Jaguars knock off Hornets in double-OT
- Updated: September 30, 2019
Members of the Southwestern Jaguars celebrate the win on Saturday night in Fullerton.
2019 COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOOTBALL
SOUTHWESTERN 33, FULLERTON 30 (2 OT)
EastCountySports.com staff report
FULLERTON – Southwestern College connected on a 15-yard touchdown pass in the second overtime from quarterback Joshua Owen to receiver Terry Wright, lifting the 21st-ranked Jaguars over the 12th-ranked Fullerton Hornets, 33-30, here on Saturday night.
The score prevented a heartbreaking loss fo Southwestern after the Jaguars led 24-10 with just over three minutes left in the game. Instead, the Jags won their third straight.
“They had Fullerton across the front of their jerseys but as we told our players during the week, we’re not playing all those (former) guys, we’re playing this year’s team,” Southwestern head coach Ed Carberry said.
Southwestern’s wide receivers made terrific catches in the end zone but the bulk of the work was performed by sophomore Keylan Chapman, who rushed 35 times for 172 yards.
Southwestern players celebrate following the win over Fullerton on Saturday night.
“We just beat them into submission,” Carberry said. “Keylan ran like a man possessed. He had a monster game.”
Fullerton scored the first touchdown of the game on their second offensive series on an impressive 42-yard scamper by Brandon Rankins.
The Hornets made it 10-0 at 6:16 in the first quarter on a 24-yard chip shot by Alec Fonseca. A 58-yard catch and run set up the boot, as the Jaguars didn’t have much right go for them over the first six minutes of the game.
Southwestern answered, however, with an 11-play drive that ended with a 1-yard rush by Owen with 43 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Jags took the lead with 3:51 left in the first half when Owen led a 10-play drive that resulted in a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Matthew Linton on a terrific catch in the back right corner, as Southwestern led 14-10 at halftime.
SWC took at 17-10 lead just a little over two minutes into the second half when a 12-play drive culminated in Dino Del Fierro’s 24-yard field goal.
The Jaguars took a two-touchdown lead with a score midway through the fourth quarter when Owen threw a 27-yard touchdown to Davion Johnson, who made an awesome grab near the left sideline of the end zone, wrestling with his defender for the ball to secure the six.
“We thought it would come down to a handful of big plays,” Carberry said. “We knew we weren’t going to rush for big yards against these guys. But we did. We rushed for 200 yards.
Down by two touchdowns, the Hornets went on an 11-play drive that resulted in a 19-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Quinn Commans to Turek Taylor with just over three minutes left in the game.
Fullerton immediately went for an onside kick and recovered the ball on the Southwestern 48-yard line.
Hornet running back Lucky Avinger stunned the Jaguar defense, which had been having a very good night, with a 29-yard touchdown with a minute-and-a-half left in regulation The PAT tied the game up at 24-all.
The Jaguars ran the clock out, sending the game into overtime.
Southwestern took eight plays on its first possession from the 25, as Del Fierro hit a 35-yard field goal.
Fullerton answered with a field goal on a 24-yarder.
The Hornets took the lead in the second overtime, hitting a 39-yard field goal.
The Jaguar defense had a great night against Fullerton.
Sophomore Atoa Fox had a strip and a fumble recovery, followed by an interception, in the third quarter. He finished with seven tackles.
Ubaldo Torres had two tackles for loss and three QB hurries.
Freshman Josh McCurty led the way for Southwestern with eight total tackles and a pair of QB hurries.
Drew Schasa had seven tackles for the Jaguars.
“The defense played very well until the end,” Carberry said. “I don’t know if they were tired, or what?”
Owen finished 20-of-40 for 203 yards and the three touchdowns.
Chapman, a University of Oregon bounce-back from DeSoto, Texas, had 133 yards over his first three games but head coach Ed Carberry decided to use him exclusively to carry the load on the ground.
Southwestern out-gained Fullerton, 408-352, and converted 4-of-5 fourth-down attempts.
“It was our best offensive game of the year,” Carberry said. “In the second overtime, we said, ‘if we’re going to win this game, we have to be bold.'”
The game, unfortunately, had 29 penalties for 303 yards.
