The562’s coverage of Lakewood Athletics is sponsored by J.P. Crawford, Class of 2013.
The562’s coverage of Long Beach Wilson Athletics is sponsored by Joel Bitonio, Class of 2009.
The Lakewood and Wilson football programs know exactly what is on the line when the two programs clash at John Ford Stadium on Thursday night.
After big wins against Poly and Millikan earlier in the season, Wilson is in the driver’s seat in the final week of the regular season as they look to claim the outright Moore League title. The Bruins are coming off a 49-12 win over Jordan where they looked good in all phases of the game.
Senior Thomas Jones continued his fantastic season with four catches 131 yards and a pair of touchdowns and had an interception on defense in the win. Sophomore Jemel Grigsby continued to show his game-breaking ability against Jordan with four touches on offense scoring three touchdowns and accounting for 130 yards. As the captain of the offense senior Mack Cooper has continued to put his team in positions to win.
Wilson (8-1, 5-0) hasn’t allowed themselves to get too high or too low and have taken on the identity of first-year coach Raudric Curtis, who stays in the moment.
“Our culture is about the day,” Curtis said. ”It’s about the totality of work that we put in since spring. So, you know, we don’t feel the hit of a short week because we’ve been preparing for this, you know, for about eight months now. We know this is going to feel and look like a playoff game against a very good team.”
Last year, Lakewood defeated Wilson 44-7 and although the Bruins are a different team, Curtis knows the Lancers (5-3, 4-1) led by first-year coach Mario Morales pose their own challenges.
“Lakewood is extremely well coached,” Curtis said. “They have young coordinators and position coaches, so they’re creative. They have a good core of returners and Kade and Tiwan. As well as some newcomers that just have a ton of talent and ability to make plays.”
The Lancers are coming off a bye week as they head into their biggest game of the season to date. In their last game, they held on to defeat Millikan 3-0 – but not without some controversy on a blocked field goal and injury questions after senior quarterback Kade Casillas was injured early in the game.
But, much like Wilson – Lakewood has taken on the identity of their coach and is focusing on the little things. Senior Tiwan Jones has been one of the biggest believers in that and has had a breakout season and had some big pass breakups when the Lancers defeated the Rams.
Along with their senior core including linebacker Troy Norried, running back Jordan Montgomery has been a huge component to their success late in the season and has provided a lift for the Lakewood offense.
For Morales, he knows that it will be up to his team to decide how the game will go as they get ready for the playoffs with a chance to share the Moore League title.
“I’ve always told the kids, you know, always tell yourself, I’m here,” Morales said. “What does that mean? That means I’m here, I’m on the field. These are the things that I dreamed about, and here I am. Why do I need to think about the future when I’m in the moment right now? And I know that sounds crazy, but again, for them to all say, I’m here, and as a team, we’re here. So what are we gonna do? How are we gonna take advantage of the situation we’re in right now? And we’re in a very good situation and the team knows we’re here.”
