Tigers Overcome Mistakes, Slip by Citrus, 20-14; Enter Regional Playoffs Next Week

RIVERSIDE -- In a game which sent the Homecoming crowd home happy, the Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers football team overcame numerous miscues and played just well enough to defeat the visiting Citrus College Owls, 20-14, Saturday night (Nov. 15) at historic Arthur N. Wheelock Stadium in the regular season finale for both squads.

Riverside, 9-1 overall, 6-0 in National Central Conference (NCC) action, could have been accused of looking to next week's playoff opener as it had difficulty getting its offense going. But its defense turned in numerous timely plays. To wit, four interceptions, three sacks, three quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery.

RCC sophomore DB Ray Ford (J. Serra) sealed the deal with an interception near midfield which allowed the Tigers offense to "take a knee" three straight times as the clock expired.

Citrus (3-7, 2-4 NCC), playing like it had nothing to lose, led, 7-0, after the first quarter and 14-10 at halftime. In the first 30 minutes, the Owls outgained the Tigers, 179-124, including a huge difference passingwise, 160-52.

But the Tigers regrouped in the second half as the defense kept the Owls off the scoreboard.

RCC sophomore QB Nicholas King (Westchester HS), who completed only 13 of 27 passes (with one had intercepted), also has 12 rushes for 53 net rushing yards, including both TDs. Freshman PK Jimmy Camacho (Citrus Hill HS) booted home both PAT kicks, as well as two of four field goals to account for the rest of the scoring.

Camacho's 52-yard field goal with 11:10 left in the game capped the scoring. It was his second-longest of the season, and the fourth-longest in RCC history. (His season-long is a 53-yard FG. The RCC record is 55 yards by Frank Corral in 1974 agast Southwestern.)

Sophomore RB Denzel Foster was his usual self, toting the ball 17 times for 118 net rushing yards (zero for losses).

On defense, sophomore DL Miki Fangatua (Baldwin, HI) led the way with eight total tackles (four solo stops), 1-1/2 sacks (for a minus-ten yards) and two QB hurries.

For Citrus, sophomore QB Larry Cutbirth (Etiwanda HS), who ran for one TD, surprised the Tigers on several pass plays as he completed 26 of 55 attempts (with four interceptions) for 335 yards and one TD, a 48-yard scoring strike to freshman WR Patrick Smith with 2:41 left in the first half to give Citrus a 14-10 lead.

In the all-time series, which began with an 18-18 tie in 1927, the Tigers lead, 33-19-1.

As the top seed in the SoCal Poll, Riverside is expected to receive a home game on Saturday, Nov. 22. If so, the game at Wheelock Stadium would kickoff at 6 p.m.

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