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.
The562’s coverage of Lakewood Athletics is sponsored by J.P. Crawford, Class of 2013.
The implications of Lakewood and Wilson’s regular season finale are simple: win and you’re in.
With changes to the CIF-SS playoff formatting and both teams sitting at 3-2, the winner will move into third place in the Moore League to earn the last guaranteed spot into the playoffs that are now only given to the top three teams. The two will square off at Wilson at 7pm.
Coming off of a bye week, Lakewood will look to get back on track after falling to Millikan a week prior. The Lancers have won their matchup against Wilson the last three years in a row.
Still without running back Jojo Apisala, Lakewood’s ground game will run through Nytrell Miller who’s averaging over seven yards per carry. QB Kade Casillas will also likely show up in the run game as he averages over 13 per carry while leading the Moore League with 236 passing yards per game.
Wilson is coming into the game off of a 34-14 win at Jordan last week and scored 20 unanswered points in the second half. The Bruins relied on a two-headed rushing attack led by Deuce Weston who accounted for over 150 all-purpose yards in that game and Jamell Edmond who rushed for 136 yards. Wilson will also look to connect with standout receiver Maxwell Barbee through the air.
The Bruins are ranked No. 285 in the state according to MaxPreps, meanwhile Lakewood is at 165. Calpreps projects Lakewood as a 10-point favorite.
