Kenny Cress/Sports Writer | Posted: Sunday, September 18, 2005 12:00 am
With 12:41 left in the second quarter Saturday, Hancock College/s football team had 17 points. Santa Barbara City College/s had none.
"I/m going home," a Santa Barbara fan said to someone. "I can/t take anymore."
If he did leave 7 and stay away 7 he missed quite a show.
Vaqueros quarterback Justin Lucas fired three touchdown passes to pull Santa Barbara within three points at halftime. The Bulldogs finally salted away a 58-35 win at SBCC/s sun-splashed La Playa Stadium by scoring 34 second-half points.
The game was the Western State Conference North Division opener for both teams. Hancock is 2-1 overall. Santa Barbara is 1-2. The Vaqueros have not beaten the Bulldogs since 1991.
The Bulldogs/ offensive line spent most of its time opening gaping holes against a Santa Barbara defense that had allowed 18 points going into Saturday. Hard running Hancock sophomore tailback Drew Williams wound up with a total of 212 yards on 26 carries and five touchdowns.
"The offensive line opened the holes," Williams said. "All I did was run through them."
The final outcome was happy for the Bulldogs Saturday. The injury report was not. Linebacker Ricky Aguilar, Hancock/s defensive leader, went down with a knee injury in the first half. Anthony Melton, one of the Bulldogs/ best rushers, went out with a leg injury shortly after halftime.
The extent of their injuries was not known, but after the game Aguilar had a light brace on his leg, and a crutch. Melton was not on crutches. Joe Parker, one of the Bulldogs/ starting offensive linemen, was walking with a limp. A few more Bulldogs went down, but appeared to be only shaken up afterward.
Aguilar blocked a punt to set up the Bulldogs/ second touchdown. After he had to leave, "It served as an inspiration for us," said Hancock center Clayton Rios. "We came together at halftime."
As one Bulldog after another lay on the turf with some kind, "We just had to keep on trucking, keep on motoring," Williams said. The Bulldogs did.
The responsibility to block was the 6-foot-3 inch 280-pound Rios/ to block Mark Fuimaono, the Vaqueros/ 324-pound nose guard. Fuimaono had his moments, but Rios won the vast majority of their battles.
"(Fuimaono) was a load, but everybody on the offensive line did the job," said Rios.
The Bulldogs/ offensive line did its job so well that Hancock scored touchdowns on five of its six second half possessions. Possion number six consisted of quarterback Jon Dally taking a knee on the last play of the game.
Sweeps right, sweeps left, runs between the tackles, runs up the gut, pass plays 7 they were all clicking for the Bulldogs thanks mainly to the guys up front.
Women/s soccer
Glendale 5, Hancock 1
Norma Castro scored the goal for the Bulldogs, who dropped to 0-3-1.
Castro scored in the 71st minute of the Western State Conference crossover match. Today, Hancock plays at home for the second time in two days. The Bulldogs face College of the Sequoias at 11 a.m. in a non-conference match.