Big Catches Key Football's Rally Over Hancock, 21-17

Trailing visiting Allan Hancock, 17-14, the Pasadena City College football team had to march 80 yards with under four minutes to play. A diving 30-yard catch by Drevontae Armstrong put PCC into Hancock territory, then quarterback Jesse Hanckel delivered a perfect throw to a streaking Yusef Muhammad for a 29-yard touchdown that rallied the Lancers to a 21-17 triumph at Robinson Stadium. The game-winning TD came with only 1:38 left in the SCFA non-conference contest.

The Lancers won their second straight and moved to 2-1, the first time they have been better than .500 after three game in five years. Hancock remains winless at 0-3.

Hanckel was 5-for-5 passing on the final drive, and finished 27-for-54 for 289 yardes and three touchdowns. He gave PCC a 7-0 lead on a 5-yard scoring throw to running back Ty'rant Davis in the first quarter and then a 14-7 advantage with 4:47 left in the second quarter on a 7-yard TD pass to RB Jacob Fimbres. 

Allan Hancock jumped ahead, 17-14, on Jajuan Lankford's 4-yard scoring run 2:15 into the fourth quarter. 

Maybe the Lancers most valuable player in the game was punter-kicker Enrique Lozano, who punted 11 times for a 37.5 yards average. However, twice Lozano pinned the Bulldogs with a 46-yard boot that was downed at the 1 in the first quarter and a 59-yard bomb that rolled to the 2 late in the third quarter. He added three extra points. 

Muhammad totaled 10 receptions for 95 yards. Hanckel completed passes to nine different Lancers receivers.

On defense, three PCC players totaled 10 tackles each, led by safety Kendell Jefferson and linebackers Jasper Chavez and Tyler Poythress. Defensive tackle Daeqwan Bailey, who was the SCFA Defensive Player of the Week in last week's win over San Bernardino Valley, added nine tackles. 

"It's been tough for our offense to move the ball, but when it counted, our wide receivers made some great plays and Hanckel came up with big throws," said PCC head coach Tom Maher. "Our defense has really dictated our two wins. We have a good secondary blanketing receivers and our pass rush has been strong going back to the second half of the opener v. Long Beach."

The Lancers close out non-conference play next Saturday, Sept. 24 at Southwestern College in Chula Vista. Kickoff is 6 p.m.

[Photo--Kendell Jefferson makes the tackle during PCC's 21-17 win on Saturday, image by Richard Quinton.]