Millikan running back Jones just might be the X factor against Poly
Millikan junior running back Xavier Jones fits the bill as a potential X factor for several reasons heading into Friday's Moore League showdown against Poly.
First, his nickname is “X”.
Secondly, as a sophomore, Jones ran 181 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries against Millkan. No, that sentence is not a typo.
Last season, Jones was Poly's third-string running back. The 5-foot-7 speedster burst onto the scene with a 35-yard touchdown run and 130 yards rushing in the first half of Poly's 42-0 win at Millikan on Sept. 30, 2022. After his breakout game, he saw limited action due to injuries.
Jones transferred to Millikan during the offseason, and the third reason he could be a difference-maker is he's coming off his best game in his new uniform. He ran for 147 yards and four touchdowns on 19 carries in the Rams' 53-25 win at Jordan on Friday.
Millikan had only 45 yards of total offense against Poly in last season's loss but Jones, as well as new starting quarterback JP Mialovski and offensive threats like USC commit Ryan Pellum, Loyall Mouzon, Charlie Broughton, Jude Nelson, Kyle Parker and Gregory McClendon, could easily change that.
St. John Bosco rises in CalPreps rankings
St. John Bosco (4-1) is back to No. 2 in CalPreps'
Millikan's Xavier Jones runs with the ball past Jordan's Kalib Moran (5) during a Moore League game Friday at Jordan. Jones will next go against his former team, Poly.
CIF Southern Section rankings. The Braves, who had a bye last week, dropped to No. 4 in the rankings after their 30-23 loss at Kahuku on Sept. 16, but their overall strength of schedule and their opponents' winning percentage has put them behind No. 1 Mater Dei (50) heading into the Trinity League schedule.
Poly (4-1), which also had a bye last week, kept its No. 5 ranking.
Millikan (4-2) rose two spots to No. 27 this week after its win at Jordan. The Panthers (4-1) dropped five spots to No. 87, and the area's lone undefeated team, Dominguez (5-0), rose seven spots to No. 134. The Dons will kick off the Gateway
League season against No. 145 La Mirada (1-4) on Thursday.
No. 207 Bellflower (3-3) will play at No. 209 Gahr (3-2) on Friday in what could end up being the de facto Mid-Cities League title game. Bellflower and Gahr are defending cochampions, as their trichampion No. 259 Norwalk was promoted to the Gateway League. The Lancers swapped places with No. 229 Paramount (2-4). Norwalk (3-2) will host No. 44 Downey (4-1) on Friday.
The CalPreps rankings will be used at the end of the regular season to group teams into CIF Southern Section playoff divisions.
Bosco's passing far ahead of running game
In St. John Bosco's five nonleague games against out of state opponents, the team amassed 2,112 yards of total offense, averaging 422.4 yards per game. The team threw for 1,525 yards compared to running for 587 yards.
Senior quarterback Caleb Sanchez has completed 122 of 156 pass attempts for 1,338 yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound, three-star recruit has a 78% completion rate and is averaging 267 yards per game in his first season as the team's starting quarterback.
Bosco's receiving corps has been led by 5-foot-6 senior receiver Stacy Dobbins, who transferred from Chapparal, and 5-foot-10 senior receiver Tommy Maher. Dobbins has 30 receptions for 290 yards and one touchdown.
Maher has 25 receptions for 340 yards and two touchdowns.
Sophomore Madden Williams, a 6-foot-2 receiver, and 6-foot-2 sophomore receiver Daniel Odom have also stepped up in their first season receiving significant playing time. Williams has 25 receptions for 272 yards and two touchdowns. Odom has 19 receptions for 310 yards and four touchdowns.
The Braves' backfield features three senior running backs: Cameron Jones (UCLA commit), Chauncey Sylvester and Khalil Warren. They ran for a combined 1,950 yards last season. All are threestar recruits, according to 247 Sports.
Sylvester, a 5-foot-11, 205-pound shifty back, is the team's leading rusher with 246 yards and three touchdowns on 41 carries. Jones, a 6-foot-2, 235-pound power back with deceptive speed, has 180 yards rushing and four touchdowns on 37 carries. Warren, a 5-foot8, 243-pound power back with deceptive speed, has 116 yards rushing and one touchdown on 24 carries.
During Bosco's national championship season in 2022, the Braves finished with 2,532 passing yards and 2,688 rushing yards.
MARVIN WILLIAMS
School: Bellflower
Sport: Football
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: The 6-foot receiver/cornerback was responsible for all six of Bellflower's touchdowns in the team's 44-29 nonleague win against Whittier last week. Williams had 250 yards rushing and five touchdowns on 19 carries, plus a 25-yard touchdown pass and two receptions for 51 yards. Williams finished with 326 total yards. He has 979 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns (12 rushing, 3 receiving 1passing) in six games this season.
CHLOE PRAVEDNIKOV
School: Wilson
Sport: Volleyball
Year: Senior
Noteworthy: The 6-foot2outside hitter had 32 kills, 13 digs and five aces in Wilson's 3-1 win at home against rival Lakewood on Sept. 19. The win kept the Bruins as the top contender in the Moore League behind undefeated Long Beach Poly, which they will play on Oct. 10 to possibly decide the league title. Pravednikov is committed to Pepperdine.