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WARRIOR EXCLUSIVE THE 2005 SCHEDULE - WEEK 1Posted 07-04-05 COMPTON TARBABES
SOUTH REBELS? - Tehachapi may be thinking that they'll be playing South-Bakersfield the first week of the year...but they're not. It will be the first ever meeting with the Compton - Los Angeles Tartars. When Mountain Football fans come to Coy Burnett Field the first week of the season, the indication might initially be that South-Bakersfield is in town if you catch a glance over at the uniform colors (turquoise and white) of the opponent. While the look may be eerily similar, the school and mascot are not, with Tehachapi scheduling their first-ever meeting with the Compton – Los Angeles Tarbabes. Compton did not have a memorable season last year in the Moore League, but then again…their claim-to-fame is not exactly football. That coupled with the fact that they have to overtake the likes of Long Beach Poly to claim a league title (the perennial team to beat every year in Southern California), you can pretty much write off the football season virtually every year. In 2004, the Tartars were a team that required the services of seven sophomores and a freshman at key positions…and we’re not just talking bodies on the bench, I mean real playing time. That being said though, they did lose many key starters to graduation last season, with some of the notable names including Andre Ennis, Jamal Taylor, and Aaron Bascomb on the defensive line, and Jared Franks in the offensive backfield. For Compton to be competitive in 2004, the underclassmen that saw significant playing time will need to step up their game and try to establish a foothold to a new season. With some key seniors gone, the Tartars hope to fill the gaps with returning QB Kenny Wells (#7) and the duo of Stanley Wesley (#11) and Donnie Bobo (#4) in the backfield. Assuming that there is a return to form, look for Junior Reginald Smith (#30) to get a lot of carries after solid performances last year against some of the stiffest competition Southern California has to offer.
Returning Runner - Compton's Reginald Smith (#30) is expected to be back for the Tartar's this fall at fullback. Smith will double-up at linebacker with fellow run-stoppers Devon Jackson (#34), Ryan Walker (#55), and Eddie Bledsoe (#3) to try and stop Tehachapi’s wing-t attack. Deon Johnson (#90) and Dominic Mayfield (#75) should also be two large customers to deal with in the scrum of the line-of-scrimmage. On the offensive line, Compton will suffer from the loss of their team captain Andre Ennis, but they do have four players coming up that have started throughout the course of 2004 in Mayfield, Luis Cerrentino (#79), Omar Muhammad (#54), and Fuifatu Laumea (#73), who was a freshman last year.
Compton D - The Tar Tar's 6'5" Deon Johnson should be a threat on the defensive line next season. Above, Johnson is seen in QB pursuit in last season's regular season loss to Lakewood. Tehachapi will attempt to win their first game of the year after falling short the last two seasons in losses to Burroughs 34-28 in 2003 and 47-13 in 2004.
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