Friday Night Lights Showcase Football's Defense

Playing on a rare Friday night, the Pasadena City College football team let its defense do the heavy lifting in downing Moorpark, 24-7, in a SCFA Non-League game at Robinson Stadium.

The Lancers (3-2) limited the Raiders (2-3) to just 171 yards in total offense, including just seven yards rushing in a dominating display of defense. The PCC pass rush totaled four sacks, two by Jaylon McGee, and totaled nine tackles behind the line of scrimmage for a minus-36 yards. Jordan Monroe added five tackles, a knocked down pass and two quarterback hurries while Roland "Kea" Rodrigues led the squad on six tackles (five solos) with a sack and a pass breakup.

McGee, Carlos Ramirez (one sack), Michelangelo Loretto, and Brian Payne each made five tackles. Mark Anderson III added four tackles and broke up a pass. Drake Vickers intercepted a pass in the end zone to stop a Moorpark drive while Osvaldo Raigosa recovered a fumble on an errant punt snap that set up a PCC touchdown.

Offensively, wide receiver Oscar Willis caught a pair of touchdown passes from two different quarterbacks and when the team was forced into using a third QB in slot receiver Ivan Ostry that too led to a touchdown.

With 5:17 left in the first quarter, kicker Justin Vergara split the uprights for a 37-yard field goal and a 3-0 PCC lead. In the second quarter, Lancers starting quarterback Anthony Arnou survived being hit by a Moorpark lineman and delivered a 49-yard bomb to Willis, who was wide open at the 10 for an easy TD. Moorpark cut the PCC lead to 10-7 by halftime on a 23-yard TD strike from quarterback Macloud Crowton to receiver Alexander Capka-Jones. Vergara's 35-yard FG attempt missed just wide left right before the intermission.

Arnou was injured late in the first half after completing 12 of 17 passes for 107 yards and rushing for 40 yards in three carries.

With reserve Jakob Doolittle at QB, the team saw fortune knock a minute into the third quarter. The Lancers reached red zone territory thanks to Raigosa's punt snap recovery at the Moorpark 10. But after Doolittle was banged up on a tackle during a keeper carry, rules meant he had to sit out a play. Head Coach Robert Tucker inserted Ostry in a shotgun formation and the sophomore raced in for a 3-yard TD and a 17-7 advantage.

Neither team was able to move the chains much in the final two quarters. After five straight series combined by the two teams produced not a single first down, the Lancers started a drive at the Moorpark 27. Isaac Glover raced for a 17-yard carry and Doolittle hit Willis for a 9-yard TD throw. Vergara's third extra point kick sealed the victory with 2:33 left.

Willis led the receiving corp with his four catches for 71 yards while Jason Sanford also had four receptions for 38 yards. Glover led the ground attack with 45 yards in nine carries.

Pasadena takes its bye week next Saturday and will return to action on Saturday, Oct. 15 when it opens American Mountain League play at College of the Desert. Kickoff is 6 p.m.

PCC GRIDIRON NOTES: The Lancers ended a 4-game series losing streak v. Moorpark and won against the Raiders for the first time since Halloween night in 2009 (a 27-20 win at Robinson Stadium)...Doolittle continues to make the most of his pass completions. Although he has completed just 16 of 40 throws this season, five have gone for TDs...Glover is the team's rushing leader with 203 yards in 49 attempts (four TDs) with a 4.1 yards per carry...Sanford leads receivers with 15 catches for 332 yards (four TDs) and is averaging 22.3 yards per reception...Rodrigues leads the team in tackles with 25 (20 solos) while McGee and Ramirez each have 5.5 sacks. Loretto has made 4.5 sacks...Overall, the team's defense has 22 QB takedowns and totaled 46 combined tackles behind the line of scrimmage for 204 lost yards...PCC is 11th in the state in team defense (262.6 yards allowed per game) and sixth against the run (68.4 yards a contest)...Arnou is the team passing leader, completing 58 of 98 passes for 620 yards with four TDs and three interceptions.