Football team clinches conference title

Andre Fuller/Roundup

The second-half performance from the Pierce College football team led to a come-from-behind win as they defeated the Antelope Valley College Marauders, 44-41, Saturday night at home in Woodland Hills.

Receiving big plays all season from both offense or defense, it was the special team’s play that was the deciding factor in the thriller. Forcing several punts in the second half, it was the last punt Pierce forced that proved to be the most important play of the game. 

Coming up on a fourth-down punt for the Marauders, it was the last effort of Pierce defensive tackle Franky Anaya that sent the crowd into a frenzy as he blocked the punt with less than two minutes left in the game.

“I just timed the snap and laid out, making sure I didn’t hit the punter,” Anaya said. “It’s just a big relief because I practice every day really hard, and I finally got to prove it in a game.”

The Brahmas’ first-half performance Saturday night wasn’t a good example of the overall effort the Brahmas put forth throughout the game. Many missed opportunities preceded the team’s comeback.

These missed opportunities became apparent as Pierce quarterback Matt Wabby relied on huge passes to wide receivers Ty Harris and Nate Ingram, at 36 and 27 yards respectively, to bring them closer to the quickly striking Marauder offense.

“We didn’t really change anything, we just missed on a bunch of opportunities in the first half,” said Wabby, who threw for three touchdowns and 333 yards on 26 completions in 51 attempts. “However, when we get settled down and cranking, we’re real hard to stop.”

Turns out they are really hard to stop, as Pierce’s nine lives haven’t run out quite yet.

“We come out flat sometimes,” said Harris, who had 76 yards on four receptions and one touchdown. “We need to put all four quarters together as one. If we come out as one for all 60 minutes, we are unstoppable. “

The plays that made them “unstoppable” came from the receiving core that describes itself as “the best, period.”

“[Edmond, Julian and Ingram] are like brothers to me,” Harris said. “We all stick together as one. We know we are the best receivers in the country.”

The most impressive wide receiver performance came from Damon Julian, who had 136 yards receiving on 10 catches. However, he was not available for comment after he suffered an apparent back injury caused when three people fell on top of him after he made a catch.

He will not play in the next game, according to head football coach Efrain Martinez, but he will be available for the playoffs.

Wide receiver Coleman Edmond, who had 43 yards receiving on four receptions, backed up Harris’ comments, as his kick-returning skills looked reminiscent of those of Chicago Bears wide receiver Devin Hester.

With kick returns of 84 and 59 yards, Edmond’s returning skills gave the Marauders trouble, forcing them to start kicking the ball away from Edmond or out bounds.

“We just work hard. It starts off on the practice field,” Edmond said. “We are the hardest working receiving core, I feel like, in the country. We just refuse to be outworked and we come out here, and it just translates onto the field.”

This confidence isn’t just with the receivers; the quarterback isn’t shy about his team’s potential.

“I think if we show up and play four quarters, I don’t think there’s a team that can beat us,” Wabby said.

Even though Pierce’s comeback was nothing short of spectacular, it was ultimately the Marauders’ meltdown that led to their demise.

“We’ve been through it before, so that helps out a lot,” Edmond said. “Maybe they haven’t been through it before, so maybe that’s why they crumbled down the stretch.”

With 189 yards rushing on 22 carries and three touchdowns, Antelope Valley and their star running back Kené Martin dominated the game going into half time with a 32-24 lead. However, as the opposing team’s efforts were different in the first half, they quickly changed again in the second half.

“We’ve been through this situation over and over again, so it’s just another day at the office for us at the end of the day,” Edmond said.

What wasn’t another day in the office was Ingram’s one-handed grab around three defenders in the back of the end zone late in the third quarter. The constant roaring from the crowd after the amazing catch seemed to spark life into the football team.

It was a spark they would never let go of.

“The task is not done yet, but it feels great,” Martinez said. “The kids did a wonderful job. They have been like this all year long; they haven’t quit, they kept fighting.”

The Saturday win allowed Pierce to clinch the American Pacific Division, according to Jim Sartoris of scfafootball.com.

Pierce will face Santa Monica College at home Saturday.

 

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