The562’s football coverage for the 2025-26 school year is sponsored by Long Beach Poly alums Wendell “WoWo” Moe, Jr. & Tyson Ruffins.
The562’s coverage of Long Beach Wilson Athletics is sponsored by Joel Bitonio, Class of 2009.
The regular season went about as well as it could have for the Wilson football team, but a new season begins this Friday. The Bruins (9-1) will embark on a fresh journey in the CIF-SS Division 4 playoffs, opening with a first-round matchup at home against Paraclete (8-2).
The Bruins are looking to replicate their postseason run from last year, when they reached the CIF-SS Division 9 championship game. This time, they’ll have to do it with a steep five-division jump to Division 4, a leap that comes after going undefeated in the Moore League with big wins over Millikan and Long Beach Poly.
Despite the tougher bracket, Wilson coach Raudric Curtis isn’t concerned about the level of talent his team will face. Instead, he’s focused on the intangibles that he believes can carry the Bruins through another deep run.
“My style of play is always rooted in discipline, teamwork, and unity of expectation,” Curtis said. “We’re looking to play our game from beginning to end, have options one, two, and three ready for adjustments, and see if we can take some things away from them while forcing some things on all three phases.”
Paraclete is coming off of an overtime thriller against St. Paul in a win that claimed them the second place spot in the Angelus League. The Spirits finished at the No. 56 spot in the CIF-SS’s final rankings, just a couple spots behind Wilson at 51.
The Paraclete offensive is led by senior quarterback Joseph Mesa, who has averaged 258 passing yards per game this season while completing 65% of his passes, totaling 39 touchdowns with just six interceptions. His top target is fellow senior Adrian Jones, who has surpassed 1,200 receiving yards this season with a remarkable 25 touchdowns through 10 games.
The Bruins will also be tasked with containing the Paraclete rushing attack including leading rusher Kyle Fulton Jr., who has averaged nearly 115 yards per game. According to Wilson two-way standout Jagger Kohagura, that defensive front will be key to the Bruins’ success on that side of the ball.
“Our front seven needs to keep showing the strength we had throughout league play by shutting down the run,” Kohagura said. “If we do that, then the guys in the secondary will do their job, and hopefully we can get some takeaways and have a good night.”
It’ll also be key for Wilson to simply keep the ball out of Paraclete’s hands and sustain long and positive drives. The Bruins’ signal caller, Mack Cooper, has done just that through the regular season, leaning on his favorite targets including Thomas Jones and Kyle Harris. When the Bruins choose to go on the ground, it’ll be the reliable duo of Kori Scott and Jemel Grigsby.
Paraclete’s defensive front is anchored by sophomore Austin Robinson, who has recorded nine sacks this season. In the secondary, Savaughn Gentle has picked off four passes, while Darren Coleman leads the Spirits with 76 total tackles.
“I think the key for us on offense is just having control of the ball. I mean, offense is the best defense,” Cooper said. “They’re a high scoring team, so as long as we can control the ball and put points on the board I think we’ll be alright.”
Cooper has helped guide the Bruins to a higher division in his three years as the team’s starting quarterback, and he says he hasn’t been rattled by the jump. Wilson has already faced several programs from Division 4 and higher in recent years, along with league opponents like Millikan and Lakewood who are both in Division 5. The Bruins’ only loss this year came against Dana Hills, which earned a spot in the Division 3 bracket.
“All three years that I’ve been on varsity I think that we’ve played higher level teams than the Moore League, and we’re as ready as ever. So, the jump doesn’t mean that much to us,” Cooper said. “Just being out there with the boys on the field gives me all the confidence I need and I trust everyone behind me to make the plays.”
The winner on Friday will advance to face either Oaks Christian or St. Bonaventure in the second round. With a win, Wilson would host Oaks Christian or travel to St. Bonaventure.
