Football Grabs Share Of First Conference Title In 20 Years

In perhaps the biggest victory by a Pasadena City College football team in 20 years, the Lancers shocked previous first-place Mt. San Jacinto, 28-26, on Saturday night and in the process won a share of the SCFA American Mountain League title. Grossmont was awarded a forfeit victory against Compton creating a 3-way tie for the crown with MSJC.

The Lancers improved to 7-2 overall and 4-1 in the AML. Mt. San Jacinto dropped to 7-2 and also 4-1. The Eagles had a 7-game win streak snapped and lost for the first time all year on the gridiron as its only other loss was a COVID-19 forfeit against Riverside that opened the season. Grossmont also upped its record to 7-2 and 4-1 thanks to the Compton forfeit. 

The significance of the win is that it's the first time a PCC football team won a title for first place since winning the Mission Conference championship in 2001. 

PCC Director of Football Operations/Head Coach Robert Tucker once again has taken over a program and produced instant results. His career record at the community college level is 37-5. The Lancers won seven games for the first time since finishing 7-4 and winning their last bowl championship, the Tremblay Services Bowl title in 2008. Tucker also has the distinction of winning conference titles at three different colleges--PCC, Los Angeles Valley and West Hills Coalinga. 

The Lancers defense once again came up with key stops, including twice using red zone stands to end MSJC's state-leading offense on drives inside the PCC 5. But it was the poise and play of quarterback Kade Wentz that allowed PCC to take leads of 14-0 and 21-6 during the first half.

Wentz, a sophomore and returning All-SCFA Second Team selection from 2019, completed 11 of 19 passes for 183 yards and three touchdown throws while leading the Pasadena ground game with 82 yards in 16 carries. 

After Justen Campbell returned the game's opening kickoff 25 yards, Wentz didn't take long to burn the Eagles' secondary. He fired a 35-yard TD bomb to red-hot receiver Wheeler Smith and combined with the first of four extra-point kicks by Cristian Contreras it gave PCC an early 7-0 lead.

PCC's defense rose to the occasion on MSJC's ensuing drive. The Eagles drove to the Lancers 5, but a 1-yard stop of quarterback Robert Coleman's keeper by PCC safety Osvaldo Raigosa was followed by a fourth-down incomplete pass to end the scoring threat. Later in the half, Raigosa picked up his team-leading fifth interception.

Wentz then drove Pasadena on a 9-play, 96-yard drive delivering yet another bomb pass to cap it. This time, Campbell made an amazing 36-yard touchdown catch in the end zone as he extended his arms, caught the pass, then somehow held on as he rolled away to the turf, winning a 1-on-1 battle with Eagles defensive back Jahiel Blue-Smith. Now 2-for-2 on drives for scores, PCC led 14-0 with 3:10 left in the first quarter. 

After the Eagles cut the lead to 14-6 early in the second quarter, Wentz again drove the Lancers on a 12-play, 77-yard scoring drive. Wentz called his own number for four carries for 28 yards, Miles Anderson got loose on a 20-yard attempt, and Jabari Kindle closed out the series on a 5-yard TD rush. Contreras' extra point gave PCC a 21-6 lead as the team scored seven points for the third straight series.

One of the biggest defensive turning points for the Lancers occurred on the opening drive of the second half. The Eagles flew down the field and reached the PCC 2 on a 32-yard pass from Coleman to Rashoud Shelton. PCC's line held firm with stops on the next three MSJC rushing attempts. An offside penalty put the ball inches from the end zone on fourth down. On the 4th-and-1, Walker raced toward the corner of the end zone, but safety Roland "Kea" Rodrigues went on hot pursuit as linebacker Lucio Rodriguez finished off the tackle for a 4-yard loss that left the Eagles with no points again in the red zone. 

Mt. San Jacinto didn't quit, however, as Sherod White bolted for a 13-yard TD carry that trimmed the lead to 21-20 with 4:33 left in the third quarter. But for the second time, the Eagles missed the extra point as linebacker Michelangelo Loretto partially blocked the attempt by kicker Nick Sabilla that kept PCC's advantage at one point. 

Campbell returned the ensuing kickoff 35 yards to the PCC 41. Wentz went back to work with completions of 14 yards to Kindle and 17 yards to Jeremiah Hartfield. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Wentz rolled out to his right and found a wide open Hartfield for his third touchdown pass of the game--this one for five yards. It would turn out to be the game-winning score.

With five minutes left, MSJC cut the lead to two on a 27-yard TD aerial from second QB Devan Freedland to Taliq Brown. Brown could not hold on to the 2-point conversion pass, keeping PCC's lead intact.

Pasadena's offense never let the Eagles get the ball back. Wentz broke free for a 26-yard scamper, then on a 3rd-and-11 bombed a 37-yard throw to Hartfield just short of the end zone. The Lancers ran out the clock to clinch the victory.

PCC held Mt. San Jacinto to 26 points after the Eagles had scored a whopping 301 points in its five previous victories (60 points average).

The Lancers will learn a lot of things in the next few days. For one, PCC is supposed to play a 10th game against a league opponent on Saturday, Nov. 13. The SCFA executive committee will decide where and who the Lancers will face. The tiebreaker for postseason competition also will be discussed as PCC could be on the outside looking in for a spot in the American Division Bowl. Check PCC Twitter @PCCAthletics and this website at https/www.pcclancers.com for updates. 

PCC GRID NOTES: The Lancers did not commit a turnover for the second straight game...the PCC offense was balanced with 197 passing yards and 191 on the ground...Campbell had 158 all-purpose yards, including 110 on four kick returns...Hartfield led the receivers with four catches for 68 yards...Miles Anderson had another solid game, rushing for 63 yards in 14 carries...Linebacker Jaylon McGee made a team-high nine tackles, safety Salah Odeh had eight tackles and Rodrigues, the star of the Victor Valley win, made seven tackles...Carlos Ramirez and Luis Canales each made sacks...Like Victor Valley a week ago, this was again a surprising first-ever encounter by PCC v. Mt. San Jacinto in football. MSJC opened in 1965...Ivan Ostry completed a 14-yard pass, ran for a 16-yard gain and had two catches for 18 yards...PCC had one of its largest crowds going back to well before the pandemic with an estimated 650-700 fans in attendance.

 Jaylon McGee (27) and Salah Odeh (13) converge on a stop of a Mt. San Jacinto ball carrier.