Bend But Don't Break Defense By Chaffey Foils Football

The Pasadena City College football team had plenty of offensive plays (80) and first downs (22) against visiting Chaffey College Saturday night in their SCFA non-league game. However, the Panthers used some key defensive moments to limit the Lancers to just one score in a 36-7, SCFA non-league win at Robinson Stadium.

PCC (2-2) ran into a Chaffey defense that blanked National Division power Mt. San Antonio a week ago, but the Lancers showed some spark in the first half. On a fourth down-and-six, Pasadena quarterback Mario Bobadilla hit receiver Forest Fajardo for a 27-yard touchdown pass. Cesar Ruiz's extra point tied it at 7-7 with 5:47 left in the first quarter. PCC came close on several other occasions but were shut out the final 50-plus minutes. 

Meanwhile, Chaffey quarterback Eric Stewart fired TD throws of 75 yards to Shawn Arrington, 35 yards to Javian Lofton-Wilson and 33 yards to Isiah Jarrett-Bolding. Kicker Nick Lawson added long-range field goals of 42 and 45 yards. Stewart finished with 321 yards passing (16-for-24). 

The Panthers defense allowed PCC to move the chains throughout the game, but came up with big plays when it counted. Trailing only 16-7 in the third quarter, Bobadilla was intercepted at the PCC 33 yard-line by Shawn Franklin that helped set up a Chaffey TD. In the fourth quarter, the Lancers drove into Chaffey territory at the 20, but Bobadilla had an endzone pass picked off by Dorian Fedrick at the goal-line as he returned it 52 yards. It ended one of the Lancers best drives, an 8-play series that went 70 yards. 

Bobadilla, who had not thrown an interception in the previous two games, finished completing 18 of 33 passes for 161 yards. Drake Beasley ran for a team-high 65 yards in 14 carries. Drew Pendleton made four catches for 48 yards and Fajardo three for 53. David Telles totaled 133 all-purpose yards, including three kick returns for 112. On defense, secondary mates Shane Andrews and Rodney Collier each recorded sacks on safety blitzes. Defensive lineman Demir Fisher made four tackles and forced and recovered a fumble. 

Next week, the Lancers host San Bernardino Valley College in the team's final non-league game. It's a 6 p.m. kickoff at Robinson Stadium. The Wolverines (3-1) wiped out LA Southwest, 72-0, in their game Saturday. 

PCC GRIDIRON NOTES: PCC's special teams had problems. A bad punt snap resulted in a 27-yard loss and safety that increased Chaffey's lead to 16-7 early in the second quarter. Later in the quarter, Ruiz, who is 14-for-14 on extra point kicks this season, missed low on a 33-yard FG attempt near the end of the half. When Chaffey decided to kick off away from Telles, who had two kick returns of 40 or more yards, it resulted in four short returns that totaled just 39 yards between them and hemmed PCC in poor field territory...PCC's defense created only three turnovers all season, two on interceptions and Fisher's fumble recovery. The Lancers offense has only allowed nine turnovers in four games, seven via interceptions...Of kick returners who have 10 or more returns, Telles is third in the state with a 26 yards per attempt average...PCC is a remarkable 7-for-10 when going for it on fourth down, three that have gone for scores.