give up one to achieve the other, but she'll do whatever may be necessary.

"You can't bring the grades up; you can't play," she tells Jeremiah. It's that simple. He's the only one who can fix his situation.

In the meantime, the Jackrabbits still have a game to prepare for. Despite a great showing against Lakewood, head coach Raul Lara has Jeremiah practice with defense, because he still feels Jeremiah's too unpredictable as a player. He needs reliable guys on the field.

At the end of practice, Coach Lara gathers the team to let them know that, in addition to winning last week's game, they also managed to raise $4,000 toward cancer awareness. Defensive lineman and team captain Michael Teo is especially proud of this, because his mother has been battling cancer.

Poly activities director Terry Speir even comes to the field to congratulate the team and let the players know how much it means not only to the fund but to survivors in the Long Beach community that Poly recognized them and helped the cause.

"Sometimes you don't even realize what you're doing, or the effect that you have," Coach Lara says to the team. This effect is one to be proud of causing.

Off the field, things aren't as easily celebrated. Between football, school and keeping their relationship a secret from her parents, Devin Jackson doesn't get to spend much time with his girlfriend Courtney. He's excited to see her when they finally find time. She tells him she misses him, but even still, she has to break their future date for Saturday night, because she has to spend that evening with her family. Their plans to reschedule for Friday or Sunday are just as flimsy.

"I only get to see you once or twice a week," Courtney says.

It's difficult. They don't live particularly close to one another, and their schedules constantly conflict. But for Devin, it's worth it.

Couch Burford meets with students again the next day to talk again about getting parent signatures for academic probation letters. Several members of the team are slacking, and Burford decides to get his point across by having the students perform timed manual labor, moving furniture around the classroom. He has them break down tables only to put them up again, and once everyone's exhausted, he points out that getting a piece of paper signed is probably a whole lot easier.

The players can either step up academically or keep ending up in situations where teachers subject them to tedious labor and discipline for failing. None of the players like the idea of moving furniture forever, so they resolve to at least take the first step and get the signatures they need.

Poly's coaches aren't just interested in successful games. They want their players to have a chance to move on to bigger and better things after Poly. Their opportunities could become limited very quickly without an impressive school record to support their sports careers. Burford and the other Poly coaches will do whatever they can to make sure the 19 players in danger of failing courses get the help and focus they need.

After a hard day at school, what Devin isn't prepared for is serious phone call from his girlfriend Courtney. He's pleased that she calls, but then she bears some bad news: She's having doubts about their relationship. Courtney thinks they need some space to figure things out, to decide whether or not the extra effort they put in for so little time together is really worth it in the long run.

"Just give me some time to think about it," she says.

Devin thinks Courtney's letting her family's prejudice come between them. They wouldn't approve of her dating a black guy, and he doesn't think they should let that stop them from being together. She insists she just needs some time and, upset, Devin ends the conversations quickly.

He has a game to focus on. Two days before their game versus Milikan, Poly is still building up its defensive line to make sure the team goes in hard. Devin uses his frustration to motivate him on the field. After impressing defensive line coach Chris Love, he thinks he might even have a chance to get more playing time on Friday.

Jeremiah Hollowell is tired when he goes home from practice, but his mother Margaret isn't ready to let him relax. She's looked into his grades, and she's not at all pleased with the work Jeremiah's doing. He's definitely failing, and he needs to get his act together.

"A burger joint is not going to take care of your son," she says, reminding Jeremiah that if he doesn't strive to achieve, he won't make much of himself.

As a dad, he's supposed to be able to provide for his child. He needs to remember that and realize doing well in school will put him on a path to future financial success.

Margaret refuses to give up on Jeremiah, though. To help push him on track, she reveals that she'll be going up to the school herself.

She's not kidding.

She shows up the very next day and sits with Jeremiah in his algebra class. As far as Margaret's concerned, Jeremiah brought any humiliation he may feel on himself. If he can't pay attention in class on his own, then she'll make sure she's there to ensure he's listening at all times.

"I promise you," she says. "If you sacrifice, honey, the reward will be great."

When Game 7 against Millikan finally rolls around, many of the Jackrabbits have a lot on their minds. Jeremiah's still under academic pressure, and Devin's still thinking about his break-up with Courtney, but both are determined to give their best for Poly. The Jackrabbits have to win again.

Coach Lara thinks that determination is what makes or breaks them. Teams that really want to win, do. With Jordan, Poly was frantic to redeem themselves after the Mission Viejo loss, and with Lakewood, Poly needed to correct its mistake from last year. Before that game, Lakewood hadn't won a game against Poly in 30 years. Poly had a lot on the line. If the players are hungry enough, emotionally, Coach Lara believes that'll show up during every single play the execute.

Emotions are certainly riding high tonight. Last year, Millikan beat them. This is Poly's chance to shut them down.

For the first drive of the game, starting quarterback Chaiyse Hales runs the ball to the 15-yard line. They use the advantage to score their first touchdown of the night on the next play. Kameron Jackson scores another, and Poly soon finds itself ahead by 21 points early in the game.

Coach Lara sends Jeremiah onto the field, and Jeremiah's ready to take an opportunity to run the ball. Devin also finally gets a chance to show what he can do, but when he fails to strike a player the way he practiced all week, the coaches quickly pull him out again. An opportunity there and gone in minutes.

Despite that, Richard Smith carries the ball to the end zone to score yet another touchdown for Poly. This game is a breeze, Poly handles Millikan down to the last second. At the end of everything, Poly walks away victorious, 59-0.

Last year, the Jackrabbits lost to Millikan by one point. This year, they've slaughtered them.

Next week, the pressure continues as playoffs draw closer. Can Poly maintain its stamina?

Tune in Thursday at 9/8c for an all-new episode of "4th and Forever" on Current TV.

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