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With a playoff spot on the line and the line of
scrimmage the El Camino 2-yard line with seven seconds
left in regulation, Cerritos College head football coach
Frank
Mazzotta decided to go for the win instead of a
potential 19-yard field goal in a 35-32 National
Division Central Conference game at El Camino College on
Saturday night. Sophomore fullback
Junior
Tivao (Paramount HS) attempted to run the
ball up the middle, but was stopped shy of the goal
line, and the Falcons dropped a 35-32 contest to the
Warriors. A win would have given Cerritos at least a
share of the conference championship and first round
home game in the Southern California Regional Playoffs.
But, with their 7-3 overall mark and third place finish,
the best the Falcons can do is receive a post-season
non-playoff bowl game. If they get the bowl bid, it
would be the first for the team since the 2003 year.
Cerritos was also looking for their first win at El
Camino since the 1998 season.
After the Warriors went up 35-32 on a three-yard touchdown
run by Antwan Easterling and a two-point conversion, the
Falcons took over possession at their own 34-yard line
with 1:19 left and no timeouts. After a nine-yard
reception by freshman
Michael Willie
(Long Beach Wilson HS) and a 17-yard run by
sophomore
Duane Bowen (St. John Bosco HS),
sophomore quarterback
Jeffrey
Fischer (Lakewood HS) completed a 20-yard
pass to sophomore
Joshua
Robbins (La Mirada HS) for 20 yards, with
Robbins getting out of bounds at the Warrior 20-yard
line to stop the clock. Bowen rushed the ball to the
11-yard line before Fischer (18-of-29, 218 yards) spiked
the ball to stop the clock. Bowen then ran the ball to
the six-yard line and after El Camino was called for a
pass interference in the end zone, the ball was placed
on the two-yard line. After a Warrior timeout, the
Falcons chose to bypass a 19-yard field goal attempt,
and brought in their jumbo package with Junior Tivao
(250 pounds) following the block of his brother,
sophomore nose guard
Johnny
Tivao (330 pounds). But the play did not work,
as Junior Tivao tried to run the ball up the middle, but
was stopped at the one yard line.
With the lead changing 10 times in the game, Cerritos
took a 26-21 lead in the third quarter by scoring nine
points in the span of 1:40 after a safety and ensuing
touchdown on their next possession. With the ball at the
El Camino nine-yard line, sophomore defensive end
Ryan Davis
(Artesia HS) sacked Warrior quarterback James Coy
and forced a fumble that was recovered by ECC offensive
lineman Joey Esposito in the end zone and was tackled
for a safety. On their next possession, the Falcons
scored on a naked bootleg by Fischer from the two-yard
line, with everyone focused on the Tivao brothers, who
came in on the short-yardage play. The big play on the
drive was a reception by Robbins, who broke a tackle and
raced to the five-yard line, which set up the score.
In the team’s three-overtime win over Mt. San Antonio
the week before, the Falcon defense was a group of
sure-handed tacklers. But, against the Warrior, Cerritos
had trouble pulling down the elusive receivers, and
surrendered 361 passing yards on only 19 completions,
while Coy threw for two touchdowns. The defense allowed
six plays over 20 yards in the loss, with two of them
going for touchdowns. Freshman linebacker
David
Flores (St. Paul HS) led the team with
nine tackles and a forced fumble, while cornerback
Lorenzo
Caldwell (Kaiser HS) posted five stops.
The Falcons had trouble putting pressure on Coy and even
though they blitzed their linebackers on many plays, Coy
was not sacked on the night.
On offense, Bowen led the team with 58 rushing yards,
while Robbins caught six passes for 88 yards and a
touchdown. Fischer spread out the wealth, completing
passes to seven different receivers, while the Falcons
finished with 332 total yards. Willie pulled on four
passes for 54 yards, with sophomore tight end
Anthony
Recinos (Norwalk HS) catching three
passes for 33 yards. |
