WLAC Quarterback Too Elusive, Football Loses, 34-27

The Pasadena City College football team faced the state leader in passing in quarterback Jorge Reyna, who didn't disappoint his home fans as he passed for 387 yards and four touchdowns in rallying West Los Angeles College to a 34-27, American Metro League victory Saturday afternoon.

Reyna amassed 451 yards in total offense. In the air, he used an array of different passes, including several shovel throws to complete 42 of 63 attempts. On the ground, he carried 14 times and netted 64 yards and one touchdown despite being sacked four times. Reyna's biggest strength was his ability to use misdirection and keeping the Lancers defense guessing as to whether he would throw or run on virtually every play. 

The Wildcats (3-3, 1-1) offense totaled 511 yards in 96 plays overall, producing 31 first downs. 

The Lancers (3-3, 1-1) had many of their own big moments and led 17-7 in the second quarter. Running back James Shaw rushed for a team season-high 162 yards in 21 carries and scored on touchdown runs of 2 and 53 yards in the first half. The PCC rushing game finished with 207 yards overall.

The PCC return game, which accounted for two touchdowns last week, continued to impress with kick returns of 59 yards by defensive back Jshoun Wolfe and 58 yards by wide receiver Yusef Muhammad. Wolfe's return led to a Shaw TD run that gave PCC a 10-7 lead with 4:33 left in the first quarter. Muhammad's return led to a field goal by kicker/punter Enrique Lozano that made it 20-14 Lancers ahead late in the second quarter. Muhammad led PCC receivers with five catches for 68 yards.

Lozano booted field goals of 21 yards in the first quarter and 24 yards in the second period. He was 3-for-3 on extra point attempts and put on a clinic on kickoffs as he boomed four out of five for touchbacks including one that cleared the end zone. 

Two officials calls went against PCC that might have turned the game completely in PCC's favor. In the third quarter, the Lancers faked a 35-yard field goal attempt as holder Jett Even lofted a TD pass to a wide open tight end Jordan Bruner. Instead of six points, the referees called offsetting penalties including an illegal formation call on PCC. Lozano's ensuing 35-yard attempt went wide left as West LA held on to a 27-20 lead at that point.

In the fourth quarter, Reggie Harvey scored on a 1-yard TD run that followed a fumble recovery by Zephaniyah Sanford at the Wildcats' 5 during a botched punt attempt. Lozano's extra point cut it to 34-27 with 9:57 remaining. PCC's special teams tried again to gain an advantage as Lozano placed a perfectly bounced on-side kick that the Lancers recovered at their 45. Instead, PCC was called for an offside penalty and the Wildcats took possession at the spot.

On defense, PCC was led by linebacker Matt Terlizzi with 10 solo tackles (11 overall), a fumble recovery and a sack. Defensive back Ty Apana-Purcell added 10 tackles (nine solo), forced a fumble, and broke up two passes. Lineman Daeqwan Bailey made nine tackles (three for loss), forced a fumble and had one sack. Safety Kendell Jefferson and cornerback Armon Easley each made interceptions in the red zone to prevent WLAC scores. Jefferson also broke up two other passes. 

Head Coach Tom Maher's Lancers take their Saturday bye next week and will return to Metro League action on October 22 when they travel for an afternoon game (1 p.m.) at Glendale College.

Lancers Grid-Notes: PCC had only faced West LA one other time in their football history prior to today--the 1972 state playoffs, a 28-13 win by the Lancers...West LA head coach Marguet Miller was PCC's offensive coordinator during "The David Show" years in 2006-07 when David Pittman set a slew of PCC passing records and receiver David Reed smashed the national single-season record for most receptions and receiving yards before eventually reaching the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens....Prior to the Lancers' first FG in the first quarter, quarterback Jesse Hanckel nearly found Bailey, a 6-foot-3, 310-pound defensive tackle playing as a tackle eligible, in the back of the end zone but his pass went incomplete....Bailey (Defensive), Harvey (Offensive) and Muhammad (Special Teams/All-Purpose) swept the American Metro SCFA Players of the Week awards for the week No. 5 win over El Camino-Compton Center...The Lancers are 3-0 at Robinson Stadium and 0-3 on the road this season.

[Photo--Kendell Jefferson intercepts this pass in the end zone for PCC during its loss at West Los Angeles College on Saturday, image by Richard Quinton.]