The undefeated Pasadena City College football team earned its second straight SCFA American Pacific League championship on Saturday aftternoon, repeating in nearly an identical way to last season--a shutout of Glendale College in week #9, 12-0.
Last year, the Lancers (9-0 overall, 4-0 in APL play) routed the Vaqueros at home, 37-0, to clinch the league title, and while PCC found it a tougher matchup this season at Glendale, the results defensively were eerily similar to the '23 contest.
PCC limited the Vaqueros (5-4, 1-3) to just 78 offensive yards in this blanking after holding them to only 70 in last year's victory. The Pasadena first-string defense continued its domination at both the line of scrimmage and in shutting down another opponent's offense. This season, PCC has allowed just 30 points, only 17 by the opponent offense in the first halves of its eight games played.
The defense hasn't allowed a touchdown in the last nine quarters. Against Glendale, Idrique Carmichael made a team-high nine tackles and broke up a pass while Jachai Pulley (one break-up), Torriq Brumfield, Ethan Bowser and Kyden Bailey all made seven tackles. Anthony Avila forced a fumble.
Julius Ray added six tackles, a half-sack and a hurry while Sione Suliafu had five tackles and a half-sack. As a team, the Lancers tackled Glendale players behind the line of scrimmage 13 times for 53 yards lost.
Glendale's defense stayed tough, including a monster 18 tackles by Sebastian Herrarte, as the game was scoreless for nearly the entire first two quarters.
With less than five minutes left in the second quarter, PCC started a series in great field position at the Glendale 47. Reserve quarterback Sitani Suguturaga, who came into the game for injured starter Kaden Taylor in the second quarter, completed a 13-yard pass to Flip Fox, Mohammad Maali carried twice for 10 yards and Micah Mendoza plowed his way for a 10-yard carry that set up a 40-yard field goal by Ozlo Rigby with 1:41 left before halftime.
In the third quarter, a short Glendale punt again gave PCC solid field position at the Vaqueros' 37. Maali ran five times for 17 yards and Mendoza had a key 8-yard first down carry. Again, Rigby drilled a 37-yard field goal through the uprights for a 6-0 PCC lead.
In the fourth quarter, Suguturaga helped engineer a 6-play, 71-yard scoring drive. He completed a 28-yard pass to Deven Muniz, then had keepers of 4 and 7 yards. Maali, who rushed for 97 yards in 21 attempts overall, scored the game's lone touchdown on a 6-yard run. PCC failed on the ensuing 2-point conversion try.
Rigby, a sophomore transfer, put on a kicking/punting clinic. Besides his two booming field goals, he belted touchbacks on all four kickoffs, and he averaged 39.5 yards in four punts, landing coffin corner kicks inside the Glendale 10 at the 4 and 5 yard lines. He had a long of 48 yards on a punt that nearly stopped inside the 5 again, but rolled into the end zone for a touchback.
Mendoza finished with 71 rushing yards in 13 carries as PCC totaled 197 yards on the ground in 47 attempts. This included 10 lost yards when the team took a knee on its final three plays to run out the clock.
Next week, PCC hosts LA Valley in the APL and regular season finale. Kickoff is 6 p.m. at Robinson Stadium as the Lancers will celebrate their sophomore group prior to the contest.
Ozlo Rigby drills a field goal
