Deborah Jackson
A sense of elation permeated the air Monday at a team barbecue in the Field House at Shepard Stadium that had everything to do with the football team’s 17-8 upset victory over the Renegades at Bakersfield Saturday.
“It’s a major win for the program,” said head coach Dave Banuelos. “For anybody to go into Bakersfield and win is a major, major victory.”
Neither coaches nor players were exempt from the euphoria. And Pierce Athletic Director Bob Lyons was all smiles, describing the victory as “huge.”
Bakersfield was ranked No. 2 in the Western State College North Division before Saturday’s game with a 3-1 conference record (6-1 overall). The upset by Pierce bumped the Renegade loss column up to 2.
The Brahmas (now 2-3 in conference, 3-5 overall) jumped up and down on the sidelines Saturday in a celebration that continued on the bus ride home.
“That bus was turmoil,” said recruiting coordinator John Luger.
This was the third Brahma victory after a disappointing 0-3 start to the season. Banuelos attributed the win to team unity and to minimizing penalties.
“We walked out of this game with only four penalties,” Banuelos said. “I think that was the biggest factor in the win.”
Perhaps the victory was even sweeter because it was clinched in the second half.
Bakersfield was up 5-0 at the half after a first-quarter safety and a field goal, but running back Perry Wilson put the Brahmas on the board with a 10-yard run two minutes into the third quarter to make it 7-5.
The Brahmas struck again three minutes into the fourth quarter on a 72-yard run by wide receiver Ramon Perry, who raced to the end zone after a key block by wide receiver Daniel Smith. The point-after conversion was good, bringing the score to 14-5. Perry carried the ball eight times for a total of 131 yards.
Defensive end Lamarr Waiters said, “We came into the game very confident. Our coaches prepared us. They laid out a plan, and we executed it.”
The Renegades refused to quit and closed the gap on a 23-yard field goal with 3:28 left on the clock. Pierce completed the scoring on a 30-yard field goal by kicker Greg Fullerton for a smashing 17-8 win.
Banuelos feels the victory is also important for other reasons: “We feel if we can just continue the progress and control our emotions, there’s no reason why we can’t win the next two games and continue the momentum into the next year.”