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.
Despite only having the ball for about 12 minutes, the Jordan Panthers took home the 91 Cup trophy for the third consecutive year with a 46-20 win over Compton at Compton College.
“It was a good game, yet we need to keep focus,” Jordan coach Jon Nielsen said. “Next week is our big game (against Wilson) and we need to be ready to work on Monday.”
Compton’s game plan was to keep the ball and keep Jordan’s high-powered offense off the field. They drained about five minutes off the clock on the opening possession, but a nice return by Jordan’s Jake Bautista set the Panthers up inside the red zone.
Senior star running back Jordan Washington got the one-yard line before junior quarterback J.J. Nielsen found Baustita on a slant for a 6-0 with 8:58 left in the first quarter.
Again, Compton tried to sustain a long, grinding and methodical drive but dropped balls on play-action passes killed the drive. Compton held on to the ball until the second quarter when they got to the Jordan 10-yard line. A dropped screen pass on fourth down killed the drive.
Thirty seconds later, the Panthers scored again thanks to Washington’s second of five touchdowns.
Compton responded by reaching the Jordan 10-yard line again, and this time on fourth down they converted. Senior Tyree Sheppard would eventually punch in to cut the lead to 13-7 with 1:30 left in the half.
After a failed onside kick, Washington scored from 45 yards out to make it 20-7 Jordan with 1:20 until halftime.
Knowing they received in the second half, Jordan tried to keep momentum but also failed to recover an onside kick. A penalty on the play helped Compton get into field goal range, but the kick was missed wide left.
It would not take long for Washington to find the end zone again with a 60-yard catch and run by the Arizona commit.
Jordan maintained its momentum thanks to a blocked punt that set Nielsen up on the Compton 10-yard line, and he hit senior receiver Gerald Pickens on a slant to make it 32-7 with 7:57 left in the third.
A nice kickoff return set up Compton freshman Nate Willard to find the end zone and close the gap 32-13.
Compton converted an onside, then freshman quarterback Francis Madera and senior receiver Diontae Dill hooked up on a big pass play into the red zone. to put them in the Panthers’ red zone as the fourth quarter started. Compton converted two fourth downs before Willard scored again to make it 32-20 Jordan with 7:43 left.
Washington scored his last touchdown of the night before Nielsen scrambled to find Bautista in the back of the end zone on their second to last drive.
“It was a tough game, but you got to give credit to Jordan Washington,” Compton coach Calvin Bryant said. “However, we gave up too many big plays [to him]. We had opportunities in the red zone, yet penalties and miscues hurt us. We are not leaving here with our head down… we just got to work as a group and a coaching staff to make sure we are better prepared for the next opponent.”
Jordan (5-2, 1-2) travels to Wilson (3-4, 2-2) on Oct. 13 in a crucial, postseason determining game. Compton (3-3, 1-2) hosts Millikan next Friday at Compton College, looking to upset the Rams and keep playoff hopes alive.
