Compton quarterback Tremelle Snead led impressive drives but threw three interceptions and fumbled once against a swarming Wilson defense. Photos by Stephen Dachman

In a league that appears to become more top heavy with each passing week, the Wilson High Bruins furthered their case to remain in the upper echelon on the Moore League by staying undefeated with a 26-7 victory over Compton High on Friday night.

The Bruin defense forced five turnovers and quarterback Andrew Perez threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more, in a game that was not perfect for Wilson by any means but was certainly enough to top the Tarbabes.

“It was very up and down for us emotionally,” said Wilson head coach Mario Morales after the game. “I’m just so proud of our defense and we made plays when we needed to on offense.”

The Bruin defense contained Compton’s explosive Wing-T rushing attack, and pressured quarterback Tremelle Sneed when he dropped back and attempted to rally his team from a deficit. Wilson cornerback Marcus Rausch intercepted two passes at critical points in the game and Morales praised the pass rush of lineman Chris Gaumer.

Perez punched in a two-yard touchdown run to give Wilson a 13-0 lead in the second quarter, when it looked like the momentum shifted.

With less than a minute remaining in the half, Wilson called for a fake punt in their own territory. It was unsuccessful and Compton assumed great field position on the Wilson 40-yard line with 33 seconds to go. The Tarbabes had been unable to move the ball in the first half but took advantage of the situation and Sneed ran for a 9-yard score as time expired in the half. Instead of pitching a shutout, Wilson clung to a 13-7 lead at the break and Compton received an energy boost.

But it didn’t last.

In the third quarter, Sneed fumbled a snap and Wilson recovered in the red zone. Perez (pictured right) ran in his second score of the game from two yards out for a 20-7 lead. On the next Wilson drive, Perez hooked up with senior receiver Garion Manning for a 33-yard touchdown bomb to give Wilson a 26-7 advantage.

On the next Compton possession, Sneed rolled out and scrambled down the sideline for a huge gain. He likely would have scored on a 70-yard touchdown run, but a referee blew an inadvertent whistle and the play was called back around the 40-yard line. Compton coaches were visibly – and understandably – upset, as the drive resulted in no points when they later turned the ball over on downs.

Compton head coach Calvin Bryant was the first to admit that his team put themselves in that position, but still looked disappointed.

“Hats off to Wilson, they did a great job and they’re a good team,” he said. “I feel like we’re  a good team, too, we’ve just got to keep pushing and keeping our heads up.”

Compton will take a bye next week, before trying to get their first Moore League victory against Jordan on October 29.

Wilson, on the other hand, finds themselves atop the league standings with a 2-0 record after the victory. Many will expect them to improve to 3-0 next week with a game against a gritty Cabrillo team. But the Bruins will then run the gauntlet with Jordan, Lakewood and Poly to round out the schedule. Over the next few weeks we will see how Wilson stacks up against the league’s best. But for now, there’s no one better.

“Anytime you can go 2-0 in league to start off, the team’s feeling pretty good,” Morales said.