Top-ranked Riverside Rolls to 77-7 Homecoming Win Over L.A. Harbor; Hosts El Camino Saturday

RIVERSIDE -- Scoring early and often, the Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers football team scored 28 points in the first-quarter and never looked back in a 77-7 National Central League (NCL) home win over the Los Angeles Harbor College Seahawks last Saturday (Oct. 22).

Riverside City (7-0 overall, 2-0 in NCL play), added 21 points in the second quarter for a 49-0 halftime lead and led, 70-0, at the end of the third quarter. LAHC managed its lone score on an 85-yard fumble recovery with just under 12 minutes left in the game before RCC added its eleventh touchdown midway through the fourth quarter to cap the scoring.

With such a resounding win, RCC figures to remain the top-ranked team in the state for what should be the sixth consecutive week once next week's poll is released on Tuesday, Oct. 25, by the California Community College Football Coaches Association (CCCFCA) and the Junior College Athletic Bureau (JCAB).

Against L.A. Harbor (1-6 overall, 0-2 NCL), RCC won the coin flip, elected to receive and advanced the opening kick return to the LAHC 43-yard line. Six plays later, sophomore wide receiver Dominique Maiden (Temecula Valley HS) gathered in a seven-yard scoring strike from sophomore quarterback Collyn Anderson (Durham, NC / Hillside [NC] HS '12) with only 2:30 elapsed in the game. Freshman place kicker John Hilfer (Redlands / Redlands East Valley HS) booted home the first of all seven point after touchdowns and RCC led, 7-0.

Midway through the first quarter, the Tigers were mired in a five-play, eight-yard drive before sophomore running back Eltoro Allen (Elk Grove HS) raced up the middle for a 70-yard TD run and RCC soon led, 14-0.

Three minutes later, sophomore tailback Seth Acda (Murrieta / Vista Murrieta HS '15) -- who is pictured -- capped a five-play, 61-yard drive with a nine-yard TD run with 3:18 left and the Tigers soon led, 21-0. Sophomore wide receiver Darious Hunter (Prosper, TX) capped a four-play, 69-yard drive when he latched only a 31-yard TD pass reception from Anderson for the fourth score of the opening stanza.

Hunter -- a son of former Major League Baseball outfielder Torii Hunter -- added back-to-back TD catches, a 21-yarder in the second quarter and a 30-yarder in the third quarter. Hunter finished with a co-team-high five receptions for 86 yards. Maiden also had five receptions, but for 95 yards, one TD and a long gain of 44. Anderson, who only  played in the first half, completed 18 of 25 passes with one interception for 262 yards and five TD passes. He was sacked once.

For the second consecutive game, Acda and Allen each topped the century in net yards gained rushing. Acda had 14 carries for 130 net ruhing yards (minus two in losses) with two TDs. Allen had six totes for 124 net yards gained rushing (zero for losses) with two TDs as well.

On defense, Arnell Anderson (Chicago, IL / Simeon [IL] HS '14) had eight total tackles (one solo), one tackle for a loss of three yards. Sophomore Ethan Pulley (Rancho Cucamonga HS) had six total tackles (three solo), including two tackles for losses of five yards one of which was one sack for a minus four yards and a fumble recovery.

In terms of total offense yardage, Riverside outgained L.A. Harbor, 611 to 143. The Tigers outgained the Panthers in passing yards, 343-60.

For L.A. Harbor, although starting quarterback Justice Augafa (South Anchorage, AK HS) was zero for seven on passes and had 13 rushing attempts for 37 net yards (with one sack), hal teamse made himself known on defense and special teams. Augafa had four total tackles (three solo) -- one of which was severe enough late in the third quarter to warrant a personal foul. He also had an 85-yard fumble recovery for a TD on defense. Additionally, on special teams, Augafa had a 70-yard kick return midway through the third quarter after RCC had extended its lead to 63-0.

Looking ahead to next Saturday (Oct. 29), Riverside will host the El Camino College Warriors at historic Arthur N. Wheelock Stadium in a 6 p.m. kickoff. In the all-time series, RCC trails, 13-6.

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Recapping last week's poll, Riverside collected 12 first-place votes in the latest poll and increased its lead over former No. 2-ranked Saddleback when the Gauchos lost, 20-17, to unranked Golden West.

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RCC head coach Tom Craft, who is his seventh season at the Tigers' helm, brings an overall record of 65-10 (through the previous six seasons, 2010-15, plus the first seven games of 2016) into the Tigers' next game (Saturday, Oct. 29) versus El Camino. Craft has guided the Tigers to five bowl victories and five conference championships (2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, co-2015).

In 2015, RCC was 8-3 overall, 5-1 in the National Central League (NCL). In 2013 and 2014, Riverside was 10-2 overall, 6-0 in the National Central Conference (NCC) each season.

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