Poly’s first championship trophy gets restored

In 1978 the Cowboys won the Super Bowl, the Yankees won the World Series, the Washington Bullets won the NBA championship, and the Poly Panthers took home their first CIF championship in school history for boys basketball. This team went undefeated in the Prep League during their regular season and coasted through most of the playoffs. The Panthers faced Orange Lutheran in the finals and defeated them 69-59 under Head Coach Tom Bradbury. Poly ended up being back-to-back champions, beating Chadwick in the 1979 CIF championship finals as well.

Max Pray '78, a starter on the 1978 team, recalls how supportive the Upper School was during their playoff run filling the gym with fans each game. The original trophy was damaged many years ago. The five starters of the 1978 championship team — Bert Banta '79, Lewis McLin '78, John Matthiessen '78, Brian Griggs '78, and Pray — worked together to restore and renovate Poly’s first CIF championship trophy. The trophy is now displayed in the trophy case in the Gamble Gym.