PCC Football Wins Yards Battle, But Cerritos Takes Game, 27-17

Freshman quarterback Dejon Williams passed for 354 yards and the Pasadena City College football team offense outgained opponent Cerritos College in total yards, 456-375, in their SCFA National Northern Conference encounter Saturday night. However, the Lancers couldn’t overcome five turnovers and a blocked punt and fell to the SoCal No. 7-rated Falcons, 27-17, at Robinson Stadium.

PCC (2-3, 1-1 in conference) never led, falling behind 7-0, 20-9 by halftime and eventually 27-9 through three quarters. The Lancers battled back to cut it to 10, but twice were intercepted on drives inside Cerritos territory to thwart a rally.

Cerritos (3-2, 1-1) led 13-6 thanks to a 23-yard TD run by Joseph Donnell and a 30-yard blocked punt return for a touchdown by Javon Thompson.

Running back Justin Carroll scored both PCC touchdowns, first on a 38-yard screen pass from Williams as Carroll dodged a host of Cerritos tacklers on his way to a score 1:02 into the second quarter. He later busted the middle for a 4-yard TD run with 7:44 left. He caught the ensuing 2-point conversion pass from Williams that cut the lead to 10. Franklyn Cervanka kicked a 32-yard field goal with 1:10 left in the first half for the Lancers other points.

Williams’ passing yards total was the most in a game by a PCC QB since Cesar Hernandez threw for 445 yards v. College of the Desert in 2011. Sophomore wide receiver J. Turner Jackson made nine catches for 145 yards. Meanwhile, Carroll rushed for a team-high 49 yards in nine carries and added 69 yards in four receptions.

PCC’s defense recorded three interceptions by defensive backs Robert Morgan, Rodon Ogilvie and Idrissa Simpson. Another DB Austin Alexander totaled a team-high nine tackles.

Maybe the killer sequence for Pasadena was with little less than four minutes remaining before halftime, trailing just 13-6. The Lancers decided to go for it on 4th-and-1 from their own 45-yard line but Williams’ sneak was cut short for a 1-yard loss by a fine tackle by lineman Iuta Mailoto. Cerritos took over on downs and immediately scored on a 44-yard TD bomb down the sideline by Jimmy Walker to receiver Domonique Young, increasing the Falcons lead to 20-6.

The Lancers return to action next Saturday, October 11 when they play at East Los Angeles College in a 6 p.m. non-conference game.