Written by Mike Guardabascio and J.J. Fiddler, Additional Reporting by Matt Guardabascio

Cabrillo Athletic Director Rick Lamprecht had a decision to make. His Jaguars had been regular contenders in the Suburban League in the program’s first few years, at the tail end of the 1990s. But their transition to the Moore League made it painfully obvious that Long Beach high school football is about more than just Xs and Os. Cabrillo, like Jordan and Compton, routinely loses area talent to Poly. Lamprecht needed a Long Beach guy. Enter A.J. Luke, Long Beach Poly graduate. “I coached there for twelve years,” Luke says. “That’s like my left arm over there.”

Six other Poly coaches joined Luke on his journey two miles west, from 1600 Atlantic to Cabrillo’s shiny new campus. “I had to step out of the house for a bit to try to make a way for some other kids. It’s good for Long Beach, because that shows you don’t just have to go to one school to be part of a good program.” But Luke isn’t going to try and reinvent the wheel—with the success of the Poly program, why would he? “We basically run the same system—our coaches are passionate about winning, and teaching these kids how to be young men. We still have our Poly attitude.”

That attitude means a tough schedule. Look at the preseason matchups for Poly and Cabrillo—both are playing powerhouses, and that’s no coincidence. “You never get better by playing weaker teams,” Luke says. Edison, Paramount, Bosco, and Tesoro are certainly anything but weak; all four are strong programs fielding impressive teams this year. By the time the Jaguars travel to Compton to open their Moore League schedule the first Friday of October, Coach Luke should have a pretty good idea of where his team stands—as should we. For now, Cabrillo is one of the bigger question marks in the Moore League this year; Luke’s goals are ambitious, but seem reachable given he and his staff’s pedigree. As for whether or not he can meet those goals this season, with a young team—Luke seems optimistic, but prefers to talk about other people’s expectations (or lack thereof) for his team.

“One site had us at 1-9, finishing last in the Moore League,” says Luke. “We take that personally.” With a team of ex-Poly coaches, quick young sophomores, and a strong defensive line, personal might get impressive in a hurry.

CABRILLO JAGUARS 2008 SCHEDULE – Games start at 7pm unless otherwise noted
Sept. 5 vs. Edison
Sept. 12 vs. Paramount
Sept. 19 at St. John Bosco, at 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 26 at Tesoro
Oct. 3 at Compton
Oct. 10 at Lakewood
Oct. 17 at Wilson
Oct. 31 vs. Poly
Nov. 7 vs. Jordan
Nov. 14 at Millikan