FOOTBALL SET FOR SEASON'S SECOND HALF

SANTA MARIA-- With five games down and five to go, the Allan Hancock College football team returns to action in a 7 p.m. start at Santa Monica on Saturday, following a mid-season bye.

Coach Kris Dutra's squad ended the first half of its season with a 4-1 overall mark and is a perfect 3-0 in Western State Conference play. AHC is ranked sixth in the southern region of the state and tied for first place in the conference with the state's No. 1-ranked team, undefeated defending state-champion College of the Canyons.

Following a 21-14 season-opening loss at then fifth-ranked Saddleback, the Bulldogs won four consecutive games. In those wins, AHC averaged 51.25 points and posted an average victory margin of 35.7 points.

In their most recent outing, a 55-17 rout of visiting Los Angeles Pierce College (Oct. 1), the Bulldogs set a new school record for rushing yards in a single game with a whopping 522 yards and nine rushing touchdowns on 60 attempts. Following that game, the entire Bulldog offensive line, consisting of center Clayton Rios (Fr., Santa Maria), guards Joe Parker (So., Bronx, NY) and Chase Rivera (So., Arroyo Grande), tackles Eric Murchison (So., Righetti) and Luke Conley (Fr., Righetti) and tight end Matt Sims (Fr., Lompoc) was named the WSC "Offensive Player of the Week."

Currently, the Bulldogs lead the WSC in rushing offense (357 yards per game), total offense (473.2 yards per game) and scoring (43.8 points per game). Individually, sophomore tailback Drew Williams (Bayside Queens, NY) leads the WSC in both rushing and scoring, having carried 95 times for 708 yards (7.5-yards per carry) and eight touchdowns.

Following Saturday's game at Santa Monica, the Bulldogs will host Los Angeles Valley on Oct. 22, before closing out with big games at Canyons (Oct. 29), at home against Moorpark (Nov. 5) and at Bakersfield (Nov. 12).