VARSITY - JV AWARDS BANQUET

The 2008 WHS Football Awards banquet to be held on 12/9/08 at The Grand.

Contact Rhonda Cudeback (Dubin's mom) for further information.

NEWS AND NOTES FOR VARSITY PLAYERS AND FAMILIES

This is the section where important information will be shared with you by the Varsity Coordinator, or the coaching staff. Check this page often for the latest news and info on the 2008 Varsity Bruins.

STONE ROLLS OVER WILSON
- recap written by J.J. Fiddler, LBPostSports.com

In the stands, Homecoming is a chance for alumni to return and reminisce about the days of yore. On the field Friday at Lakewood High School, it was a chance for the Lancers to return to the level of dominance that marked their first four games. Running back Jerry Stone is in the backfield again, so instead of reminiscing, Lakewood is ecstatic to look forward after a convincing 42-15 victory over the visiting Wilson Bruins.

Six weeks ago, Lakewood self-imposed forfeitures of its first four victories due to Stone's unknown ineligibility. The announcement came days after the junior rushed for 207 yards on 15 carries, and days before the Lancers took on the Poly Jackrabbits.

On the first play from scrimmage for Lakewood on Friday night, Stone made it look like it had been just days since he had strapped it up. He took a swing pass from quarterback Jesse Scroggins and went 50 yards down the sideline. Two plays later, it was 7-0 Lancers. Stone finished the night at the conclusion of the third quarter with 108 yards on 13 carries and two touchdowns.

"Its great to have him again, he's such a great back," said Scroggins, who went 10-for-20 for 142 yards and a touchdown. "He brings a work ethic to the field & we really trust him."

Lakewood looked like they did before the Poly game for most of the night, especially in the first half where they scored 28 points on 197 yards, while the defense held Wilson to 7 points on 49 yards. Who knew a running back could light a fire under such a talented squad?

"Its confidence. Jerry makes that difference," said Lakewood coach Thadd MacNeal. "He makes our offense exciting."

After a muffed punt attempt by the Lancers in the beginning of the second quarter, the Bruins got back in the game with a 3-yard bootleg run from quarterback Steven Barrett, making the score 14-7 Lakewood.

The seven-point difference was as close as the Bruins would get, however, when the ensuing kickoff was taken 90 yards back to the house by Kevin Anderson. After forcing a three-and-out, Lakewood's next drive was Stone-heavy, going 65 yards on eight plays, capped by a four-yard touchdown run from the prodigal son. The score made it 28-7 Lakewood, and effectively ended the game with how well the Lancer defense was playing.

For Wilson, the loss is extra heartbreaking since this is the second week in a row where a win would have guaranteed the Bruins a playoff birth. This, a Bruin team that won only one game a season ago.

For Lakewood, the future couldn't be brighter. Friday night was a celebration and reminder at the same time. A celebration of victory, and a reminder that when this team is running on all cylinders, they're heard to stop.

"On Tuesday, I had to stop practice," said MacNeal after the game while discussing his team's mindset now that Stone is in the backfield again. "They were playing their hearts out, and I said, let's keep this up. Let's keep playing & they were just having too much fun. We don't want to stop playing."

This new lease on the season is coming at a perfect time for Lakewood, who has a chance to shore up a nice playoff seed with a victory at Compton next week.

JORDAN TOPS WILSON IN WILD ONE
- recap written by Mike Guardabascio, LBPostSports.com

It rained from a cloudless sky Friday night at Wilson High School, and that wasn't even the strange part. There was a lot of emotion and excitement going into the game, as both teams were right on the bubble of a third-place finish, with a guaranteed playoff berth. After a crazy 48 minutes of football had concluded, the Jordan Panthers came away with yet another magical victory, and left the Bruins on the outside looking in.

The game started with a huge opening shot from Jordan, as Anthony Smith returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown - when Wilson got the ball back, they tried to establish their running game, and instead wound up going three-and-out. Then a blocked punt gave the Panthers the ball within striking distance of the end zone, and strike they did, giving the Panthers a 13-0 lead very quickly. Given that the Bruins' strategy was to run the ball, control the clock, and play disciplined defense, things were looking grim. They were down 19-6 with less than thirty seconds to go before half, when a double-reverse toss from Ezell Ruffin to Christian Rogers was good for a 53-yard touchdown, narrowing the score to 19-13 as both teams headed for the locker room.

The second half was just as wild, as Wilson scored the first two touchdowns, taking a 27-19 lead thanks to an 11-yard pass from Stephen Barrett to Cheyne Garcia, and a circus-worthy 22-yard touchdown run by Jemari Roberts on a fake field goal attempt. But Jordan battled back, shifting their offensive style dramatically. In the first half, they threw for 121 yards and only gained 13 yards on the ground - in the second, they didn't complete a single pass and instead chewed up 151 yards rushing. In the fourth quarter, it was Panthers QB John Timu running the option that enabled them to move the ball effectively against the stingy Bruins defense - Timu finished with 60 yards rushing and two touchdowns, including the one that pulled the score to 27-25.

Then Jordan got the ball back on their own forty with a little over four minutes to go. Princeton "Bobo" Fuiamono came up huge, with his first two carries of the night going for 21 carries each. With Timu and Bobo getting their offense juiced, The Panthers put together an all-run clinic, moving to within striking distance, and going in for the go-ahead touchdown with just 19 seconds left, thanks to Tevita Palu's leaping dive into the end zone. After the kickoff went out of bounds and Barrett completed a ten yard pass to Ezell Ruffin at midfield, who fell out of bounds, it looked like the Bruins might have a shot at getting the ball downfield, but Barrett was sacked and the Bruins had no time outs, and no time left.

It's easy to find positives for Wilson to focus on - they played their most complete offensive game of the season, with 201 yards rushing (including 122 on 23 carries from back Brandon Robertson). Barrett threw for just 33 yards, but only turned the ball over once, and had a crucial touchdown - he also had 39 yards on the ground, with a crucial fake punt and a few key scrambles. Roberts only saw the ball once through the air, but Wilson got him five touches on the ground, including the touchdown run. Their defense played well for most of the game, especially against a playmaker like Timu. "Our biggest challenge on the night was to try and contain John Timu," Wilson coach Mario Morales said after the game. "We were effective for three quarters, but we couldn't adjust to the option in time at the end." Ultimately, they played tough in a very competitive game, and came up one or two plays short.

The Jordan Panthers found themselves in that situation plenty of times in 2007 - not so this season. The Panthers are that team with the magic this season, and tonight's victory was just one more example of it. Timu is developing into one of the league' most dynamic players, with 121 yards through the air in the first half, and 54 yards on the ground in the second - altogether he accounted for three touchdowns, a few crucial tackles on defense, and a ton of outside-the-pocket plays that kept drives going on third and fourth down. They also had what every team on the rise needs - playmakers developing when they needed them, with Bobo's four carries for 49 yards in the second half a necessary boost. "John T. and Bobo broke the game open," said Panthers coach Scott Meyer. "Our team has a lot of character, and they showed it with the way they fought tonight."

The loss means the Bruins have to beat Lakewood next week to continue their hopes of qualifying for postseason play; Jordan still has to play Cabrillo and Poly, but their players stated what this win means for them as succinctly as possible when they broke their postgame huddle, shouting, "Playoffs!"

WILSON STALLED BY POLY WALL
- recap written by Mike Guardabascio, LBPostSports.com

Friday night at Vet's Stadium, Long Beach's two oldest high schools showed us something new. The Wilson Bruins proved that their offense can move the ball through the air, and the Poly Jackrabbits - well, they proved the same, in a 34-7 victory. The Bruins are now 4-4 (2-2 in league), and the 'Rabbits stay undefeated at 7-0 (and 3-0 in league).

Poly didn't actually throw the ball many more times than usual, they were just much more effective when they did. 'Rabbits QB Morgan Fennell was 7/12 for 101 yards and two touchdowns on the night, and he finally found a go-to man downfield, as senior Jordan Johnson pulled in four catches for 70 yards, including both of Fennell's touchdowns. As usual, though, Poly ran it, and ran it well, as Melvin Richardson and Daveon Barner combined for 193 yards, and 12 yards a carry, part of a 262 yard team rushing effort. For a while, the duo was trading off the "leading rusher of the night" title with every carry (Barner finished with 106 to Richardson's 87). "That's what we do," Poly coach Raul Lara said. "We're a running team. The passing game is coming along, but with our running backs I'll be happy if we put ten balls in the air."

For the first moments of the game, Poly struggled to move the ball against a stacked Wilson defensive front, as the Bruins forced a three-and-out on the game's first drive. But when Wilson got the ball back they didn't take care of it, and Stephen Barrett's second pass attempt of the night was picked off by Poly corner Darius Williams-Fox. The pick was bad news for the Bruins - the worse news? When Williams-Fox landed with the ball, he says, "All I could see was daylight." 78 yards of daylight later, Poly was up 7-0. Williams-Fox played well on defense throughout the night, and had a five-cutback punt return for a touchdown called back because of holding.

After those opening salvos, Poly took over on the ground, on defense, and through the air as kicker David Skara kicked every ball out of the end zone, forcing Wilson to start on their own 20, and more importantly, keeping the ball out of Jemari Roberts' hands. For the next 9 drives, and 14 minutes of game time, the ball didn't enter Poly's half of the field.

Then, down 20-0 halfway through the second quarter, the Bruins found a crack in the Poly Wall, with a dump pass to Ezell Ruffin that went for 59 yards, eventually leading to a 6-yard touchdown pass from Barrett to Cheyne Garcia, an emotional player who gets his team fired up on both sides of the ball. Ruffin had a good night, with four catches for 77 yards, and another 13 yards on the ground. He's a recent addition to the offense, and Wilson hopes to get him involved more, especially since his downfield ability is going to create more opportunities for Roberts (who had five catches for 67 yards on the night). "We're slowly bringing him along," Wilson coach Morales said. "He's being patient, but I know he wants to do everything."

Despite the loss, there were still positives for the Bruins - their defense allowed only four touchdowns, which, considering the Jackrabbits played arguably their most complete game of the season, isn't bad at all. The offense limited their turnovers to two - an improvement over some Wilson performances this year - and in addition to the touchdown drive, had two lengthy drives in the second half. The first was an 11-play drive that took up 4 minutes before stalling at the Poly 23, and the second was a 16-play, 6 minutes-plus drive that went 74 yards down to the Poly 6 before they failed to convert the fourth-and-goal. Both drives were against Poly's starters, and an on-the-bubble team like Wilson has to be pleased with their ability to move the ball against the Moore League's stingiest defense, if not as pleased as the Jackrabbits are to have kept them out of the end zone.

Coach Morales wants to see more, of course, saying, "We need to execute better inside the ten yard line." They'll need to if they want to beat the Jordan Panthers next week, and Poly will need to keep filling out that well-rounded offense if they want to play to their potential through December. They both have a short week to get their game plans together (everybody plays on Thursday next week), but they'll adapt. After all, they've been at it since the 1920s

BRUINS BUCK JAGUARS
- recap written by Mike Guardabascio, LBPostSports.com

The Friday night matchup between the Wilson Bruins and the Cabrillo Jaguars was a weird intersection of parallel paths. Last season, the Bruins were where the Jaguars are now: a talented, young team that was struggling to find a way to win. After a 41-18 loss to Wilson, Cabrillo is now 0-7 on the season. Wilson has rebounded from 2007 to their current 4-3 standing, with a 2-1 record in league that has put them in position to make a playoff run over the next three weeks. They got a big confidence boost tonight, putting on an impressive offensive display against a feisty Cabrillo defense.

The story for Wilson begins, but doesn't end, with Jemari Roberts. Their senior standout wide receiver, who's headed to Stanford next year, hasn't seen the ball as much as he, his coaches, or the Bruins fans would have liked this year, in large part because he was their biggest downfield threat, and teams were keying on him. Tonight the Bruins welcomed Ezell Ruffin, Roberts' foil on the other side, back into the offensive fray after an ineligibility issue. With a second big, fast receiver to worry about, Cabrillo couldn't just spy on Roberts all game. As a result, Jemari had three catches for 124 yards, and two touchdowns, including a 66-yard score that was classic #84, breaking tackles and making people miss, then winning a horse race down the middle of the field.

But Roberts wasn't the only producer in an offense that put up 362 yards. Wilson's primary running back, Brandon Robertson, had 19 rushes for 80 yards and two TDs. That's well below his season average, but as Wilson coach Mario Morales pointed out afterward, Robertson usually gets 30-35 carries a game. "I think he wasn't warmed up yet," Morales joked. Wilson QB Stephen Barrett also had one of his best games of the year, going 5/11 for 165 yards and two TDs, though he did have three interceptions as well.

For Cabrillo, it's hard to find a saving grace statistically - they had less than a hundred yards through the air and no back with more than 52 yards on the ground. But the Jaguars are a young team, almost to a fault, and their young players continue to impress, especially running back Tyrrone Swinton, a shifty junior who can break tackles. Swinton had a 39-yard run, a touchdown, and a 75-yard kickoff return for a TD to boot. Among Cabrillo's small class of seniors, Roman Lewis stood out, with five catches for 47 yards, including a masterful 12-yard end zone grab, a ball he pulled out of the air as he was falling backwards.

First-year Cabrillo coach A.J. Luke was proud of the way his team has battled through adversity this season, telling me, "Everybody can be happy when times are good, that's easy. They're working through this." They certainly areI was greatly impressed with the way the Jaguars continued to scrap in the second half, despite going into it down 34-12. They do a good job of picking each other up on the sideline, which is the kind of positive attitude that coach Morales and his Bruins used to motivate each other to erase memories of 2007.

Both coaches will need to stay positive for their next games, when they take on Poly - Wilson will visit Vet's next Friday, and Cabrillo the following week after their bye. Coach Luke, prior to taking over at Cabrillo this year, was a defensive coach at Poly for over a decade, and he's hoping his knowledge of the Poly system will aid him going into the game. Coach Morales, when I asked him about his strategy, smiled and said, "We're just going to enjoy this one for tonight. We'll start worrying about them tomorrow."

COMPTON GRINDS IT OUT AGAINST WILSON
- recap written by Mike Guardabascio, LBPostSports.com

A win is a win and a loss is a loss - some losses, though, hurt less than others. Consider this: at halftime of the Compton/Wilson game on Friday, the score was 15-15. This despite the fact that Compton is the highest-scoring offense in the Moore League, and despite the fact that Wilson turned the ball over on each of its first three possessions, including a fumble tossed errantly into the backfield, which Compton scooped up and ran back for the touchdown. Although down 15-0, Wilson battled back, scoring on two drives that couldn't have been more dissimilar; the first was a 17 play, 61-yard drive that ate up a lot of clock (6:14 to be exact), an important statistic in a game that pitted two teams with strong running games against each other. The second was a 60-yard touchdown scored by running back Brandon Robertson, which took about six minutes less.

Despite the miscues, Wilson battled back in, running the ball effectively (Robertson had 20 carries for 145 yards in the first half) and coming up huge on defense. "They did a great job of bending without really ever breaking," Wilson coach Mario Morales said of his defensive unit, which only allowed one touchdown from Compton's 150 yards of offense. The story for both teams was pretty much the same, though: a possession-based run strategy, hampered by mistakes. For Wilson, it was the turnovers. For Compton, it was penalties, a number of which came from false starts on the night, they had 18 flags thrown on them, for 125 yards. Stephen Barrett, starting QB for Wilson, and Jerry Maluia, Compton's QB, were a combined 0/6 at halftime.

But while the possession, and the score, were about even at halftime (Compton only held the ball a minute longer than Wilson in the opening two quarters), things began to shift after that. Compton had the ball twice as long as Wilson in the third and fourth quarters, and scored twice as many points. The first TD came on a 93-yard kickoff return for a TD by Bryant Hayes, off the opening kick, making the game 22-15 Compton. Then Wilson put together an impressive 9-play drive (which included a converted fake punt) to go 63 yards for the score, capped by an 11-yard touchdown pass to Cheyne Garcia, one of Barrett's three completions on the night.

From that point, Compton proved why they were undefeated coming into the contest, churning up the running game (which was undergoing on-field adjustments as starters Curry Williams and James McConico were both sidelined). "It's hard without them," Compton coach Calvin Bryant said, "But my guys can run. All my backs run track." Temporary starters Gerald Dill and Byron Walker certainly can, and they got plenty of practice against Wilson, combining for over 250 yards and a per-carry average of 7.6.

With the run in full force, Compton chewed up a ton of clock, scoring on a 6:21 drive; they missed the extra point, but added on a safety in the fourth after a bad snap went over Barrett's head. Wilson got the ball back late in the fourth, down 30-22, knowing they were just one big play away from stunning Compton. And they almost got it - senior receiver Christian Rogers caught a short pass from Barrett, and took it 53 yards. It looked like he was going to get the touchdown, but Compton's USC-bound DB Chris Metcalf chased him down to save the game.

Wilson started 1st and goal at the ten, but couldn't put it in, the last-ditch effort being a negative-yardage end-around to star receiver Jemari Roberts, for only his second touch of the night (the first on another run play). Then Compton took over on downs, and ran the clock out, securing a 30-22 victory to improve to 5-0, and 2-0 in league. Wilson falls to 3-3, with a 1-1 split in league. Compton will have to make do for now with their backup running backs, but they'll need to get their defense up to Moore League speed if they want to take the number two spot behind Poly. For Wilson, it's the same challenge they've faced all season long: How to get Jemari enough touches to let him change a game for the better, while still staying committed to a punishing running game that keeps their tough, underrated defense off the field.

WILSON WILLS THEMSELVES TO VICTORY OVER MILLIKAN, 16-13
- recap written by Ryan ZumMallen, LBPostSports.com

Early in the fourth quarter, Wilson wide receiver Jemari Roberts made an incredible leaping catch over a Millikan safety and glided into the end zone for a 40-yard touchdown reception that put the Bruins up for good on their way to a 16-13 victory Friday night. It was the kind of play that no one else in the Moore League could have made, but the Bruins' victory was ultimately the result of an inspired team effort from every player in maroon & gold.

Quarterback Stephen Barrett completed 16 of 32 passes for 235 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Brandon Robertson handled the load on the ground, amassing 153 yards on 32 rushes and moving the chains when the Bruins (3-2, 1-0) needed it most. The Stanford-bound Roberts caught just 2 passes, but made them count for 61 yards and the deciding score to ruin the Millikan (2-3, 0-1) home league opener and homecoming.

It was an emotional victory for a Wilson team that won just one game last season and had not won a Moore League game since 2006.

"I'm really proud of how hard they played," Wilson head coach Mario Morales said of his squad. "Both sides of the ball lived up to the challenge, but especially the defense."

That defense limited an explosive Ram attack and forced four turnovers, including linebacker Blake Cooper's game-ending interception late in the fourth quarter. It was Millikan quarterback Jake Holtz's second interception of the game, despite throwing for 207 yards and a touchdown on 16 of 32 attempts. Holtz connected with just three receivers for those 16 completions - proving detrimental for an offense that relies on its versatility.

The three receivers were Millikan's usual suspects and biggest playmakers: Jonathan Sanders, Alden Darby and Silver Vaifanua. Returning from injuries after two weeks on the sidelines, Vaifanua had the best night, catching 6 balls for 104 yards and rushing for 111 yards on just eight attempts. The electric junior scored on a 54-yard run and a 45-yard reception to account for Millikan's scores.

But it wasn't enough for the Rams, as Wilson put together long, time-consuming drives that resulted in two touchdown passes and a field goal to take the win. Roberts draws plenty of attention from every defense he faces, but Wilson may have caught Millikan off guard by relying on running back Robertson (he carried nine times in the game's opening drive, alone). A methodical between-the-tackles routine wore down the Ram defense and allowed Robertson to bounce outside and open the throttle for late runs of 39 and 25.

"It was an amazing performance," said coach Morales. "He's just a special kid. We're so happy he was able to play well tonight."

Both running backs put on quite a show, but while Robertson was excited after the win - "I think we can go to the playoffs this year," he said - Vaifanua was forced to wonder where his team will go from here.

"It's a tough loss," he said. "We've gotta work harder in practice. Coach keeps telling us that and it showed tonight. We should be able to turn it around if everyone works hard in practice."

GRIFFINS PUNCH OUT BRUINS' LIGHTS
- recap written by J.J. Fiddler, LBPostSports.com

The Wilson Bruins had their share of chances on Friday night against the Los Alamitos Griffins. In fact, the beginning of the fourth quarter was chalk full of opportunities for the Bruins to claw their way back after falling behind 21-0. But it wasn't meant to be, and Wilson (2-2) ended up dropping its home opener to Los Al (3-0), 28-14.

The Griffins run-and-shoot offense took a few possessions to get its motor humming, but once quarterback Clark Evans started finding receiver Darryl Jenkins, the Los Al attack was moving like a high performance sports car.

"Coming in we thought we would work the outside," said Clark, who finished the night 16-for-30, 247 yards and four touchdowns, two passing and two rushing. "But once they moved the safties they tried to cover Darryl and [receiver Paul Richardson] and you can't cover two great receivers."

Los Al made the adjustment and attacked the middle of the field between Wilson's safties, and once they had the Bruin defense on their heels, the screen game opened up. Clark zeroed in on Jenkins and 11 catches, 198 yards and two touchdowns later it was 21-0 Griffins at halftime.

After Los Al missed a 32-yard field goal attempt early in the third quarter, Wilson leaned on its offensive line and running back Brandon Robertson. With two fourth-down conversions and a big pass from Stephen Barrett to Robert Bebek, the Bruins capped a 13-play, 80-yard drive with a 15-yard screen pass for a touchdown from Barrett to Christian Rogers, making it 21-7. The seven-minute drive seemed to wake the home team up again, and the defense forced Los Al into a three-and-out.

On the ensuing punt, Ronnie Yat got some great blocks and brought it all the way back to the Los Al 20-yard line. But one of those blocks was deemed illegal, and the return was all for not. That Wilson drive also ended quickly, but a fake punt caught Los Al off guard when Barrett took the snap and sprinted around the corner. It looked like he picked up the first down when he was shoved out of bounds and into the chain gang, but the ball was placed inches from the marker, and Los Al took over on downs.

Wilson again forced Los Al into a three-and-out and drove the ball all the way down to Griffin 30-yard line. But on third down, Barrett tried to hit Bebek on an out pattern, and the ball was intercepted by Robert Watson. The Wilson sideline screamed for a pass interference call, but they were not awarded one, and Los Al scored when Clark walked in from 2-yards out to effectively end the game.

"Our kids played real hard tonight," said Wilson coach Mario Morales. "That flag on the punt return really hurt, but that's not taking anything away from [Los Al]. We need to be more consistent."

ON THE RIGHT TRACK: WILSON GETS SECOND WIN
- recap written by Mike Guardabascio, LBPostSports.com

You might think I'm being glib if I point out that Wilson's victory over Ganesha Friday night doubles their win total from last season, at a grand total of two-I assure you, I'm not. We talked with Coach Morales about the cloud of that 2007 1-9 season, and what a motivating factor it's been for this year's squad. After their first victory put them at 1-0, the returning players from last season refused to let their team get too excited-after they lost at Pacifica last week, Morales said keeping his kids' heads up during practice would be a major focus. Well, it looks like he succeeded, as the Wilson Bruins got it done against the Ganesha Giants by a score of 27-0.

Wilson's biggest player, Jemari Roberts, scored two touchdowns with over fifty yards of total offense, but it was their defense that rose above the Giants. The Bruins held Ganesha scoreless, and recorded six turnovers, three from fumbles and three from interceptions. They also got a scoop-n-score touchdown from one of those recoveries, and had one of the picks taken to the house, too.

Steven Barrett, the Wilson QB who struggled mightily at last week's game, settled down and had a solid day, completing over fifty percent of his passes. But even with all of the positives, Coach Morales wants to make sure his team keeps climbing. "We need to improve our consistency, on both sides of the ball," he said. "We need to tackle better-but it's mostly things like that, things that are correctable. So I think we're going to continue to get better." With a 2-1 record, the Bruins can officially close the book on last season-how much they can improve over the next few weeks (they have a tough home opener against Los Al on Friday before starting their Moore League schedule) will determine what kind of a team the 2008 Bruins will be remembered as.

WILSON SUNK BY THE MARINERS
- recap written by Mike Guardabascio, LBPostSports.com

The Bruins might have had that familiar sinking feeling Friday night, after a disappointing 23-7 loss to the Pacifica Mariners at Bolsa Grande High School. Wilson's 2007 and 2008 seasons opened with wins over Crenshaw, and both followed immediately by a loss to Pacifica. Last season, the loss was followed by seven more. That game was so close to being a victory the Bruins could taste it - Jemari Roberts scored the go-ahead TD on a kickoff return, only to watch his defense allow a long scoring drive, and a game-winning 2-point conversion.

This year, the Bruins struggled to get the ball into Roberts' hands at all, getting their best player only four touches all game. There were two problems: the first, a surprisingly strong performance from Pacifica kicker/tight end/linebacker Seth Trader, whose strong boot kept Roberts safely in touchback territory (Trader also had two catches for two touchdowns). The one time he did get his hands on a kickoff, late in the game, Roberts took it back 51 yards to midfield - more yards than Wilson's offense totaled during the entire second half.

The other problem was Bruin quarterback Stephen Barrett's struggles under center. Barrett started out strong, but went 1/15 in the second half, with an interception. It didn't help matters that he also shanked two crucial punts, sailing them out of bounds after traveling just 16 and 15 yards; he finished 10/29 for 137 yards with a touchdown and the pick. Barrett, and the rest of the offense, really only gelled on one drive, a one-minute, 5 play, 80-yard scoring effort at the tail end of the first half. The touchdown was a circus catch by - you guessed it - Roberts in the corner of the end zone. Wilson Coach Mario Morales didn't seem too worried about Barrett after the game, attributing his quarterback's struggles to his youth. "It's only his second game playing quarterback at the varsity level - he's going to struggle, but he's going to get better."

The Bruins' struggles weren't contained to the offensive side of the ball, though. Their defense struggled to overtake the much smaller Mariners, who rushed for 249 yards, 124 of those coming from senior Josh Brannon, a slippery back who broke two tackles on nearly every rush. "They played a better game up front than we did," Morales said afterward. "We thought we'd be able to get some pressure inside and we just couldn't. We've got to do a better job up front on both sides of the ball."

Wilson, sparked by a defensive stand or a play by Roberts, often grasped at momentum, but never took hold of it. They went three and out - then when a Mariner muffed the punt, they recovered, only to promptly go three and out again. After the Roberts return, they went three and out. Their most sustained drive of the game, down by only 7 at the time, stalled out (on the fifteenth play) after they failed to convert on fourth down. The Bruins will have to tool around in practice this week and try to get their offense back on track; perhaps keeping Barrett in the no-huddle two-minute offense he ran effectively at the end of the first half is the answer. One way or another, they'll need to get the ball into Roberts' hands more often.

Morales said the other focus of practice will be to make sure his team doesn't start to feel the 2007 blues. Right now they're 1-1 after two games on the road; how they fare next week against Ganesha (on the road again) may determine whether it's a brand new day for the Bruins, or just a little bit of history repeating...

SO FAR, SO GOOD: WILSON BEATS INGLEWOOD IN OPENER
- recap written by Mike Guardabascio, LBPostSports.com

The Redeem Team is off and running, as the Wilson Bruins have defeated the Inglewood Sentinals by a score of 28-6. The victory is an important first step for the Bruins, who were just 1-9 last season. Inglewood, however, was the "one" in one and nine, which is probably why Wilson Coach Mario Morales says he and his team are "cautiously excited and optimistic" after the victory.

He told me that one of the team captains, Joel Bitonio , refused to let his team think too far ahead, reminding them that this is exactly where they were a year ago"This doesn't mean anything," he said. Morales praised Bitonio's leadership, saying, "It's nice to hear that from a player and not a coach." Bitonio , a defensive lineman who was part of last year's squad, is one of several returners from that team that Morales says have motivated the Bruins to play to their potential this season.

Of course, it doesn't hurt to have Jemari Roberts , maybe the Moore League's single greatest offensive player this year. Roberts scored a touchdown early in the game, a sight that's sure to repeat itself over the course of the year. Aside from Roberts, Morales gave credit to his defense for playing a great game, holding the Sentinels to just six points at home. In particular he named Vergee Whitaker , the all-important nose tackle in Wilson's 3-5 scheme. Whitaker came up with 13 tackles and a pair of sacks to boot. Middle linkebacker Zach Dubin also played well, recording four sacks, part of a defensive unit that barely saw Inglewood gain positive yardage.

USC coach Pete Carroll and UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel were on hand, chatting each other up on the sidelines while they scoped out Roberts (who's committed to Stanford) and the other talent. It was the Bruins' defense that most impressed however, though it doesn't sport many big name recruits. If they can continue to create turnovers and get to the quarterback, they could be that much closer to exorcising the demons of 2007. Another victory over Inglewood won't do that but it does set the table nicely.

Wilson stays on the road for another two weeks, with tough games against Pacifica and Ganesha, before coming home to face Los Al.