Sixth-Ranked Tigers Trounce Mt. San Jacinto in Homecoming Football Clash, 76-16

RIVERSIDE (Oct. 5) – The sixth-ranked Riverside City College (RCC) football team scored the game's first 34 points and built a 70-16 lead after three quarters en route to a commanding 76-16 victory over visiting Mt. San Jacinto in Southern California Football Association (SCFA) National Southern League action on Saturday afternoon at Wheelock Stadium.

The win was the third in a row for the Tigers, who are now 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the SCFA. Mt. San Jacinto fell to 3-2 and 1-1.

The first four touchdowns of the afternoon for RCC all culminated drives of shorter than one minute in duration. Big scoring plays from sophomore quarterback Brady Jones (Murrieta/Vista Murrieta HS) on a 44-yard run, a 69-yard pass from Jones to freshman Dominic Cox (Upland), and a 47-yard strike from Jones to sophomore Jackson Owens (Chanhassen, Minn./Minnetonka HS) accounted for the Tigers' first-quarter scoring, with the longest of those drives lasting just 30 seconds. RCC then racked on its fourth quick-strike offensive score of the game on the opening play of the second quarter, as freshman Marquis Monroe (Chino/Ayala HS) ran it in from 15 yards out.

The RCC defense got in on the scoring act twice on Saturday, including the Tigers' fifth touchdown of the game when sophomore Esaia Bogar (Rancho Cucamonga) scored on a 20-yard fumble return at the 11:15 mark of the second quarter. RCC led 34-8 at halftime.

The second half provided more of the same from an efficiency standpoint for the Tigers. A 27-yard pass from Jones to sophomore Omar Hammond (San Diego/Patrick Henry HS) on the first possession of the period capped a 26-second drive, and Jones later connected with Owens on a 54-yard TD pass. The final passing touchdown of the afternoon from the RCC offense was an 18-yard scoring pass from Jones to Monroe with just under five minutes left in the third quarter, pushing the lead to 55-8.

The Tigers' final three scores of the afternoon were two on the ground – by freshmen Devyn Turner (La Cañada Flintridge/St. Francis HS) and Kiyel Tyler-Shyne (Fontana/Kaiser HS) – sandwiched around a second defensive touchdown – this time a 30-yard interception return by freshman Shaheem Taylor (Las Vegas, Nev./Liberty HS) late in the third period.

Mt. San Jacinto, ranked 21st, picked up its only other score with 38 seconds left in the third quarter on a four-yard run and ensuing two-point conversion by Daniel Mendoza.

RCC amassed its 76 points and 651 yards of total offense despite possessing the football for just 25 and a half minutes of Saturday's contest. They tripled the visiting Eagles in total offense, holding Mt. San Jacinto to 217 total yards – mostly through the air.

Individually, Jones was once again the offensive catalyst for the Tigers, amassing team-leading totals of 433 passing yards (19 completions in 31 attempts) and 52 rushing yards. Four different players totaled 30 or more rushing yards, and the receiving corps, which included 10 different receivers, was led by 175 yards from Cox and 155 more from Owens.

Freshmen Taylor, Yoshua Yhisreal (El Paso, Texas/Chapin HS), and Timiko Jackson (Cincinnati, Ohio/La Salle HS) all had interceptions for the RCC defense, with sophomore Ja'wuan Nickson (Tuscaloosa, Ala./Hillcrest HS) leading all Tiger players with seven tackles.

RCC will have its lone bye week of the season next week, not returning to action until Oct. 19 at 3 p.m., when the Tigers travel to Grossmont College in El Cajon.