USC vs. UCLA Football: Battle for Local Bragging Rights
It’s that time of year again, time for USC vs. UCLA Football! It’s a time where the mascots are placed under security, school colors are proudly worn and family allegiances are proclaimed. Yes, it’s the annual clash between cross town rivals #19 USC and #9 UCLA.
Just 12 miles separate the two schools. In fact the UCLA campus is closer to the Los Angeles Coliseum than it is to the Rose Bowl. Over the years this game has delivered drama and this matchup should prove to be no exception. Of course the winner retains bragging rights and the Victory Bell for a year, but for homegrown players this game has an even deeper meaning.
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Southern California is a hotbed of young football talent, many of whom dream to one day wear either a Bruins or Trojans uniform. These players grow up to be recognized as some of the nations top prep athletes and when it comes time, quite often both USC and UCLA come knocking.
This weekend the rosters are filled with local athletes, several playing in their first rivalry game. Former foes now teammates, former teammates now foes. Watching closely on the sidelines will be local high school recruits whose loyalty may lie with either the Bruins or Trojans in the years to come.
Suiting up for this battle is a who’s who of former Southern California high school royalty. UCLA’s leading receiver Jordan Payton played ball at powerhouse Oaks Christian. While at Oaks, Payton was named offensive player of the year in 2009, 2010 and 2011. This season he leads the Bruins with 839 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. Fellow Oaks alum and teammate Ishmael Adams does damage on the field as well, leading the team in interceptions and is the main punt and kickoff returner.
Don’t forget about former Mater Dei Monarch, Thomas Duarte. The sophomore receiver is fifth on the team in all purpose yards. Duarte could be a key to jump starting the UCLA offense against the Trojans.
Wracking up tackles for the Bruins are defensive backs Tahaan Goodman and Jaleel Wadood. It wasn’t long ago they were doing the same thing at Rancho Cucamonga and St. John Bosco respectively. As a freshman, Wadood ranks fifth on the team with 50 overall tackles.
USC’s roster also boasts former athletes who once dazzled local fans under the Friday night lights. Junior quarterback Cody Kessler from Centennial (Bakersfield) will be aiming for former Gardena Serra receiver George Farmer and Long Beach Poly alum John “JuJu” Smith. The impressive freshman receiver has been targeted 42 times by Kessler and five of those passes have resulted in touchdowns.
Gardena Serra High School has provided USC with several top notch players over the years, including Marqise Lee, Robert Woods, Farmer and perhaps one of their most exciting alums, two way star Adoree’ Jackson. The true freshman was ranked one of the top players in the nation last year. When playing cornerback, Jackson has not allowed a touchdown this season and he ranks fourth on the team in all purpose yards. As a former state long jump champion, Jackson is quite the athlete.
Also responsible for denying UCLA offensive production is the Trojans leading tackler and former Crenshaw Cougar Hayes Pullard. The inside linebacker has accumulated 75 total tackles this season. Lending Pullard a hand will be junior cornerback and Muir High School alum Kevon Seymour along with Vista Murrieta alum Su’a Cravens. The sophomore safety is a big, fast, physical ball hawk who’s recorded a team best 14 tackles for a loss and five sacks. Cravens will look to wreak havoc on Bruins quarterback Brett Hundley.
There’s plenty on the line today in the battle between these rivals. The winner will continue on the path to securing the PAC-12 South and local alumni will play a crucial role in that task. That’s an exciting thought for hometown fans, because it wasn’t long ago that these Saturday heroes were once Friday night stars.