K. Fitzgerald, Craft Highlight 19 All-SCFA Southern Recognitions
K. Fitzgerald, Craft Highlight 19 All-SCFA Southern Recognitions
In the midst of reaching the 2019 California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Championship game, the Tigers earned several All-Southern California Football Association (SCFA) Southern Regional recognitions. Highlighting the bunch is sophomore linebacker Kobey Fitzgerald who was named the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year and Head Coach Tom Craft who hauled in his third-consecutive SCFA Southern Coach of the Year award.
Craft hauls in his third-straight SCFA Southern Coach of the Year honor and in his 10th year at the helm. Following a season in which he currently boasts a 12-0 record, the strongest mark in his career, he earned his 100th win as RCC's Head Coach after defeating his former team, the Mt. San Antonio College Mounties, 48-0 in the SCFA Regional Semifinal contest. He followed by defeating the College of the Canyons Cougars, 68-21, to win his first-career Southern Regional Championship as Riverside's head coach. Craft is the first California Community College head coach to win 100+ games with two programs. He accomplished this feat at Palomar College. He will compete for a state championship on Saturday, December 14 against the College of San Mateo Bulldogs for his first title with RCC. Furthermore, it is the third-straight season that Craft has coached a Defensive or Offensive Player of the Year.
K. Fitzgerald, the defensive captain, earned Defensive Player of the Year honors following a season in which he paced his team in tackles and anchored one of the best line backing cores and defensive units in the state. In 12 starts, the sophomore bruiser recorded 55 tackles, two sacks, forced two fumbles, recovered three fumbles and scored one defensive touchdown. He recorded his touchdown, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery all on one play. In the Southern Regional Championship game against College of the Canyons, Fitzgerald came out of halftime and chased the quarterback down in the end zone for a strip-sack and recovered the ball in the end zone for the score. He has recorded four or more tackles in 10 games highlighted by a nine-tackle game in a win over San Diego Mesa.
Below is the complete list of Riverside's All-SCFA selections.
| FIRST TEAM ALL-SCFA SOUTHERN | YEAR | POSITION | SECOND-TEAM ALL-SCFA SOUTHERN | Year | POSITION |
| $ Kobey Fitzgerald | Sophomore | Linebacker | Theo Bullard | Sophomore | Offensive Lineman |
| Ryan Suliafau | Freshman | Center | Ricardo Chavez | Freshman | Place Kicker |
| * Donny Long | Sophomore | Offensive Lineman | Rolandiss Whitener Jr. | Freshman | All-Purpose |
| Anthony Rodriguez | Freshman | Tight End | Dylan Laurent | Freshman | Utility |
| * Giovanni Sanders | Freshman | Wide Receiver | Isaia PaoPao | Sophomore | Safety |
| Tyler Kinslow | Freshman | Running Back | |||
| * Jacob Barlage | Freshman | Quarterback | |||
| James Hansen | Freshman | Defensive Lineman | |||
| Alex Navarro-Silva | Freshman | Defensive End | |||
| Zechariah Holifield | Sophomore | Linebacker | |||
| * Kue Olotoa | Sophomore | Linebacker | |||
| * Rey Estes | Freshman | Cornerback | |||
| * Shawn Dourseau | Freshman | Safety | |||
| Martinique Finn | Freshman | Kick Returner |
$ - Player of the Year
* - Unanimous Selection