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.
Wilson and Compton will get one final nonleague test before league play begins and Friday night’s matchup should give both teams a chance to measure where they stand heading into the most important part of the season.
The Bruins (0-5) will travel to Compton to take on the undefeated Tarbabes (5-0), who have been one of the area’s biggest bright spots through the first five weeks.
While the records are dramatically different, Wilson and Compton have had very different nonleague schedules before their midseason clash.
“We wanted to go through the nonleague tested, knowing what our best would look like,” Wilson coach Raudric Curtis said. “You only do that by seeing the best. You don’t do that by scheduling wins.”
That preparation has left Wilson battle-tested, and Curtis said the Bruins are beginning to get healthier after dealing with injuries throughout the first month of the season.
“We’re feeling battle-tested,” Curtis said. “The lumps for us are just opportunities to point out the errors in football where a team like Dana Hills or Villa Park, who maybe doesn’t have the speed individually, collectively can really just outclass us.”
Curtis said those lessons have carried into practice and helped the Bruins improve despite their record.
“Even though we’re 0-5, I think we’re playing better and better each week,” he said. “Going against another undefeated team, I feel like we’re up to the challenge.”
Meanwhile, Compton has rolled through its first five games and enters Friday coming off a 34-6 win over Narbonne. Senior Edward Rivera scored three touchdowns in the victory and leads the CIF Southern Section with 14 touchdowns.
Coach Calvin Bryant has emphasized staying focused despite the Tarbabes’ perfect start.
“I just want to tell the guys to stay grounded, work hard and continue to look at film,” Bryant said. “There’s always room for improvement.”
Bryant also expects Wilson to present a significant challenge despite the Bruins’ record.
“They’ve been playing some quality competition, so it’s going to be really tough for us,” Bryant said. “We’re going to go out there and compete and hopefully it’s a great game and we get a chance to measure ourselves up against some of the best in Long Beach.”
Wilson won last year’s meeting 23-21, but Compton nearly erased a fourth-quarter deficit and had a chance to tie the game on a two-point conversion in the final minute. Leton Washington was forced out of the pocket before his desperation throw fell incomplete, allowing the Bruins to escape with the win.
Curtis said that game provided lessons for Wilson, but he doesn’t expect last year’s result to have much bearing on Friday.
“That’s all last year,” Curtis said. “We’re a different team. They’re a different team.”
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at Compton High.
