SCFA Central League Elite Taking Toll On #21 Football

The state #21-ranked Pasadena City College football team knew the going would be rough when it hit the meat of its SCFA National Central League schedule. Facing all three teams battling for the CL title in a row, the Lancers put together hard 60-minute efforts v. both #2 Golden West and #9 Cerritos, but on Saturday it ran into the buzzsaw known as #6 Fullerton.

Fullerton (7-1), tied for first in the CL with Golden West on 5-0 league records, posted 709 yards in all-purpose offense and moved the chains frequently for 28 first downs to hand PCC its third straight defeat, 43-14, in the Lancers Robinson Stadium home finale.

The Lancers (3-5 overall, 1-4 in Central League play) led 7-6 on an 18-yard touchdown pass by starting quarterback Xavier Buckles to tight end Javery Mayberry, who took a short throw and did the rest to outrace two Hornets tacklers to the end zone with 6:07 left in the first quarter. PCC maintained that slim 1-point lead all the way until Nicholas Sandoval centered a 30-yard field goal  at the halftime whistle to give the Hornets a 9-7 lead.

In the second half, it was all Fullerton as Pasadena was outscored, 34-7, 

Reserve quarterback Gianni Mascolino, who entered a game for the first time since his freshman season last year, connected with Aiden Wood for a 61-yard TD pass 3:42 into the fourth quarter. But Fullerton immediately responded on JT Weir's 93-yard TD kick return that put the game out of reach.  

PCC lost its second starting quarterback this season to injury in Buckles, who was injured on a rushing play late in the first quarter and did not return to action. Mascolino then stepped off the bench to complete 16 of 29 throws for 173 yards. Buckles converted 9-for-14 for 96 yards.

In the second quarter, the Lancers made a big defensive stop as Kim Aseh forced a fumble with Quishawn Stanford recovering at the 1-yard line that thwarted a Hornets' red-zone opportunity. 

Linebacker Coleman Morning continued his strong season with a game-high nine tackles, including a sack and a hurry, Gabriel Sulaiman made seven solo tackles while the trio of Aseh, Desi Valdes, and Lyndon Gay (two QB hurries) each recorded five tackles. Teva Loft added a sack. 

Prior to the game, Lancers alumnus Joshua Knight, who was the starting quarterback in the very first game ever played Robinson Stadium in 1999, helped performed the coin toss. Lancers athletics alumni took part in Lancer Legacy Night, an event at the Dick Ratliff Court of Champions, also before Saturday's contest. 

Next Saturday, Nov. 1, the Lancers try to return to the win column as they play at East Los Angeles College in a 4 p.m. league kickoff. 

Joshua Knight flips the coin toss