The562’s coverage of football in 2024-25 is sponsored by The Terry Donahue Memorial California Showcase.
The562’s coverage of Long Beach Wilson Athletics is sponsored by Joel Bitonio, Class of 2009.
Good football teams find a way to win when they don’t have their best game. Great football teams find multiple ways to win even when they’re at their best. The Millikan Rams scored points just about every way possible in their 45-10 win over Wilson on Friday night, scoring touchdowns through the air, the ground, on special teams, and they even found points by way of a safety.
“We’re a better team and it showed today, it’s not even close,” said Millikan coach Romeo Pellum. “We’re pretty far ahead right now and we’ve been at it for some time. Travis (Clark) is here now (coaching at Wilson and) I’m sure they’re going to do a great job, but right now they’re really far behind us.”
The Rams did their pregame run out onto the field minutes before the game started while the Wilson kickoff team waited in formation. Frustration arose from the Wilson sideline regarding the Rams’ last-second run-out, and coaches began creeping up onto the field from either team to trade some heated words. Cooler heads would prevail for the time being, but Pellum says he enjoyed the bickering ahead of their matchup.
“The energy from the other side coming out of the gate, we wanted to match that energy and show them what the energy could be like,” he said. “It was fun.”
The Rams scored on four of their first five drives, including a four play, 63-yard drive on the ground with running backs Anthony League and Xavier Jones. Jones capped the quick drive off with a 39-yard touchdown down the left sideline to give the Rams a quick 8-0 lead.
A couple drives later Millikan got down to the one-yard line off of a 69-yard punt return from Landon Ross, before punching the ball into the endzone with fullback Aisa Taelifi. Anthony League then followed their next possession up with a 68-yard touchdown rush. After a Wilson field goal from Thomas Jones, the Rams went into the half up 24-3
League added another touchdown in the third on a pass near the line of scrimmage from JP Mialovski that he took 41 yards down the right sideline for his second score. League finished the game with 117 yards on 10 carries, averaging 11.7 yards per carry. He added three catches for 48 yards and he had two total touchdowns.
“It’s a great feeling to have the coaches trust me enough to put the ball in my hands to help us score points and win games,” said League. “But I can’t do it without y coaches believing in me, my teammates believing in me, and my o-line especially.”
“He’s the best player and we knew they wouldn’t be able to tackle him,” added Pellum of League. “We just showed it.”
The Rams forced a punt on Wilson’s opening drive of the second half, before swatting it down thanks to Dillon Nelson who set up Joshua Tuchek for the scoop and score to increase the Rams lead.
The cornerback and Arizona commit, Tuchek, was also faced with the tough task of traveling around with Wilson receiver Maxwell Barbee, and the pair put on a show no matter where they lined up on the field. In the third quarter, Barbee got a pick on defense before heading into the offensive huddle, and threw the ball on a trick play in their next drive that was high-pointed by Tuchek to return the favor.
“For the pass game and guarding the best receiver, I put it all on me. I already knew since the beginning of the week that had #8 (Barbee) everywhere he went,” Tuchek said, who described the moment he noticed the trick play. “I saw the reverse and I thought #8’s throwing it, he’s not running it. I had to haul my butt over there and I high pointed it, I wish I would’ve cribbed it through.”
The pair of athletes fought a fairly even match, and Barbee finished with a game-high six catches for 59 yards.
Wilson was able to find the endzone in the second half on a one-yard rush from RB Deuce Weston, a three star transfer who was playing in his first game upon receiving eligibility. Millikan added another score in the half from a connection of Mialovski to Jay Williams.
Following the game and the postgame handshake, Wilson’s Clark yelled towards Millikan coach Romeo Pellum as the teams exited the field. Some players came to their coaches’ aid and needed to be separated. Verbal altercations would eventually come to a close, and both teams made safe exits off the field.
“My son told me it was ‘BTA’ tonight, and that’s what it was,” added Pellum.
Wilson will be on the road at Compton next week meanwhile Millikan will host Jordan.
