Millikan closes in on playoff berth
Millikan used a potent offense and tough defense to rout Compton 50-20 in a Moore League game Friday night to keep its playoff hopes alive.
The Rams (3-6, 3-2) were again led by their standout junior quarterback, Myles Jackson, who had a dominant performance with six touchdown throws and 416 yards passing. He completed 21 of 29 attempts and had one interception. Jackson also ran for 56 yards on six carries.
“I felt like we were very efficient,” Jackson said. “It's something our offense prides itself on. It's something our offensive coordinator preaches. If we see it, we take it. We have really smart receivers; that's really helpful. They know how to read the defense.”
Jackson spread the ball around all night to those smart receivers but mostly connected with junior Ryan Pellum, who had 218 yards on eight catches and scored three touchdowns, including one that went for 79 yards.
Junior wide receiver Jordan Anderson and senior wide receiver Angelo Miranda also had touchdown receptions for the Rams.
Senior running back Jaden Hunt had a strong performance with 51 yards rushing and 62 yards receiving on four catches. Senior Ryan Chester Jr. added a 78-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter.
This was a big loss for Compton (4-4, 2-2) which, like the Rams, is trying to earn a guaranteed spot in the CIF Southern Section playoffs.
WILSON 32, JORDAN 29 ❯❯ Junior quarterback Ian Bond and junior running back Christian Chapman shared the spotlight while accounting for nearly 300 yards of total offense in the crucial Moore League victory for the Bruins.
With its backs against the wall in the Moore League, Wilson needed to win the game to stay alive in the race for a guaranteed berth in the CIFSS playoffs.
“We told our guys this is a playoff game for us,” Wilson coach Scott Meyer said before kickoff. “We win, we're still pretty much alive.”
Wilson (3-5, 3-2) will have a chance to lock up a playoff spot in next week's game against Lakewood (3-5, 2-2).
Bond and Chapman connected for Wilson's first points of the night with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Bond and a 2-point conversion that put the Bruins up 8-0 in the first quarter.
Bond threw for more than 125 yards in the first half alone and finished with two touchdown passes.
Chapman ran for 156 yards and scored three total touchdowns, two on the ground and one in the air, but he also had two fumbles.
ST. JOHN BOSCO 31, JSERRA 0 ❯❯ Jshawn Frausto-Rames intercepted two passes, returning one for a touchdown, and St. John Bosco had five tackles for loss and held the Lions to 103 yards of total offense in a Trinity League home victory.
JSerra opened the game by blitzing wide from both sides, which was enough to slow down quarterback Pierre Clarkson and the Braves for a series. But after an exchange of punts, the Braves started attacking the holes in the middle created by JSerra's blitzes, and the Lions could not counter.
“They ran some things from the perimeter and we were able to get inside,” Bosco coach John Negro said. “They aren't real big in terms of the linebacker position and we were able to get a real good push on them.”
Clarkson put the Braves on his back for a few minutes in the first quarter, completing 4 of 8 passes for 32 yards to set up Marcus Lee's 33-yard field goal to open the scoring. Bosco's defense accounted for the next two scores.
Frausto-Ramos stepped in front of Zander Singh's pass in the right flat for an interception and a 22-yard return for a touchdown with 14 seconds left in the first quarter. Two plays later, Matavo Uiaglelei recovered Singh's fumble at the JSerra 12-yard line. After an 8-yard run by Cameron Jones, Clarkson found Tommy Maher for a 4-yard touchdown and a 17-0 lead.