Run, Run, Run Means Fun For Football In Compton Triumph

The Pasadena City College football team used a wildcat formation that produced a bevy of big carries from different rushers in running past Compton, 38-12, in a SCFA American Mountain League game Saturday night. For the first time since 2019, fans occupied the stands at Robinson Stadium.

PCC totaled 422 rushing yards in 50 carries and had five different players gain 50 or more yards. The last time a Lancers team rushed for at least 400 yards in a single game was in 2001 when PCC Hall of Famer Jonathan Smith was a 2,000-plus yard rusher in helping PCC win the Mission Conference championship. 

Pasadena improved to 5-2 overall and 2-1 in AML play. The Tartars remained winless at 0-6 and 0-2. 

Leading the charge was quarterback-running back Edward Norton, who started for an injured Kade Wentz (expected back next week). Norton ran for 123 yards in eight attempts, scoring on touchdown runs of 39 and 53 yards. The sophomore is often known for his misdirection runs and looked like the vintage 2019 version of the then PCC Men's Athlete of the Year for all sports. 

His 53-yard run saw him brilliantly fake out the Compton defense as he managed to have Tartars tacklers chasing a ghost up the middle while Norton simply jogged down the far sideline, crossing the end zone untouched. That score in the third quarter built a commanding PCC lead to 35-0 lead with still 23 minutes left to play. 

Placekicker Cristian Contreras, who was perfect on his five extra-point kicks, added a 23-yard field goal late in the third period for a 38-0 lead. At that point, PCC head coach Robert Tucker started inserting his second and third string players on both offense and defense.

Miles Anderson, who did carry balls mostly off traditional quarterback handoffs, added 61 yards in 10 carries, including TD runs of 3 and 22 yards in the first half. 

Receiver Ivan Ostry used the wildcat to perfection, often just driving through the center of the field behind able blockers, as he rushed for 96 yards in 11 attempts. Jeremiah Hartfield, a receiver by trade, also utilized the wildcat well as he gained 50 yards in 8 touches. 

Reserve running back Isaacc Rodriguez had a monster performance with 119 yards in just five carries. Rodriguez bolted for a 43-yard scamper and was outstanding on special teams kickoff coverage, making four tackles.

In the second quarter, backup quarterback Jakob Doolittle came in to execute one play and did it perfectly with a 6-yard TD pass to Kegan Duff. It was one of just seven passes by the Lancers all game, and Doolittle's only throw. 

The Lancers defense dominated, especially the first string over most of the first three quarters. Compton totaled just 43 yards in its first nine possessions and no points. Linebacker Lucio Rodriguez led the charge with six tackles, including a 10-yard sack. Osvaldo Raigosa added two pass breakups while Mark Anderson III contributed five tackles and knocked down a pass.  

Compton's Emmanuel Nkwocha had one of the finest 2-way performances by a PCC opponent in many years. Nkwocha made 15 tackles and forced a fumble on defense and rushed for 102 yards in eight carries, including a 62-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter.  

Next Saturday, Oct. 31, PCC will play a 1 p.m. AML game on the road against Victor Valley College. The game will be played at Adelanto High School. The Rams are 1-5 and 0-2 in league play, including a 28-7 loss v. Grossmont on Saturday. 

PCC GRID NOTES: DJ Perrin stopped one late series by Compton with an interception in the end zone...Besides Duff's TD reception, the only other catch worth noting was a a 27-yard grab by Spencer Whyte on an aeriel by Norton...PCC had 33 different players involved in at least one tackle in a game that allowed the coaching staff to utilize some players who haven't seen much action in recent weeks...Edson Zamarron, who also plays on the PCC men's soccer team, averaged 58 yards per kickoff on seven kicks as he consistently booted the ball inside the Compton 10. The sophomore added a 50-yard punt and another that landed inside the Tartars 20...Kennith Russell had a 29-yard kickoff return and Hartfield a 26-yard return for PCC's special teams...The Lancers evened a long-standing head-to-head series against Compton as PCC is now 27-27-3 in its history v. the Tartars. It was the first matchup since 2017 and Compton last defeated Pasadena in 2008. The programs first met in 1927 with Pasadena winning 7-0.