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 Long Beach Wilson Athletics is sponsored by Joel Bitonio, Class of 2009.
The 2025 season had plenty in store for the Wilson football team during head coach Raudric Curtis’ first year, and the Bruins’ new journey in 2026 officially begins this Friday. Wilson will kick off the season on the road against Mayfair at Ron Yary Stadium at Bellflower High School at 7 pm.
The season opener will serve as a reunion for Curtis, who previously coached at Mayfair before being hired at Wilson. With that comes plenty of familiarity between Curtis and Mayfair coach Derek Bedell, along with defensive coordinator and former Wilson coach Mark Ziegenhagen. Curtis was the Monsoons’ associate head coach and assistant defensive coordinator during their 2024 CIF-SS championship season, which ended with a trip to the CIF State Finals.
“That’s family,” Curtis said after Wilson’s schedule was released. “I know the quality of play they bring and how well they’re going to test us and our preparation to open the year. They just hit all the markers with having a great sportsmanship environment. It’s going to be good competition on the field and a family affair.”
Offensively, Friday’s matchup should provide plenty of answers about Wilson’s new-look squad under new starting senior quarterback Logan Trafas. It’ll be important for the Bruins to establish a run game behind a veteran offensive line and three-star running back Jemel Grigsby, while Trafas could add an extra wrinkle with his rushing ability.
Trafas will also lead a passing game with plenty of experienced talent capable of attacking the defense at all levels. Junior Kyle Harris is a speedy returner who’ll be reliable with the ball in his hands, along with senior Brooklyn Vega, who adds some size at 6-foot-2 and has sure hands as a pass catcher.
The defensive battle should be a fun chess match to watch with opposing coaches who have plenty of familiarity with each other. The key for Wilson will be controlling the run game with its seasoned defensive line and veteran linebacker corps of Dylan Sula and Kingston Meyer, but it’ll also be interesting to see how the handful of two-way players hold up on the line and in the secondary.
Last year, Mayfair went 4-7 overall including a loss to Moore League opponent Lakewood. The Monsoons went 4-1 for a second-place finish in the Gateway League before falling in the first round of the CIF-SS Division 7 playoffs, three divisions below where Wilson fell to Paraclete in Division 4.
