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.
There were a handful of times that the Wilson football team’s season should’ve ended on Friday night while visiting Village Christian in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 9 playoffs — but the Bruins showed up when they needed it most.
Wilson trailed by ten points in the fourth quarter, and even turned the ball over at their own 21-yard line in the final four minutes of the game in what looked like a sure win for the Crusaders. The Bruins then picked up a Village Christian fumble on defense, and proceeded to drive 90 yards down the field before Mack Cooper connected with Jaden Frauchiger-Newman for the 25-yard game winning touchdown with 1:53 remaining. Wilson went on to win 19-17.
“It’s surreal,” said Frauchiger-Newman, who changed his route mid play, cut, and dove at the pylon for the game-winner. “My quarterback and I, we were on the same page. He threw it to me, I broke the tackle and I was in for six. I was so excited. Round three here we come.”
“Super proud of the kids for not giving up!,” wrote Wilson coach Travis Clark after the game. “Great resilience and a good lesson learned about staying the course when things aren’t going your way in life. “
Those things weren’t going Wilson’s way for most of the first 36 minutes, as Village Christian set the tone with a touchdown on their first possession. The Crusaders handed the ball four times to senior RB Donovan Howard who had 39 yards on the drive and capped it off with a one-yard plunge into the endzone.
The Bruins put together a reply on their opening possession after a recovered onside kick, marching 48 yards down the field concluded by a connection of Cooper to Thomas Jones on a seam route for 39 yards. The Bruins tied the game up at 7-7.
Jones became a security blanket to Cooper as the night went on and hauled in a game-high seven receptions. The junior also racked up a game-high 107 receiving yards, and did so all while battling a cold throughout the last couple of days.
“This was my ‘flu game,’” Jones joked. “I’ve been pretty sick, didn’t go to school yesterday but you know this is the occasion tonight, and we had to rise to the occasion. This is where we are and we’re here to win.”
Wilsons’ passing game took a strong halt after their opening drive and the Bruins were greeted with a handful of questionable flags which killed both offensive and defensive drives. Maxwell Barbee drew one of the flags on a defensive hold, which led to another one-yard touchdown rush from the Crusaders by Preston Mathis. The score sent Wilson into halftime trailing 14-7.
Barbee went on to make a couple marquee plays down the stretch including an interception in the first half. The senior also came up with a pass break up on the Crusaders final offensive play to seal the win.
“[I just had to] stay composed,” Barbee said of the up-and-down defensive night for Wilson. “Our coaches are hard on us but they’re never wrong. Everything they say to us comes from love and wanting to succeed so just listening to the message and the tone of the coaches makes it easier to stay level headed.”
The Bruins first two possessions of the second half ended in a punt and a turnover on downs before a Village Christian field goal by Danny Franco to put the Crusaders up 17-7. The Bruins went back to the run game on their ensuing possession in the fourth quarter, capping off a 67-yard drive with a one-yarder from Weston.
Weston’s touchdown cut the Bruin deficit to four points after a missed PAT, and the Lawndale transfer seemed to get even better as the quarter went one. He finished the night with 16 carries for 77 yards and a score. He also caught five passes for 59 yards.
“I’m tired, I’m trying to catch my breath,” he chuckled in a postgame interview. “I just never quit no matter what until the clock hits zero just like you saw. We were down but I knew it. This was a good team but we had them.”
Village Christian missed a field goal on their next drive before a Wilson turnover on downs at their own 20-yard line. The Bruins then received a Crusader fumble before connecting on their 25-yard game winning touchdown from Cooper to Frauchiger-Newman.
Wilson will host Great Oak next Friday in their first semifinals appearance since 2016. A win would give them a spot in the CIF-SS Division 9 championship against either Highland or Quartz Hill.
