The top two football programs in the Moore League took part in the Battle at the Beach 7-on-7 tournament over the weekend. The annual passing league competition is one of the most respected offseason football tournaments, hosted by Edison High in Huntington Beach.
Many of the top programs in Southern California met up for the 20-team tournament, with Millikan and Long Beach Poly both making it out of pool play to earn a spot in the Silver bracket. The Rams made it all the way to the championship game on the strength of three consecutive victories, but fell to Santa Margarita in the championship game.
Both sides got some quality reps in against some of the best teams in the area, and are rightfully excited about the upcoming season on the gridiron.
Millikan
It was a roller coaster day for the Rams, who started out the competition with three straight defeats against Corona Del Mar, eventual Gold Division champions Mission Viejo, then Cathedral Catholic. But the Rams responded with three wins in a row to turn their spirits around and get some additional games against quality teams.
“Whenever we’re on the field we want to compete, but we just want to get better for August when it matters,” said Rams head coach Romeo Pellum after the event. “This was good work for us. You know, there’s good, there’s bad, like always. So we’ve just got to watch it, learn from it, and get better.”
In the losses to CDM and Cathedral Catholic, Millikan lost on the final play of the game, meaning they were close to being 2-1 out of the gate instead of 0-3.
After that frustrating start, the Rams won three games in a row as their defense started to settle in and get some more stops. The Rams won 18-6 over Servite to advance out of pool play, then beat Los Alamitos by a score of 36-20 in the first round of bracket play.
Into the Silver semifinals, Millikan dominated Inglewood by a score of 37-7, allowing a number of younger players to see the field. The Rams will face Inglewood again in their preseason scrimmage next month, and certainly had the upper hand on Saturday.
The Rams went cold in the championship game against Santa Margarita, losing 23-0 to end their day, but Millikan got the most out of the tournament with seven full games and plenty of reps on both sides of the ball.
Incoming QB Ashton Pannell looked good orchestrating the Millikan offense, showing off his mobility and ability to throw on the move. His favorite target was senior Jude Nelson, who had a big day for the Rams’ offense, racking up several touchdowns and PAT conversions.
Returning wideouts Jay Williams and Landon Ross were also playmakers on the outside, with rising seniors Diamond Graham and Samson Khan providing some highlights as well.
Coach Pellum said he was happy to see the Rams emerge without any injuries as they look to turn their attention to their season opener, which comes ahead of schedule on Aug. 15 in Nevada.
Long Beach Poly
The Jackrabbits also played some close games during pool play, going 1-3 overall to move into the Silver bracket.
Poly opened their day with a loss against Cathedral, but bounced back with an exciting win over Oaks Christian in game two. After a score on the final play forced the game into a tiebreaker, the Jackrabbits got a walk-off win on the first play when sophomore Zion Anderson skied for an interception, giving Poly the 20-18 victory.
The Jackrabbits then lost in a tiebreaker against Inglewood, 27-26, and lost to local rivals St. John Bosco in the final matchup of pool play.
Santa Margarita eliminated the Jackrabbits in the first round of Silver bracket play with a 13-8 victory, ultimately knocking both of the Long Beach teams out of the competition.
Anderson was a standout for the Jackrabbits defense, but his day was cut short when an elbow to the face knocked him out of the game against Santa Margarita.
New Poly head coach Justin Utupo said that he hoped Anderson would be back on the field soon. He also credited veteran defensive backs Deon Jackson and Donte Wright as standout performers for his squad.
Offensively, he was pleased with how tight end Jaden Hernandez and receiver Jayden Coley played, and said that senior QB Deuce Jefferson is getting more comfortable and confident as a passer as he gets more reps this summer.
“We saw some great competition today,” Utupo said. “The best thing about today was we were able to just get reps, and that’s what we need more of, is reps on defense, reps on offense, and coaches and players working together and making those in-game adjustments. So I’m pleased with that. Obviously not pleased with the result of the day, but you’re always happy about guys getting out here and just playing football.”
The Jackrabbits open their season against Leuzinger on Aug. 22.
