Locked in a 45-45 tie with time running out, the Cerritos College football team saw visiting Riverside City College score the eventual game-winning touchdown with :27 seconds remaining. The 52-45 loss to the Tigers drops the Falcons to 7-2 overall and 3-1 in National Division Central League, while #1-ranked Riverside City improved to 9-0 and 4-0. Cerritos closes out the regular season by hosting Mt. San Antonio College (8-1, 3-1) at 6:00 p.m. next Saturday.

The Falcons opened up a 31-10 lead at halftime and led 45-38 with 8:01 remaining after a 19-yard scoring strike from sophomore quarterback Jordan Simpson (Gahr HS) to sophomore tight end Jacob Leija (La Serna HS). Riverside then needed just 1:19 to drive 88 yards and tie the game at 45-45 with 6:17 left in the fourth quarter.

Taking possession at their own 25-yard line, the Falcons drove to midfield until Simpson was picked off at the Tigers 8-yard line. Riverside started their eventual game-winning drive at their own 28-yard line and completed the drive on a 16-yard run by Cam Leofa with :27 seconds remaining. Cerritos had one last drive, but Simpson was picked off for a second time, which ended the game.

Opening the game with consecutive touchdown runs from sophomore Davon Booth (El Monte HS), the Falcons jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead. Behind the blocking of sophomores Angel Hernandez (Mayfair HS), Jonathan Manzo (Artesia HS) and Joseph Perez (Warren HS), along with freshmen Peteru Umi, Jr. (Warren HS), Adrian Ayala (Gahr HS), Robert Hamilton (Los Alamitos HS), Edward Fonua (Orange HS) and Isaiah Vaifanua (Banning HS), Booth, who went over 1,000 yards on the year on his 59-yard touchdown run, and finished with a career-high 286 rushing yards. It was the third most ever in a game for a Cerritos player.

Their 31-10 halftime lead quickly disappeared after Riverside City scored 21 third quarter points, including touchdowns on each of their three drives in the quarter. After failing to convert a fourth down in the second quarter that resulted in a Tigers touchdown, Cerritos tried a trick play once again on fourth down that backfired. Sophomore defensive end Elijah Dolphin (Long Beach Poly HS), who converted a fourth down last week against Palomar, was stuffed for four-yard loss on fourth-and-seven. Riverside City tied the game upon taking over possession of the ball.

A 19-yard scoop and score touchdown by sophomore linebacker Jonathan Fuamatu (St. Paul HS) gave Cerritos a 38-31 lead, which only lasted :26 seconds, as the Tigers came back and scored two plays later.

Sophomore Chandler Nixon (La Habra HS) led the defense with eight tackles, while the trio of Giovanni De Leon (Los Alamitos HS), Milo Lopez (La Serna HS) and Jhamell Blenman II (St. Bernard HS) all finished with six stops. Fuamatu, who also posted five tackles, added an interception to his fumble return for a touchdown.

Simpson, who completed 20-of-39 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns, moved into seventh place in single-season passing yards with 2,210. He also became just the sixth quarterback in Cerritos history to throw for over 3,000 career yards (3,045). As for Booth, he is currently fifth in single-season rushing with 1,210 despite missing one game, while he's 226 yards away from being just the seventh 2,000-yard career rusher in school history.

Photos by Daryl Peterson