Photo by Stephen Dachman
Two gutty, crosstown rivals battled under picture-perfect football weather in a game that many believed would decide third place in the Moore League this year, as Wilson outlasted Millikan at home in a physical contest that was closer than its 33-7 final score.
Sophomore quarterback Brett Harper and senior Ezell Ruffin each ran for two touchdowns, stepping in for injured tailback Brandon Robertson after a Millikan player stepped on his foot in the first quarter. Ruffin’s second score – a 46-yard off-tackle footrace down the sideline – put the game out of reach at 27-7 with 5:18 remaining. The larger Wilson offensive line proved too much for the Millikan defense as the game wore on.
“They were too strong up front for us,” said Millikan head coach Kirk Diego, who noted that he was surprised at the size of Wilson’s players. “But I’m proud of the kids. They hung in there, blocking kicks and making goal line stands.”
True, the game might have been much more lopsided if not for hustle plays from the limping Rams, who have lost several key defenders to injury this season (and may lose quarterback Paul Slater for a few weeks with a shoulder that was reinjured in the first quarter). Millikan has shuffled players in and out of their normal positions all season, but the best thing that can be said about the Rams – and, come to think of it, the Bruins as well – is that they are mostly made up of football players rather than position players. The gritty Rams were able to block both a field goal and an extra point, stopped Wilson from scoring on a 4th & Goal and immediately responded with a 91-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter.
“I respect Diego and Millikan football a lot,” said Wilson coach Mario Morales. “We know they’re always going to play hard, and tonight that’s exactly what they did. It was a physical game; you can tell by all the injuries.”
Senior receiver – and generally, all-around playmaker – Alden Darby stepped in at quarterback for the Rams, and threw for 94 yards and an interception on 11-18 attempts, while also running for 29 yards (including the Rams’ only score on that long second quarter drive). He accounted for 132 of Millikan’s 199 yards. Senior receiver Silver Vaifanua also caught ten balls for 73 yards.
But Wilson ultimately dominated, taking advantage of Millikan mistakes and proving too formidable down the stretch. Ruffin rushed for 141 yards and the aforementioned two touchdowns on just 17 carries in Robertson’s absence, while Harper found the large target of receiver Josh Bell five times for 110 yards. On defense, the Bruins were able to successfully contain Darby and limit Millikan’s hurry-up offense to their side of the field. Coach Morales singled out senior safety Phillip Wilson as a defensive catalyst.
“We started out well, went into a funk and then finished strong,” Morales said, praising his team’s ability to fight through a difficult period in the third quarter. “That’s part of the resiliency. We were just kind of shuffling guys. We were scrambling, but overall the kids stepped up when they had to.”
Wilson moves to 3-2 overall (1-0 in league) and will travel to Compton High next week, while Millikan falls to 4-2 overall (1-1 in league) and will host Jordan next week.