The Brahmas lost to Santa Monica College on Saturday in what can be called their best performance on the field yet.
This was their closest game, losing to Santa Monica by 18 points.
The Brahmas have not won a single game so far this season.
Santa Monica was 1-6 overall and while their points per game are relatively low, they are still in a better position than Pierce which averages only six points per game.
The Brahmas were off to an impressive start with a nearly 50-yard rush.
Things turned for the worse when offensive lineman Dre Marin was injured just 15 seconds into the game with a suspected tibia break.
A few minutes after that, defensive back/running back Charles Yates injured his arm and was out for the rest of the game. Corner/tackle Alberto Puente badly hurt two fingers and was out until the second quarter.
Despite these difficult losses, the Brahmas seemed indivisible and moving as a team rather than as individual players, which has been a familiar shortcoming for the season.
The score at the end of the first quarter was scoreless, but the second quarter saw that depleted energy at play. Santa Monica was finally able to break through the Brahmas’ defense and score two touchdowns.
It wasn’t all bad news from the notoriously flawed offensive lineup. Wide receiver/free safety/kick returner Alex Vales stood out in Saturday’s game in tackles, yards, and scoring the Brahmas’ only touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter.
Receivers coach Jamere Austin said he is glad his team is performing, but anticipating the loss is difficult even this late in the season.
“I’m happy that we actually fought and we didn’t give up. I just wish we could execute more,” Austin said. “We just have to listen as players and listen to ourselves as coaches and just put everything together. We still have our eyes focused on this year, but I’m hurting right now.”
Quarterback Peyton Pelletier recognizes where he fails, but he still believes in the efforts of his team.
“Our receivers did great, they are running deep every play,” Pelletier said. “I made some mistakes that caused some turnovers. Stats aside, losses aside, I can say that we all still put blood, sweat and tears into this game.”
Emotions ran high in the second half as two teammates on the Brahmas got into a verbal altercation that required separation.
This isn’t the first time the Brahmas have gotten emotional about their anticipated loss, but Saturday was a special brand of uninhibited rage.
The final score was 27-9 Santa Monica, with the only touchdown coming from Vales.
Head coach James Sims hasn’t given up on this year, but he looks forward to what they can accomplish in seasons to come.
“I feel beat up. You can’t have 29 players and then before the first quarter is out you lose two and three of them,” Sims said. “If we can get out of this season healthy and get everybody back with the new guys we have coming in, I look forward to next year, I really do.”
The Brahmas are hosting Antelope Valley for their homecoming game on Nov. 5. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.
