Coming into their respective Moore League openers, Compton and Cabrillo had been known for two very different styles of football.  Friday night, in a 68-20 Compton victory, both teams continued down the paths they’ve been traveling all season, as Compton had another 400-yard plus game, and Cabrillo lost big yet again.

Curry Williams, the Compton Tarbabes’ starting running back, posted 77 yards on 5 carries, and a touchdown.  But the story of the night was junior James McConico, a mid-sized slippery speedster who reminds a lot of fans of Curry Williams last season, when he was backing up Donald Green.  Against Cabrillo, McConico ran for 188 yards and three touchdowns…on five carries!  The ridiculous average of 37 yards a carry pulls his season average up to nearly 30 yards every time he touches the ball.  Did I mention that McConico is a junior?

If there’s a downside to Compton’s dazzling performances thus far, it’s that they haven’t done it against the kind of quality competition that teams like Poly and Cabrillo schedule for their nonleague matches.  Through the first four games of the year, Compton’s opponents (all of whom have been pretty soundly defeated by the Tarbabes) are just a combined 1-16.  That’s not the kind of competition they’ll face in defenses like Jordan and Poly. 

For Cabrillo, it was another rough night, although they can take a small measure of solace in the fact that they hung tough for the opening period, as the score was tied 6-6 at the end of the first quarter.  After that, Compton’s defense effectively shut down the Jaguars, notching seven sacks and two interceptions.  Cabrillo now falls to 0-5 on the season, while Compton rises to 4-0, tied with Poly at the top of the Moore League.  Next week the Tarbabes bring their potent running game to Wilson, where they’ll take on the Bruins (who beat Millikan in a tight contest tonight).  The Jaguars will continue their tough schedule as they face Lakewood on the road, going against a strong Lancers team that will be looking to get their confidence back up after a loss to Poly.