The Southwestern College football team will take a three-game winning streak into Saturday’s non-conference game against the East Los Angeles College Huskies at DeVore Stadium.
Kick-off is 6 p.m.
The Jaguars recorded their first win of the season on Sept. 14 by holding off visiting Palomar College, 28-24, in a non-conference game to hand head coach Ed Carberry his 100th career community college victory.
Carberry’s troops promptly headed off on a two-game road trip to Victor Valley on Sept. 21 and Fullerton College last Saturday where they likely came up with their biggest two wins of the season.
Southwestern defeated Victor Valley, 41-17, and handed Fullerton a stinging 33-30 double-overtime defeat.
Southwestern enters Saturday’s game against East Los Angeles with a 3-1 record; the Huskies are 2-2 with wins over Orange Coast and Compton and losses to Cerritos and Mt. San Antonio.
Airwaves
Quarterback Josh Owen (Waco, Texas) continues to move the SWC offense. He completed 15 of 30 passing attempts for 354 yards and six touchdowns in the win over Victor Valley. The Jaguar signal-caller followed that up with 203 passing yards and three scoring passes in the overtime win over Fullerton.
Owen enters Saturday’s game with 769 passing yards and 10 touchdowns on the season against three interceptions. He’s also rushed for two touchdowns.
Owen completed a 15-yard scoring pass to Terry Wright (St. Augustine) for the winning score in double overtime against Fullerton.
Top receivers include Tysheid Dixon (five catches, 165 yards), Davion Johnson (five catches, 163 yards), Wright (16 catches, 139 yards), Tyler Saikhon (11 catches, 106 yards) and Matthew Linton (nine catches, 107 yards).
Johnson (Bedford/Cleveland) leads the group with three touchdowns while Linton (Summerville, S.C.) and Dixon (Serra) both have two touchdowns.
The Jaguars are averaging 333 offensive yards per game — 195 passing and 138 rushing.
Will Havrid Grossmont) tops the SWC rushing game with 172 yards on 35 carries while Keylan Chapman (DeSoto, Texas) has rushed for 133 yards on 36 carries.
Johnson is averaging 127 all-purpose yards per game and leads the team in scoring with 18 points.
Players of the week
Southwestern scored 24 unanswered points in last week’s victory after initially staring at a 10-0 deficit against host Fullerton.
Owen scored on a one-yard run to make the score 10-7, then tossed a 13-yard scoring pass to Linton to put the visitors ahead. Eastlake grad D.J. Del Fierro kicked a 24-yard field goal before Owen completed the 24-point run with a 27-yard scoring pass to Johnson.
The Hornets were forced to score two late touchdowns to force the game into overtime.
Del Fierro booted a 35-yard field goal to put the Jaguars ahead 27-24 in the first overtime but Fullerton’s Alec Fonseca tied the game, 27-27, on a 27-yard field goal.
In the second overtime tiebreaker, Fonseca split the uprights from 39 yards out to put the hosts ahead 30-27 on the scoreboard.
However, Southwestern went for the win as Owen passed to Wright for the game-winning touchdown.
“The offense turned it on by dominating the Hornets with over 400 yards in offense,” Carberry said. “The ground game was pounding out punishing runs.
“Our defense got a rest for the first time as the offense had 91 plays, including a 16-play drive. Our defense stood tall in the overtime by limiting Fullerton to two field goals in the two periods.”
The teams combined for 760 total yards in offense, with Southwestern totaling 408 yards and Fullerton racking up 352 yards.
Chapman (35 carries, 172 yards) and Wright (eight catches, 77 yards) earned offensive players of the week for their performances in last Saturday’s confidence-building win.
Bonita Vista alumnus Atoatasi Fox earned honors as the Jags’ defensive player of the week after logging seven total tackles, one fumble recovery and one interception.
Fierro grabbed honors as the team’s special teams player of the week by successfully converting two field goals and three extra-point conversions for nine kicking points.
Carberrry also credited the team’s special teams in helping sting the Hornets.
“Freshman place-kicker D.J. Del Fierro came up big with two field goals (including one in overtime) — a great memory and the key to our victory,” the SWC coach said.
Eastlake alumnus Josh McCurty leads the SWC defense with 22 total tackles, averaging 5.5 tackles per game. Andrew Schasa (Lincoln) follows with 15 tackles, including a team-leading 3.5 tackles for a loss.
Brealen Bettles (14 tackles) and Sekeli Manu (eight tackles) both have recorded two sacks
Fox was player of the game for the second week in a row for Southwestern while Schasa recorded four unassisted tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss in last Saturday’s win over Fullerton.
Game on
Carberry said his team shouldn’t take Saturday’s opponent lightly despite riding the crest of its current three-game winning streak.
“Their offense is spread formation that will come out throwing the ball when they get off the bus,” the SWC coach said. “Their quarterback has a solid arm and can pull it down and run. Their running backs are quick and their offensive line gets off the ball.”
Freshman quarterback Wesley Blazek (6-3, 205) from Teurlings Catholic High School in Laffayette, La., has thrown for 696 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions.
Sophomore running back Pierre Robinson (Paramount) has rushed for 134 yards on 33 carries.
Freshman receiver Justin Watkins (6’0-185) from Eastridge High School in Clermont, Fla., has 14 receptions for 222 yards and three touchdowns.
Carberry said the Huskies defense has good speed at the outside linebacker position as well as the defensive end spot.
Freshman Daniel Robledo (6-5-280) from Cholla High School in Tucson has recorded 17 total tackles with two sacks and 3.5 tackles for a loss.
Sophomore Malaetasi Sofa (6-0, 220) from Roosevelt High School in Honolulu has 15 total tackles, 2.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for a loss.
Sophomore Aaron Hill (6-4,190) from East St. Louis High School in East St. Louis, Ill., has made eight total tackles with one tackle for a loss and two interceptions.
The kicking game is an important part of the game plan for the Huskies, Carberry said.
“They have a left-footed punter/place kicker and run an old school punt team with everyone in tight,” Carberry noted. “They are aggressive on kickoff coverage. They have good speed to cover the field.”
Sophomore kicker Juan Rangel (Los Angeles Mendez HS) has made four field goals in seven attempts and 14 of 16 extra-point conversions. He’s also averaging 36.5 yards on 12 punts, with three punts inside the 20-yard line.
It appears the Jaguars will have their hands full this weekend if they are to extend their winning streak to four games.
