This week, all of The562’s coverage is sponsored by Long Beach Gives. Visit LongBeachGives.org to find your cause and support local nonprofits! Donations will be accepted through Sept. 21.
The562’s coverage of Cabrillo Athletics is sponsored by the Cohn Family.
The562’s coverage of football in 2023-24 is sponsored in part by the MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center Foundation and Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital Foundation.
A pair of 2-2 teams will square off on the West Side, looking to start Moore League play by getting to the right side of .500. The Cabrillo Jaguars will be in search of their first league win since 2019 when they host Compton High at 7 p.m. on Friday night at Jaguar Stadium.
The Jags suffered a heartbreaking 28-27 loss at Los Amigos last week, and have alternated wins and losses through the first four weeks of the season. The offense has had an encouraging couple weeks without senior Luis Haro running the show, averaging 38 points per game.
Facing a Compton defense that’s allowed over 29 points per game this season, the Jags have reason to be optimistic about their chances to move the ball and score. Sophomore WR D’Jon PIttman is a matchup nightmare, and RB Antonio Elam is a veteran runner with a big, experienced offensive line.
A young Compton team has also alternated losses and wins so far this season, winning 62-40 last week at Bernstein. Being on the road is nothing new for Calvin Bryant’s team, as they’ve played without a home campus the past two seasons and have already been the road team three times this year.
This game will have the rare distinction of featuring two freshman quarterbacks, as Fernando Leanos will be running the Cabrillo offense and Francis Madera will be under center for Compton.
As usual, Compton’s success will come down to the ground game, where junior Hayden Ginn and senior John John Bledsoe have been among the featured backs.
In this series, Compton has had the upper hand in recent seasons, winning five in a row including a 50-20 triumph last season at Compton College.
Cabrillo’s last win over Compton was a 47-27 victory at home back in 2016.
