No. 22 Pasadena Upends No. 15 Palomar on the Road, 26-17

3C2A Football: Standings l Scoreboard

San Marcos, Calif. - The No. 22 Pasadena City College football (2-1) team kept its momentum rolling on Saturday evening by handing the host No. 15 Palomar College Comets (2-1) their first loss of the season in a gritty performance, 26-17. 

The Lancers established control early in the opening quarter behind sharp execution from quarterback Xavier Buckles and explosive running by Dom Ezeonye. After a slow first eight minutes of play for the offensive side of the football, Buckles dropped back and lofted a beautifully thrown lob pass downfield, finding Cam Mitchell in stride for a basket catch 25-yard touchdown. 

Palomar responded on the opening snap of the second quarter with a 44-yard touchdown pass and a successful two-point conversion to briefly take an 8-7 lead. The lead was short-lived, as Matthew Amin-Picado provided an immediate spark on the ensuing kickoff, breaking free for a 42-yard return to energize the Lancers' sideline and give the offense prime field position at the Palomar 49-yard line.

Capitalizing on the short field, the Lancers marched into the red zone. At the 9:17 mark, Buckles rolled to his right under heavy pressure, absorbed a hit as he threw across his body, and connected with Mitchell, who made a diving catch at the back of the end zone for a 12-yard score. The touchdown restored a 14-8 lead for PCC.

PCC's defense tightened its grip to preserve the advantage late in the half. With 3:22 remaining, relentless pressure on the quarterback forced a hurried throw that nearly resulted in an interception. Minutes later, defensive back Quishawn Stanford jumped a route for another near-pick, settling for a pass breakup. On the next play, Caeden Holcomb met a Palomar runner near the goal line and drove him backward to deny a potential score. Palomar attempted a 23-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the half, but the kick sailed wide right, sending Pasadena into the locker room up six.

The physical play carried into the second half as Ezeonye broke free for a game-high 44-yard run deep into Comet territory. Facing pressure on third-and-goal, Buckles lofted a 13-yard touchdown pass under duress to Dmariya Thomas at the 7:12 mark of the third quarter to push the lead to 20-11. A subsequent two-point run attempt was stopped at the goal line.

Kicker Zack Hutchinson added a pair of second-half field goals from 29 and 30 yards out, while Peter Aguilar blocked a Palomar point-after attempt early in the fourth quarter to help seal the 26-17 victory.

Quarterback Xavier Buckles paced the Pasadena City College offense by completing 10 of 18 passes for 131 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Wide receiver Cam Mitchell led all Lancers receivers with four catches for 75 yards and two touchdown receptions. Running back Dom Ezeonye anchored the ground game, racking up 165 rushing yards on 27 carries, highlighted by an explosive 44-yard burst in the third quarter. 

On defense, linebackers Caeden Holcomb (7), Arturo Ayers (6), and Gabriel Sulaiman (5) along with defensive back Desi Valdes spearheaded PCC's stops, with Holcomb leading the unit in total tackles and crucial short-yardage denials near the goal line. The Lancers protected the football well, committing just one turnover, an end-zone interception in the first quarter, while recovering their own lone fumble in the fourth quarter. On special teams, kicker Zack Hutchinson was flawless, scoring 8 points by going 2-for-2 on field goal attempts (29 and 30 yards) and converting both of his extra-point tries.

Head Coach Robert Tucker commented after the game, "I was really proud of our all-around effort on offense, defense, and special teams. Our offense controlled the line of scrimmage and did a great job of running the ball and protecting our quarterback.  

He continued about his defense and special teams, "On defense, we did a great job of stopping the run. Also, Zach Hutchinson probably had his best day kicking the ball as a Lancer. He was solid on all of his kickoffs, punts, and made two huge field goals."

(Pasadena City College Athletics)

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL CONFERENCE   

Cabrillo 21, Contra Costa 19
Chabot 42, Gavilan 0
De Anza 31, American River 13
Diablo Valley 31, Modesto 24
Feather River 56, Merced 20
Foothill 48, Reedley 22
Fresno 24, San Francisco 14
Monterey Peninsula 19, Santa Rosa 16
Redwoods 37, Sacramento 34 (2 OT)
San Joaquin Delta 43, Coalinga 37
San Mateo 10, Butte 7
Sequoias 37, Laney 18
Shasta 35, Los Medanos 10
Siskiyous 23, Hartnell 17
Sierra 57, San Jose 17 

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION

Antelope Valley 28, Grossmont 27
Cerritos 27, Santa Barbara 21
Chaffey 49, Moorpark 27
Desert 37, West LA 6
Golden West 31, Allan Hancock 27
Mt. San Antonio 43, El Camino 37 (OT)
Mt. San Jacinto 71, Los Angeles Southwest 0
Pasadena 26, Palomar 17
Riverside 64, Canyons 10
Saddleback 38, Fullerton 14
San Bernardino Valley 89, Compton 0
San Diego Mesa 68, Citrus 28
Santa Monica 30, Victor Valley 27  (2OT)
Southwestern 34, Long Beach 14
Ventura 21, Bakersfield 13  
Santa Ana 49, East LA 7