The562’s coverage of Jordan Athletics is sponsored by former LBUSD superintendent Chris Steinhauser.
The Jordan football team is desperate for its first win of the season before Moore League play, and they have a tough task ahead of them against Bell Gardens. The two teams will square off on Friday at 7pm.
It hasn’t been the best start to the Alfred Rowe era at Jordan, and that was apparent in a 35-6 loss to La Canada last week. The Panthers did show some positive signs a week earlier when they fell to Crenshaw by one score.
The biggest factor in Jordan’s streaks of success so far has been running back Marcus Williams, and it’ll be key to get him the ball early and often on Friday. Against Crenshaw, Williams had 159 rushing yards, two touchdowns, and six catches for 54 yards.
The Panthers have still been sorting out its pass game, but they’ve had some good success with sophomore Caydyn Hampton in the backfield.
Jordan will be considered an underdog heading into Friday against a 3-0 Bell Gardens team that has outscored their opponents a combined 104-32. Maxpreps ranks the Lancers No. 474 in the state, slightly ahead of Jordan at 503.
The Lancers have run the ball nearly twice as often as they’ve passed it through their first two games, and they have a deep backfield of ball carriers to rely on. That group is led by senior Daniel Tovar, who is averaging 79 rushing yards per game. Junior Alonzo Ruiz has also been involved, and the two each have a pair of touchdowns this season.
That heavy dose of the run game hasn’t come as a result of a lack of passing ability, and the Lancers have been just as effective this season when they’ve gone through the air. Quarterback Michael Mendoza has completed 60 percent of his passes, averaging more than 135 yards per game with five touchdowns and no interceptions.
Mendoza’s completions have been spread evenly among a deep receiving corps, but junior Andres Espinal is averaging a team-high 42 yards per game and has three of their five passing touchdowns. Fellow junior Jihad Abdallah has caught the other two.
