Press-Telegram football previews: Long Beach Poly takes on Millikan in Moore League showdown

Previews of the apical precocious schoolhouse shot games successful Week 5.

FRIDAY GAMES

Moore League

Long Beach Poly (1-3) vs. Millikan (2-3) astatine Veterans Stadium, 7 p.m.

If there’s going to beryllium a showdown for the Moore League title, past this is it, a combat betwixt the 2 teams intelligibly up of the pack. Long Beach Poly has dominated the bid and hasn’t truly been challenged successful league play successful much than a decade, and a fierce nonleague slate has the Jackrabbits primed to interruption retired present that the games count.

Poly has endowment connected some sides of the ball, and its run/pass equilibrium — down QB Shea Kuykendall, RB Devin Samples and a beardown radical of receivers — volition fuss Moore League foes. The Rams, too, are dynamic, possibly capable truthful to contented a existent challenge, but they’ll request amended consistency successful their offense, led by sophomore QB Myles Jackson, against a Jackrabbits defence led by Donovan “Poe” Yandall, who has 4 sacks and 10 tackles for loss.

Millikan’s squad comes connected to the tract earlier a nonleague shot crippled betwixt Millikan High and La Mirada High astatine Millikan High successful Long Beach CA connected September 10, 2021.(Photo by Michael Goulding)

Lakewood (1-3) astatine Jordan (2-3), 7 p.m.

This 1 could find the Moore League’s 3rd guaranteed playoff berth, though Compton is successful that discussion, too. Lakewood got its archetypal triumph past week, dominating Cabrillo, 67-0. Jordan, with its champion squad successful respective years, looks to rebound aft successive losses, including past week’s 42-0 shutout by Millikan.

Lancers manager Justin Utupo calls this “a playoff game.”

Lakewood tin tally the shot (behind Zane Smith, Auggie Lyons and QB Brayden Downen) and has a accelerated defence led by LBs Travis Perryman and Rocky Tautai. Jordan has a big-time playmaker successful Damian Henderson — “a peculiar player,” Utupo says — but defenses are keying connected him, and Panthers manager Tim Wedlow wants to thin much connected Jeremy McGurn and Elijah Jones.

Cabrillo (1-4) astatine Wilson (0-4), 7 p.m.

First-year Jaguars manager Shane Gonzales has what Scott Meyer, successful his archetypal play arsenic Wilson’s coach, astir wants: a victory. Both teams are exceedingly young, successful rebuilding mode, but seasoned QB Zander McLaurin’s speedy betterment from limb injuries suffered 2 weeks agone is simply a boon for the Bruins. Cabrillo needs to amusement a batch much than it did past week successful a 67-0 nonaccomplishment to Lakewood.

Wilson backmost Alexander McLaurinin scrambles arsenic helium looks for a receiver Long Beach connected Friday, Sep. 17, 2021. (Photo by Scott Varley, Contributing Photographer)

Nonleague

St. Anthony (2-3) vs. Marina (1-4) astatine Westminster HS, 7 p.m.

Marina manager Jeff Turley was Raul Lara’s antiaircraft coordinator for 13 years astatine Poly, truthful see this 1 a household reunion. The Saints person shown large betterment astir each week — the Millikan nonaccomplishment successful their 3rd crippled is the objection — and are coming disconnected successive victories implicit Wilson and St. Pius X-St. Matthias, the second fueled by Sone Aupiu’s 400-yard game, 356 of those connected the ground.

Turley guided the Vikings to the CIF Southern Section Division 11 rubric 2 years agone and won the Big 4 League title successful a 5-1 outpouring campaign, but those were peculiar teams, acold beyond this one, which has conceded 43, 44 and 45 points successful 3 of its defeats. They’re bigger than St. Anthony, which concerns Lara, arsenic does familiarity. “Turley knows what I similar to run,” helium said, “and I cognize what Turley likes to run.”

Norwalk (4-1) astatine El Rancho (5-0), 7 p.m.

The rolling Lancers look their biggest trial yet against an El Rancho squad that averages 42 points per crippled and has unopen retired 4 foes portion amassing much than 1,800 yards, 1,005 via the limb of Elijah Mitchell. Norwalk relies connected a double-wing onslaught down David Herrera (756 yards, 13 TDs) and Jonathan Goodloe (733, 7 TDs), some astatine good much than 10 yards per carry.

Paramount (0-3) astatine Venice (1-1), 7 p.m.

The Pirates haven’t played successful 2 weeks arsenic their bye followed a COVID-19 cancellation. Venice is successful a akin situation. That makes this a bully warm-up for the Pirates, who commencement San Gabriel Valley League play adjacent week. They could usage immoderate occurrence aft being outscored, 148-14, successful losses to 2 bonzer programs (Corona del Mar and Los Alamitos) and 1 precise bully squad (Mira Costa). Those numbers obscure immoderate decent enactment defensively, and Paramount has seen bully enactment from 3 seniors — LB/FB Carlos Rodriguez, OL/DL Roger Holmes and Elijah Porras, who has stepped successful astatine QB.