Mark Gilman / Roundup
First game jitters and high emotions might have had a lot to do with the outcome of Saturday night’s football game as the visiting Pierce College Brahmas lost their season opener, 52-41 to the Renegades from Bakersfield.
In what was a very high scoring, action-packed, physical football game, the Brahmas offense didn’t get the help they needed from the other two facets of the team, their defense and special teams didn’t show up against the 6th ranked team in the state.
After the game, Pierce Head Coach Efrain Martinez pushed the importance of learning from the disappointing defeat, even though the final result could have been much different.
“Too many mistakes,” Martinez said following the loss. “We gave them that football game tonight.”
That’s not to say that the visiting team didn’t have a few bright spots Saturday. The offensive line stood out over everything else as they dominated the line of scrimmage and ran the ball especially well during the first half, with running back Daniel Lopez as the beneficiary.
“They’re doing a great job out there creating holes for our guys,” Assistant Coach Michael Hoffman said going into the half. “They’re communicating and then executing.”
The special teams, which has been a Pierce strong suit in years past, really let the Brahmas down in the fourth quarter and created an almost insurmountable lead when wide receiver Martin Hill fumbled a kickoff return that lead to the deciding go ahead touchdown for the Renegades.
The Brahmas fought their northern counterparts till the end, but just ran out of time. They will be seeking retribution next weekend, as they will square off with Moorpark College on Saturday, at 7:00 PM.
Quarterback Clinton Granger of Philadelphia, Penn. looks downfield on his way to multiple passing TDs in Saturday’s game (UD / Roundup)