Football Finishes .500 And Builds Respectability In Completing Return To National Division

Ranked on the state top 25 for much of the season, the Pasadena City College football team closed the 2025 regular season with a resounding 60-3 victory at Orange Coast on Saturday night. The win allowed the Lancers to finish 5-5 in a successful return to play against the Southern California region's top teams as a member of the SCFA National Division.

The Lancers outscored their final two Central League opponents by a combined, 95-3, and finished fifth at 3-4 in the 8-team CL. PCC came off a perfect 11-0 season a year earlier as the American Division champions, playing against a limited schedule of have-nots as the SCFA has continued to separate teams based on competitiveness and records within both the upper level National and lower level American Divisions. 

But now unranked PCC showed immediately it belonged in the higher National with a number of close defeats including 7-point losses v. undefeated at 10-0 and state #1-ranked Golden West, the Central League champions, and #6 Saddleback, the Southern League champions at 9-1. The Lancers had a 1-point defeat v. #8 Cerritos where they held the lead late in the fourth quarter. 

PCC also could be in the running for a postseason bowl bid, which will be decided some time by Monday afternoon. Check the team's official X site @PCCAthletics and this website for updates. 

The Lancers persevered going to a third starting quarterback due to injuries in Gianni Mascolino, a sophomore who completed 15 of 22 passes for 179 yards including a 42-yard touchdown throw to Maddux Mateski. Mascolino, who started the last few games, added a 5-yard TD keeper. 

The team's second QB Xavier Buckles returned to action after missing a game due to injury as he completed 4 of 5 passes for 43 yards.

Once again the team's defense showed as a team strength as the Lancers opened up a 14-0 lead six minutes into the game on a pair of TD interception returns. Just 1:37 into the game, Kim Aseh stepped in front of an OCC pass and returned it 36 yards for paydirt, then top tackler Coleman Morning picked off a pass as Jasun Ridley applied heavy pressure on Pirates' QB Sonny Tierney resulting in a 39-yard touchdown. 

The Lancers made it 21-0 less than a minute later as Desi Valdes blocked a punt with PCC recovering it on the OCC 1-yard line. Dom Ezeonye followed with the first of his two TD runs, a 1-yard plunge. He later added a 19-yard score as he led the PCC rushing attack on 64 yards in seven touches. 

Valdes and Jonathon Meza added interceptions to give the Lancers four on the evening and the team also forced two fumbles for six turnovers created. Devon Jones led tacklers with six while Morning, Domingo Cleveland III and Caaden Holcomb each made sacks. 

Noah Triplett added to his SCFA third-ranked all-purpose yardage per game with his second return for a touchdown, an 89-yard kick return late in the third quarter. Kicker Zack Hutchinson was 7-for-7 on extra points and booted a 29-yard field goal. Elijah Tehe rushed for a 3-yard TD when PCC built a 36-0 halftime lead. 

In the 10-game season, Buckles led the team in passing with 1,400 yards (120 of 196 attempts, seven touchdowns), original '25 season starter Max Grizzell led in TD passes with 8 (Mascolino had seven), Triplett led in rushing (441 yards) while Buckles led in rushing TDs with four. Triplett also paced the squad in receptions with 35 for 180 yards, kick returns on 21 for a 33.4 yards average, punt return yards (47 in two attempts), and all-purpose yardage at 136.9 per game. 

Ethan Hubbell leads in most receiving yards with 556 in 32 catches and hauled in six TDs. Javery Mayberry led the Lancers in scoring with seven touchdowns (had 26 receptions at tight end). 

Morning is the defensive leader, topping PCC in tackles with 69, sacks with four, and tackles for loss at nine. Valdes made a team-high 10 pass break-ups and Holcomb was one of 10 different Lancers with interceptions, leading the group with two. Gabriel Sulaiman added 54 tackles (and five break-ups) and Ridley, who had two blocked kicks, totaled 45 tackles.

Hutchinson is 27-for-28 on extra point kicks and made two field goals.