SANTA BARBARA, CA – The Santa Barbara City College football team won their first home game of the season, beating Saddleback 34-28 on Saturday at La Playa Field.
The Vaquero offense started the game in much better shape than last week, as their first drive was capped off by a 3-yard touchdown pass from Will Doherty to Elian Sundquist. The start of the second quarter was much of the same, and a beautiful ball by Doherty to Damare Ward finished off a nearly 7-minute drive with another touchdown.
"All I wanted to see out of Will and our offense was just improvements from last week," head coach Craig Moropoulos. "I'm glad we were able to continue to improve."
After a Saddleback touchdown made the score 13-7, Donovan Harris returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a Santa Barbara touchdown, quickly making it a two-possession game once again. Then, after a Saddleback 3-and-out and a 36-yard punt return by Cameron Green, the Vaqueros were in business once again. Doherty snuck in on 3rd and goal from the 1-yard-line to make it 27-7 Vaqueros by halftime.
Huge momentum swings continued to be the story of the game in the second half. Saddleback was driving late in the third quarter before SBCC called timeout. Defensive stud Matt Croteau intercepted a pass on the very next play and returned it 80 yards for a Vaquero touchdown, increasing the lead to 34-7 as the Vaqueros looked to be coasting to a win. Croteau also led the team in tackles for the second consecutive week with 9.
"He's always telling me, 'Coach, I'll play running back!'" Moropoulos said of Croteau's speed and ball-carrying ability. Of the offense, defense, and special teams all performing well, he added, "Those quick point swings were huge. The ultimate reward for a coach is when all three phases of the game click."
By the start of the fourth quarter, SBCC continued to hold a comfortable 34-7 lead. Branden Berwald then entered the game at quarterback for Saddleback, and the Saddleback offense suddenly had a totally different energy. Berwald was dynamic and agile, rushing for 48 yards and 1 touchdown and passing for 47 yards and 1 touchdown in his limited playing time. His first drive ended in a Saddleback touchdown with 13:46 left in the game, the score now 34-14.
A Vaquero 3-and-out and unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the punt found Saddleback in decent field position right around midfield. They scored on a drive that took just over 2 minutes, and suddenly it was just a two-possession game once again, still with 9:38 remaining.
Saddleback then forced a turnover in the form of an interception in Santa Barbara territory on a drive that took less than a minute off the clock. Berwald then threaded the needle on a 4th-and-goal pass, hitting Saddleback receiver Tristan Duncan on the front pylon to make it 34-28 Santa Barbara, still with more than 6 minutes left.
"[Berwald coming into the game] was an added dimension for them," Moropoulos said. "Give him credit—that quarterback move really worked for them.
"We got to do more on offense in those situations, too. We needed to buy some more time for our defense to rest a little bit," Moropoulos said, referencing the fourth quarter.
The offense did help on their penultimate drive, winding the clock down to less than 4 minutes, but more importantly, driving into Saddleback territory. A Brandon Bowers punt was downed inside the Saddleback 20, and field position was now the friend of SBCC.
The Vaquero defense "maintained" in the words of Coach Moropoulos, and forced a punt from the Saddleback 21 with 2:36 left and two Saddleback timeouts remaining.
Now in full run-out-the-clock mode, SBCC's Cameron Woolsey punched in a 5-yard rush on 3rd and 4 to effectively put the game on ice. The Vaqueros bent, but did not break, and a few snaps in victory formation capped off a polarizing 34-28 win in their first game at La Playa Stadium this season.
"It's always great playing at home," Moropoulos concluded, then looked ahead. "We take everything one week at a time. Every week is crucial."
SBCC travels to Orange Coast College next Saturday at 6:00, before returning home the following Saturday, the 23rd, for their first conference matchup against Canyons.
