Philip George, Spring 2009 Assistant Sports Editor
The Brahmas tried to overcome a colossal deficit for the second week in a row, but came up eight points short as the Santa Barbara City College Vaqueros ran circles around Pierce College to deal them a crushing blow, 38-30, last night at Shepard Stadium.
Prior to the game, it was announced that four key starters; wide receiver Kenny Davis (torn ligament in left arm), defensive lineman Robert Williamson (concussion), running back Raukeen Foreman (high-ankle sprain) and left tackle Ged Carrington (torn ACL) would be unavailable to play. Williamson and Foreman could possibly return next week, but Davis and Carrington are expected to miss the remainder of the season.
Head coach Efrain Martinez stressed the importance of scoring early and often if the Brahmas were to defeat the Vaqueros, but Pierce only fulfilled half the equation.
The Brahmas did score early, Jayson Washington returning the opening kickoff for 74 yards to Santa Barbara’s 18 yard-line setting up a Bradley Borreson field goal on their initial drive, but by no means often as that would be their only scoring drive of the first half.
Pierce’s defense was of little assistance as they allowed the Vaqueros to return fire on a five-yard rush by tailback Tryone Harris, who would amass 217 yards and account for nearly all of Santa Barbara’s scoring with four touchdowns.
Taylor Budd attempted to lead his team down the field on the Brahmas’ second drive of the game, but instead found the ball headed the other direction when he was intercepted by defensive back Matt Racowski.
Pierce would force a punt on the ensuing possession, but could not contain Harris on the Vaqueros’ next drive, as the back broke through the secondary and rocketed 53 yards down-field for another score. Moments later, it was déj√†-vu as Harris pranced into the end zone again to give Santa Barbara a commanding 21-3 lead.
The Brahmas threatened late in the second quarter, converting a fourth down and six on a seven-yard pass to receiver Jonas Matos to draw within striking distance to the 24 yard-line of the Vaqueros, but to no avail as the Santa Barbara defense backed the Brahmas up 14 yards, thwarting the offensive effort.
The half came to a close as the Vaqueros’ Jakharie Murphy returned the ensuing punt 75 yards, sending the Brahmas back to the locker room the victims of a 28-3 deficit.”There were no key tackles,” said sophomore full safety Craig Alexander of his team’s defensive struggles, “That’s why the score looked like that.”
After a Santa Barbara field goal, Pierce finally broke through in the second half, quarterback Taylor Budd capping a 60-yard drive by powering his way into the end zone on the quarterback keeper to cut the deficit to three scores.
The Vaqueros were all set to get their seven points right back-the ball on the Brahmas’ goal-line, but Alexander managed to find the chink in Harris’ armor, recovering a fumble at the two. Pierce stormed down the field, Patrick Donahue catching a 20-yard touchdown pass to draw the Brahmas closer, the Vaquero lead now 31-17.
The game moved into its final quarter when Brahma lineman Daniel Powers recovered another fumble at Santa Barbara’s 43 yard-line. Budd on the tuck-and-run then bolted down the field to the 23.
Even with good field position and a first down, the Brahmas could not convert as a wide-open Justin Reeves slipped and fell in the end-zone while the ball fell to the turf in front of him. They would settle for a field goal, but Harris and the Vaqueros were not about to let the game get away from them, the tailback driving across the plane to extend the lead, 38-20.
Borreson drilled another field goal on Pierce’s next possession to bring the Brahmas within 15, but it was touchdowns they needed. After linebacker Preston Furukawa recovered a fumble in the end zone, Pierce drove down field again, Budd powering his way into the end zone for the second time on the night.
However, the Brahmas failed to recover the onside kick, and all the Vaqueros had to do was kneel.
“We weren’t allowed any setbacks if we wanted to get where we wanted to get,” said Martinez, who in one evening saw his team’s title hopes all but vanish, “Now it’s ‘Beat Valley [College] or bust.’ That’s what we have to do.”
Feeling equal pain was the sidelined star, Davis.
“I was itching [to play] from the day they told me I couldn’t play this week,” he said, “I started itching more and more to come in every second that went by and every quarter that went by. I wanted to get in so bad, but I knew I couldn’t, so all I could do was rally my troops and hopefully they pull out with a win.”
The loss drops Pierce’s record to 2-5 on the season, but Martinez says the team still has “a lot to play for,” as they look toward their rivalry game at Valley on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Freshman quarterback Taylor Budd, #19, is gang tackled by Santa Barbara City College defenders during their 38-30 home loss on Saturday, October 25, 2008. (Aisha Ahal)
Pierce’s Justin Reeves (17) avoids defenders in the first half of Pierce’s 38-30 home loss to Santa Barbara City College on Saturday, October 25, 2008. ()