The first thing that stands out with the 2018 Pasadena City College football team is the number of local talent that fills the team's 99-player roster. There are 43 players from surrounding area high schools, including 10 from Muir High and five more from Pasadena High. An additional 24 are from the Los Angeles city area.
"Our goal as a staff was to recruit in our backyard before anything else," Mojarro said of the team's local roster flavor. "We wanted to develop better relationships with our local high school coaches and the result is we have local kids now wanting to play here. It saves for the student-athletes on transportation to school and and saving overall financial costs that come with playing farther away from their homes at another community college. Plus, we have some talented locals that want to impress and ultimately earn a 4-year university scholarship."
With 29 lettermen (26 from last year's team), the Lancers have an experienced core to go with a large incoming freshmen group. PCC will be playing in a new division, now a member of the SCFA American Pacific League after a few years in the Metro League. Steven Mojarro returns for his second season as head coach after his team recorded a 5-game winning streak as part of a 5-5 season in 2017.
The Lancers open the season by hosting College of the Desert on Saturday, Sept. 1, a 6 p.m. kickoff at Robinson Stadium. Pasadena is looking for its first season-opening victory since 2011 when it beat Glendale, 49-28. PCC keeps its rivalry going v. near by Glendale College when they play at the Vaqueros stadium in a non-league contest on Sept. 8. The Lancers' toughest opponent will be against perennial powerhouse Saddleback on Sept. 15 (at Mission Viejo High). In league play, the Lancers face two programs they haven't played against in more than 30 years when they travel to Pierce College on Oct. 20 and then host Santa Monica on Oct. 27. The longest current rival on PCC's schedule is an unlikely one in Allan Hancock College as the pair will meet for the 11th straight season. PCC is 3-7 in the past 10 years against the Bulldogs from Santa Maria.
Two key returners are All-SCFA First Team offensive lineman Juan De La Torre (6-foot-5, 295 pounds) and Second Team wide receiver Forest Fajardo (33 receptions, 9.9 yards per catch, two touchdowns). PCC had a rotation of quarterbacks last season, and two of them are back as sophomores in incumbent starter Mario Bobadilla (66 of 129 passes, 947 yards, 14 TDs) and backup Isaia Ah-Hing, who had perhaps the best single-game performance of the '17 season in leading PCC to a 38-34 come-from-behind victory over Southwestern in week No. 4. Ah-Hing completed 25 of 35 passes for 318 yards and four touchdowns, including the game-winning spiral with just 21 seconds left. That win stopped a 3-game losing streak for PCC and kick-started the team's improbable 5-game win string.
The PCC offense, now being directed by offensive coordinator Fred Fimbres (who was defensive coordinator last year), will include two potential game-changer transfers in running back Sultaan Sullivan and wide receiver Hernandel Johnson. Sullivan, who previously played at Victor Valley College, was the San Bernardino Sun Player of the Year in 2015 when he put up monster numbers as a senior at Serrano High. In 14 games, Sullivan rushed for 3,209 yards and scored a whopping 50 touchdowns. Sullivan led the state in scoring (310 points) and rushing and was fifth in the country in yards carried. Johnson, a transfer from LA Southwest College was a quarterback in 2015, but will better put his talents and speed at receiver as part of the Lancers spread offense.
De La Torre leads an experienced offensive line that also includes returning starters in Demarcus Gilmore (6-3, 375), Jashaad Perry (6-0, 310), and another letterman Juan Perez (6-1, 345). The only freshman to likely crack the starting front is Krikour Koustanian, a 6-4, 310 talent from Pasadena High where he was All-Pacific League Second Team.
Of the team's freshmen newcomers, wide receiver Drew Pendleton comes in with the most hard ware. From Burbank High, Pendleton was All-CIF Division 7, the Co-Pacific League Player of the Year, and Glendale News-Press All-Area Team after pulling in 64 receptions for 1,097 yards and nine touchdowns (he had 113 tackles on defense as a linebacker). Another blue-chipper is Boise State redshirt bounceback Drake Beasley, who rushed for 1,647 yards and 17 touchdowns while a junior at Loyola High, then transferred to La Canada High as a senior. Darnell Williams, an All-Pacific League First Team selection from Burbank HS rushed for 980 yards and 10 TDs as a senior.
The team's defense has an all-sophomore defensive line in lettermen behind David Vardanian (27 tackles, three forced fumbles), Jasper Iheaso (14 tackles, a sack, two forced fumbles, two pass knockdowns), Lionel Humphrey III (1.5 sacks), and Jayson Jones (four tackles for loss yardage). Linebackers Kimani Williams (39 tackles, a sack, one interception), Kobe Quiroga (15 tackles), and Taiyo Gibbs (13 tackles) also return from last season's squad. Added to the linebacker mix is former Mission Valley League MVP Jason Villa (Arroyo High). The Lancers defensive backfield features an interesting Muir High freshmen contingent of cornerbacks Shane Andrews (Pasadena Star-News All-Area Second Team) and Emare Bernard, and strong safety Darren Meyers (All-PSN 2nd Team in 2016). The Arcadia High duo of free safety Jeremiah Lugo and cornerback Jamal Tims, a redshirt at Dixie State University, fill out a talented secondary.
With the graduation of All-State punter-kicker Enrique Lozano, the Lancers kicking void will be filled by freshmen--punter Jonathan Borashan (from Palo Verde High, Las Vegas) and kicker Fernando Murillo (Arcadia High).
The Lancers have not had an above-.500 season since their last bowl appearance in 2008 when PCC finished 7-4 and won the Santa Barbara Tremblay Services Bowl over Southwestern, 45-14. Mojarro talked about the transition from last year to this season.
"We had that really good run of wins, but we lacked consistency overall," he said. "We have to play better against the stronger opponents. We are capable, but at the same time we have to have our sophomores step up. While we lost some really good skill guys to graduation, especially on offense, I'm excited about the potential of this year's unit. We expect to move the chains quickly and find success in the red zone. The defense has to do its part and keep us in games."
