The562’s football coverage for the 2026-27 school year is sponsored by Long Beach Poly alums Wendell “WoWo” Moe, Jr. & Tyson Ruffins.
The562’s coverage of Cabrillo Athletics is sponsored by the Cohn Family.
Two former Moore League rivals will square off in their brand new league, as the Compton Tarbabes (7-1, 2-0) host the Cabrillo Jaguars (3-4, 1-0) on Friday night at 7 p.m.
Both teams are unbeaten in Hub City League play, and the winner of Friday’s game will be the odds-on favorite to win the league championship, so there’s plenty on the line.
Compton would clinch a postseason berth with a win, and are coming off a 56-0 drubbing of Compton Early College last week. Outside of a disappointing performance against Wilson in their only loss of the year, Compton has been solid this season. The offense is averaging more than 34 points per game and they’ve outscored opponents 277-102.
Senior running back Edward Rivera has 846 yards and 11 TDs on the ground this season, while adding another 258 yards and 6 scores as a receiver. He’s got a real shot at surpassing 1,000 rushing yards and 20 total TDs in this matchup, facing a Cabrillo defense that has surrendered more than 36 points per game.
In last year’s meeting between these schools, Compton went on the road and earned a 48-27 victory over the Jags. The Tarbabes ran for over 300 yards and five touchdowns in that win, and could put forth a similar gameplan this time around.
Cabrillo, meanwhile, is riding a two-game winning streak and the Jags have won three of their last four contests. Their Hub City League opener against Compton Centennial was far from perfect, but you’ll always take the win, and the Jags emerged with a 33-28 victory last Friday.
The Jags’ offense has averaged nearly 37 points per game over the last four contests, and they’ve got a veteran group of skill guys who each had an impact against Compton in the last meeting.
QB Fernando Leanos threw for 279 yards and 3 TDs against the Compton defense last year, with 110 yards and a TD going to Danny Lopez and 68 yards and a score to Armon Lumpkin. He also connected with Stephen Walker for a 75-yard TD in that contest.
Cabrillo has leaned heavily on the pass this season, so it could be a classic clash of styles with the Jags airing it out and Compton preferring to control the line of scrimmage and hand it off to Rivera and others.
The Jags won their last visit to Compton, earning a 21-13 victory in 2024 in a game played at Compton College. Outside of that, the Tarbabes have won seven of the last eight meetings between these teams.
