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 Jordan Athletics is sponsored by former LBUSD superintendent Chris Steinhauser and the Timu Foundation.
The562’s coverage of Long Beach Wilson Athletics is sponsored by Joel Bitonio, Class of 2009.
Ahead of Friday night’s regular season finale against the visiting Jordan Panthers, Wilson High honored its senior class as they took their home field for what could be the final time.
It’s been quite a journey for the Class of 2026–going from missing the playoffs two years ago, to playing for a CIF title in Division 9 last year, and now this season earning a win over rivals Long Beach Poly to stand on the precipice of a Moore League title.
Wilson continued to look like a team on a mission, starting fast and never looking back in a 49-12 victory over Jordan, securing at least a share of the Moore League crown with just one game left to play.
“I’m pleased with the way we started, through the middle and onto our finish,” said first-year Wilson head coach Raudric Curtis. “This game is a trap game because you can get caught in the festivities of Senior Night, you can start to think that you can play soft, but you’ve got to respect the game always. You’ve got to play your hardest, keep getting better, and you’ve got to play together. And that’s one thing that I’m proud of. Our guys knew what was on the line and we earned what we sought out for.”
Senior QB Mack Cooper started off the night with a 35-yard pass to classmate Thomas Jones, who had a big night at receiver with 4 grabs for 131 yards and a pair of scores. Jones also added an interception on defense, and did all that work in just the first half.
Jones has been a big part of the Wilson program the last four years and was able to deliver one more memorable performance for the home fans.
“It’s definitely emotional to say goodbye to this field,” admitted Jones. “It’s been a roller coaster ride these last four years, with three different head coaches, but I think that that’s made our bond stronger, the guys who stayed with it all the way through. We’ve got a lot of four year seniors here. We don’t do transfers, so it just made our bonds a lot stronger. It’s made us play better as a cohesive unit.”
While there were plenty of senior standouts, it was sophomore Jemel Grigsby who had the biggest stat line of the evening. In a remarkably efficient performance, Grigsby had just four touches on offense (2 rushes, 2 catches) going for 130 yards and 3 TDs. He also scored a fourth touchdown on defense by scooping up a Jordan fumble and taking it back 20 yards for the score to make it 35-6 Wilson at halftime.
“It just feels amazing, man. I’m blessed. My opportunities came, I found them, and I just took them,” said Grigsby, who acknowledged the team is riding high right now with a fifth straight win. “Everything is all hardcore. Game prep starts on Saturday, and Friday is just a demonstration of our hard work all week.”
Senior running back Kori Scott had 11 carries for 85 yards for Wilson, and QB Mack Cooper had an efficient night going 5.8 with 159 yards and a pair of TD tosses.
The Bruins scored twice on special teams in the second half, once on a kickoff return touchdown from sophomore Kyle Harris, who is establishing himself as one of the best kick returners in the area. Wilson also closed the scoring early in the fourth quarter on a fake punt, as senior Jagger Kohagura tossed a 57-yard TD pass to Grigsby.
Jordan’s offense again ran through running back Marcus Williams, who had a whopping 29 touches on offense. He ran for 77 yards against a Wilson defense geared up to stop him, but did even more damage in the passing game. Williams hauled in 7 passes for 97 yards and a 26-yard touchdown.
Panthers QB Sama’Jay Jackson threw for 184 yards and the TD to Williams, and also ran in a 13-yard TD scamper to cap off a scoring drive at the start of the third quarter.
Unfortunately, tempers flared in the third quarter that resulted in player ejections on both sides. Jordan’s Kyren Henson and Wilson’s Daelan Foster were both ejected from the game and will not be eligible to play next week pending an appeal.
“We’re going to expect his leadership with whatever the decision is. The appeal process is kind of outside of our hands,” said Curtis of Foster’s potential absence from next week’s big game at Lakewood. “It’s definitely a lesson learned for a young man who needs to take this opportunity to display his leadership in other ways.”
The loss drops the Panthers to 1-8 overall and 0-5 in the Moore League. They’ll host Cabrillo next Thursday night in the 710 Rivalry.
Wilson improved to 5-0 in the Moore League and 8-1 overall with a trip to Lakewood next week. A win there would clinch an outright league championship, whereas a Lakewood win could force a three-way tie atop the league standings.
But if you ask Jones, it’s Wilson’s game to win, and they’ll be ready for it.
“I think we’ve performed on the biggest stage you can give us, so keep making that stage bigger and we promise we will keep performing,” Jones said. “And I can get used to it. Wilson’s coming to win it all.”
