Compton football beats Lakewood to extend battle for guaranteed playoff spot

COMPTON >> Lakewood has ever wanted to power its ain destiny erstwhile it comes to earning 1 of the Moore League’s 3 automatic CIF Southern Section playoff spots. The Lancers were laser-focused connected the value of getting disconnected to a bully start.

It was a 71-yard surface walk from Lakewood inferior backmost Brayden Downen to inferior wide receiver Zion Smith for a touchdown, which enactment the Lancers up 7-0 with 10:47 near successful the archetypal quarter.

However, Compton’s double-wing discourtesy made it a agelong nighttime for Lakewood, yet prevailing successful a hard-fought 26-14 triumph against the Lancers astatine Compton College connected Friday night.

After going down 7-0, the Tarbabes (3-5, 2-3) rapidly battled back, scoring the adjacent 3 touchdowns.

A 9-yard touchdown tally by inferior wide receiver Erick Barrios and an 8-yard touchdown tally by elder moving backmost Deon Johnson enactment Compton up 14-7 astatine halftime. Barrios besides scored connected a 13-yard touchdown tally successful the 3rd quarter. He finished the crippled with 19 carries for 143 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns to pb his team’s moving attack.

“We’ve had to support this akin benignant erstwhile I was astatine Lakewood,” said manager Justin Utupo, who graduated from Lakewood High School successful 2010. “Every clip you hole for Coach Bryant’s Compton shot teams, it’s going to beryllium a four-quarter battle.”

Lakewood manager Justin Utupo said his seniors cognize this is simply a indispensable triumph crippled against Compton High School. @JustinUtupo @LKWDFOOTBALL @BeachVarsity #LongBeachVarsityReport pic.twitter.com/cYy8t8sfqz

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) October 23, 2021

Utupo wanted the Lancers (3-6, 3-2) to absorption connected tackling connected defence by swarming to the shot and playing mistake-free shot connected offense.

“Every possession is critical,” Utupo said. “One feline is not going to instrumentality (Deon Johnson) down.”

However, it was a operation of Barrios and Johnson, who ran for a combined 208 rushing yards that powered Compton’s discourtesy to victory.

Compton manager Calvin Bryant said it’s going to beryllium a 4 4th conflict against Lakewood High School. Interestingly, Bryant really coached against @JustinUtupo erstwhile Utupo was a precocious schoolhouse subordinate astatine Lakewood. @LKWDFOOTBALL. @BeachVarsity #LongBeachVarsityReport pic.twitter.com/4D2GvS3s4Z

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) October 23, 2021

“We person to bash what we do. We person to play Compton football,” said Compton manager Calvin Bryant.

Meanwhile, Bryant remembers erstwhile Utupo was a standout subordinate astatine Lakewood, who went connected to play assemblage shot astatine Notre Dame.

“Guys turn into large coaches and arsenic they proceed to grow, I proceed to grow. It’s large to spot young men proceed to enactment and make and physique programs successful the Moore League,” Bryant added.

Lakewood’s last crippled of the regular play is Friday, Oct. 29 against Long Beach Poly astatine Veterans Stadium successful Long Beach.

Compton’s last crippled of the regular play volition beryllium Friday, Oct. 29 connected the roadworthy against Long Beach Cabrillo.

Both teams are inactive live successful the contention for the Moore League’s 3rd automatic playoff spot, which is apt to travel down to a three-way necktie betwixt Jordan, Lakewood, and Compton.