The Mounties football players take place in a scrimmage in preparation for their upcoming games againt Citrus College and Riverside. The Mounties beat the Owls 55-0 at their most recent home game.
The Mt. SAC Mounties opened conference play in dominating fashion as it handed the visiting Citrus College Owls its second conference defeat in as many weeks 55-0 Saturday afternoon at Hilmer Lodge Stadium.
Mt. SAC (4-1, 1-0 National Division Central Conference) scored on three consecutive possessions to open the game to lead 21-0. The Mounties, who couldn’t get anything going in the last game, came out of the gate quickly as they amassed 683 total yards of offense.
“We needed to get confidence to get the offense going,” Mt. SAC head coach Rob Jastrab said. “Anyone can beat anyone. Today was just their off day.”
Matt Faulkner, who missed the previous game with an injury sustained in Mt. SAC’s 32-20 win in week three returned and threw for 362 yards on 28 for 32 passing with three touchdowns and an interception.
“It was good just to come out and good to get into the groove,” Faulkner said. “We were able to put together a good game.”
Sophomore Lancer Iosefa scored from three yards out to cap a 10-play, 65-yard drive that took all but 2:32 into the first quarter. Citrus would give the ball back after going 3-and-out on its initial possession.
Citrus punter Rauley Zaragosa could not handle the snap cleanly and Mt. SAC took over deep in Owls’ territory. Mt. SAC would score two plays later when Faulkner found Sophomore Jesse Canada for the first of his three touchdown catches. This one went for 14 yards.
Mt. SAC would miss on a field go attempt on its next possession, but Zaragosa once again could not field the snap cleanly, again giving the Mounties a short field. Faulkner would find Michael Harrell on a 17-yard scoring pass to make the score 21-0 with 1:01 left in the first quarter.
The Owls (1-5, 0-2 National Division Central Conference) couldn’t get anything going against a stingy Mt. SAC defense that has given up only 70 yards rushing and 211 total yards per game and finished with 142 yards.
“We’ve been doing this all season,” Jastrab said. “We are continuing to get better, however. That’s our motto.”
Tyler Vanderzee, who started the last game took over in the second half and did not miss a beat. He went 10-of -11 for 155 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Vanderzee went 8-for-8 before being intercepted by the Owls’ Kevin Puckett, Jr. in the end zone to end yet another Mountie drive. Puckett finished with two interceptions, including one in the first half when he stepped in front of a pass intended for Canada in the end zone.
“It is part of the game,” Jastrab said of being stopped in the red zone. “These are correctable things where we have to get better so as to not hurt our chances on our drives.”
Because of the score, Mt. SAC was able to rest its regulars in the second half.
“The kids played well,” Jastrab said. “We got a lot of guys in. Everyone got to play and they played well.”
Faulkner added, “Its amazing the depth that we have. You can trust that someone will step up if someone goes down.”
Mt. SAC visits Riverside Sat. Oct. 24 at 6 p.m.
Story by Henry Montemayor
Staff Writer
Photos by James Choy
Sports Editor
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the date for the riverside game is october 17, not the 24