After the first quarter of their 56-27 Northern Conference win over Ventura College on Saturday night, the Cerritos College football team had scored more points (34) in all but one game this season. The Falcons only ran off 11 plays in the first 15 minutes, but amassed 235 yards and five touchdowns, including an interception return for a score. The 56 points scored are the most since they ran up 66 points against Santa Monica College in 2009. Cerritos (5-2, 3-0), who have now won four games in a row, will now host Bakersfield College (3-4, 1-2) at Falcon Stadium at 7:00 p.m. next Saturday.
The first play from scrimmage should have been an indication of things to come on the night when sophomore quarterback Cody Clements (La Habra HS/Washington State University) found sophomore wide receiver Ricky Carrigan, Jr. (Cabrillo HS) down the sideline for a 72-yard gain, which set up sophomore running back Elijhaa Penny (Norwalk HS/College of the Sequoias) for a three-yard touchdown run, his first of four on the night.
But the Pirates (4-4, 2-2) looked prepared to match the Falcons, as Aaron Stanton rushed for 43 yards on the first play. But the drive stalled and Alex Nelson missed a 42-yard field goal. Cerritos was right back at it with their big-play offense, as freshman running back Tonny Lindsey (Long Beach Wilson HS) broke a 75-yard TD on the first play run to give the team a 13-0 lead after the extra point was blocked.
Just like on their first drive, Ventura turned to Stanton, who broke off a 36-yard touchdown run on their fourth play to get them on the board. A 39-yard kickoff return from sophomore Aaron Williams (Dominguez HS/Northern Arizona University) was followed by Penny breaking off a 52-yard run on the first play, as he used both brute force and breakaway speed to bust through the middle for a touchdown.
It looked as if Cerritos was going to take a 27-6 lead when sophomore Kisione Pale (Mayfair HS) blocked a Nelson 31-yard field goal, with Williams bringing it back for a touchdown, But the Falcons were called for advancing a teammate's rush by pushing him and the block was called back. The Pirates went on to score a touchdown, with Cerritos responding with a nine-yard Penny touchdown, his third of the quarter.
The back-breaking play against Ventura came on the next drive when Williams stepped in front of a Brad Odeman pass and picked it off on his way to a 33-yard interception return for a touchdown, which gave the team a 34-13 lead. It marked the fourth straight game that Williams picked off a pass and second game in a row he brought one back for a score.
From the second quarter on, Cerritos out-scored the Pirates 22-14, but the majority of the damage had been done in the first 15 minutes of the game. Trailing throughout the game, a trio of Ventura quarterback threw for 417 yards on the night, which was one yard shy of tying for the most yards against a Falcon team in one game. The record of 418 yards was set in 2000 by Long Beach City College. As for Cerritos, they amassed 618 yards of offense, which was shy of the school record of 670 yards set in 1972 against Mt. San Antonio.
On the night, Penny rushed 15 times for 142 yards and four scores, while Lindsey only rushed the one time for his 75-yard touchdown. Clements completed 10-of-18 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns, with Carrigan, Jr. catching three passes for 128 yards. Sophomore Donaven Gumbs (Norwalk HS) and freshman X'avier Shepherd (Lakewood HS) each pulled in touchdown passes.
Defensively, linebackers Jonathan Taylor (Servite HS) and Erick Zarate (Long Beach Jordan HS) each had seven tackles, while Williams added three tackles, a kickoff return for 39 yards and a punt return for 15 yards to his interception. The defensive line chased Odeman around all night, with sophomore David Moala (Serra HS) and Pale doing most of the chasing.
