#1 RCC Football Builds Big Lead Early, Cruises Past #23 Long Beach

The top-ranked Riverside City College football team stormed out to a 30-7 halftime lead, eventually finishing off 23rd-ranked Long Beach City College, 44-21, in the 2024 season opener for both teams on Saturday night at Wheelock Stadium.

Sophomore quarterback Brady Jones completed 26 of 42 passes for 337 yards, while sophomore running backs Devyne Pearson and Brandon McMasters combined for five rushing touchdowns in Saturday's victory. Andre Branch finished as the team's top rusher, totaling 41 yards and an average of 5.9 yards per carry and freshman Dominic Cox was the top pass-catcher among nine different Tiger receivers, hauling in six passes for 76 yards.

Defensively, sophomores Ja'wuan Nickson and Tayven Anderson shared team-leading honors with six tackles apiece for RCC (1-0), with three of Nickson's stops being quarterback sacks, totaling 15 yards. Esaia Bogar had three tackles for loss, totaling six yards, while Nickson also had two quarterback hurries. 

Jett Peddy led LBCC (0-1) with 135 passing yards.

RCC travels to Huntington Beach this Saturday (Sept. 14) to take on Golden West College (1-0) in a 1 p.m. kickoff.