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Compton’s new offense continues to evolve and senior receiver Diontae Dill was the spark in a big 48-12 Hub City Rivalry win at Compton Centennial on Thursday night.
Dill made an immediate splash on the opening drive scoring a 30-yard touchdown on his first reception from Francis Madera to put Compton up 6-0 with 10:13 left in the first quarter.
“I was just doing this for my coaches,” Dill said. “They said to stay locked in, and don’t let nothing get you out of your game and play for your brothers beside you.”
After forcing a punt on Centennial’s opening drive, Compton drove back down the field with a balanced attack that featured 22 yards from Ameer Freeman. Madera capped the drive when he tucked the ball himself and scooted in for a 8-yard touchdown to put the Tarbabes up 13-0 with 4:58 left in the first quarter.
Compton’s defense continued to stifle the Apaches’ offense and then the Compton offense went back to work. This time Madera found Dill darting across the middle for a 44-yard touchdown for their second touchdown in as many passes to take a 20-0 lead.
“I get to stretch my legs,” Dill said about this year’s offense as he finished the night with four catches for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
With Compton’s defense getting into the backfield, Centennial’s Laquincy Zimmerman used his legs to extend their next drive with 21 yards rushing.
However, the Tarbabes’ defense forced a turnover on downs to get the offense back on the field.
Madera threw his first interception of the game on the second play of the ensuing drive and the Apaches capitalized with a touchdown on a 67-yard drive when Jason Williams scored on a 3-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 20-6.
Madera finished the game 9-12 for 161 yards and two touchdowns, one rushing touchdown and an interception.
“There’s some passes you wish we had back or would’ve completed,” Compton coach Calvin Bryant said. “We try and have no turnovers, but I think our guys did okay. We just have to continue to get better.”
Madera and the Compton offense answered right back as the sophomore completed three straight passes to Ronnie Mixon, Dill and Tasai Parker to put the Tarbabes inside Centennial’s 10-yard line.
Ameer Freeman scored a 1-yard touchdown to put Compton up 27-6 with 2:18 left in the half.
After forcing a punt to start the second half, Compton’s special teams came up big when Nate Willard took that punt all the way back for a 61-yard touchdown to take a 34-6 lead.
Compton’s defense forced another punt and Eric Foster capped the next drive with a 15-yard touchdown to make it 41-6 and start a running clock when the fourth quarter started.
Centennial scored another touchdown after Williams took the kick off all the way back for a touchdown to make it 48-12.
The Tarbabes (2-0) will be on the road next week when they travel to take on Paramount.
“We just got to continue working on our defense and continue to grow,” Bryant said.
