Sixth-Ranked RCC Football Blasts Palomar in SCFA Opener, 52-14

RIVERSIDE (Sept. 28) – The sixth-ranked Riverside City College (RCC) football team outscored Palomar College 35-0 in the second half, enabling the Tigers to cruise to a 52-14 win over the visiting Comets in the Southern California Football Association (SCFA) opener for both schools on Saturday afternoon at Wheelock Stadium.

RCC improved to 3-1 on the season (1-0 SCFA) with its second consecutive blowout victory. The Tigers had defeated El Camino, 70-45, on Sept. 21.

On Saturday, RCC scored the game's first points on a four-yard run by sophomore quarterback Brady Jones (Murrieta/Vista Murrieta HS) with 3:57 left in the first quarter. Palomar tied the game early in the second quarter, and the two teams exchanged scores until late in the first half, when Tiger freshman Luis Marin (Covina/Charter Oak HS) broke a 14-all tie with a 28-yard field goal.

RCC turned a close game into a blowout with a big third quarter, piecing together three scoring drives in the period. Sophomore Jackson Owens (Chanhassen, Minn./Minnetonka HS) had a 28-yard scoring catch from Jones on the Tigers' first possession of the second half, and freshman Marquis Monroe (Chino/Ayala HS) scored on a five-yard run seven minutes later. Jones, who finished the game with 480 yards of total offense, then collected his second touchdown run of the afternoon on the Tigers' next possession, taking it in from 24 yards out for a 38-14 lead.

The scoring continued for RCC in the fourth quarter, as Jones connected with freshman Dominic Cox (Upland) on a 52-yard strike on the first play of the final stanza. Sophomore Devyne Pearson (Temecula/Chaparral HS) then capped the scoring with a seven-yard run with 7:46 remaining.

Jones completed 26 of 39 passes for 381 yards and three touchdowns, adding 99 rushing yards on 10 carries. Pearson finished as the game's top rusher with 127 yards on 20 attempts, and Cox led a balanced receiving corps with six receptions for 95 yards.

While the Tigers' offense flourished, amassing 727 yards of offense with a nearly even split between the passing (395) and running (332) game, the RCC defense also thrived. Palomar, 1-3 overall and 0-1 in the SCFA, was held to 220 yards of total offense including just 34 net yards on the ground. RCC totaled seven tackles for loss, contributing to the Comets' rushing total.

Freshman Ahamad Chapman (San Bernardino/Cajon HS) led the way with seven tackles, an interception, and two passes broken up, and freshman Myles Hancock (Corona/Centennial HS) had two tackles for loss, including a quarterback sack.

RCC remains home this next Saturday (Oct. 5), hosting Mt. San Jacinto College in its annual Homecoming contest at 1 p.m. at Wheelock Stadium.