TURNOVERS COSTLY IN FOOTBALL LOSS AT TOP-RANKED CANYONS
SANTA CLARITA-- The Allan Hancock College football team knew they had to play error free football to pull an upset, but four turnovers would doom the team in a 42-24 loss to top ranked College of the Canyons at Cougar Stadium.
Hancock (6-2, 4-1 WSC North) dropped the battle for first place in the Western State Conference North by committing four turnovers, which led to 28 points by the Cougars. More costly however, was the second quarter loss of the leading rusher in the conference, RB Drew Williams (So., Queens, NY). Williams was injured early in the second quarter on a one yard plunge up the middle. He would suffer a season ending ankle injury. At the time of the injury to Williams, AHC led 7-6 and was moving towards a short field goal attempt by kicker Victor Velasco (So., Santa Maria HS). There was a ten minute delay as Williams was being attended to. On the play after the delay, Velasco was wide right on a 32-yard field goal attempt. The Bulldogs seemed to lose a little steam after the injury and Canyons would score twice in the quarter to make the half time score, 21-7.
The Bulldogs would score first in the opening quarter when QB Jonathan Dally (Fr., Righetti HS) hit Derek Sedin (So., Righetti) with a 26 yard touchdown pass. The TD was the third play of a short drive after Lafe Viker intercepted a Marcel Marquez pass. Canyons scored on the first play after recovering a Williams fumble on the Hancock 14 yard line to pull within, 7-6.
The third quarter started well for the Bulldogs as they took the second half kickoff and drove to the Canyons 27. The drive would cover 41 yards on twelve plays and took 7:10 off the clock. Velasco would connect on a 34 yard field goal. The Cougars would add another touchdown late in the quarter on a 47 yard pass to make the score, 28-10 at the end of the third.
Each team scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. The Hancock scores were touchdown runs of 26 by Anthony Melton (So., Delano, CA) and 13 yards by FB Andrew Hirsch (Fr., Arroyo Grande HS). Melton would end the night with 126 yards on 18 carries. Hirsch was the second leading rusher with 65 yards on nine carries. Corey Stollmeyer (Fr., Morro Bay HS) carried the ball nine times for 36 yards.
Dally had a tough night throwing the ball, completing just 10 of 23 for 118 yards and threw his first two interceptions of the year. Sedin had four receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown. Curtis Chatmon (So., Lompoc, CA) caught two passes for 18 yards.
AHC will next play Moorpark on Saturday, Nov. 5 at Righetti High School in the final home game of the regular season. It will be Military Appreciation Night and kick-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.