Overcome

San Bernardino, CA – After two straight games in which the Citrus College Football team's offense had put up big numbers and had shown big flashes in the first half of their respective games, the Owls had to overcome a little adversity on Saturday night when they travelled to San Bernardino Valley College. The Owls did overcome the slow start turning a paltry 10-9 lead at the break into a 33-9 victory against the Wolverines.

Things looked like they were just going to pick up where they left off from Citrus' previous week, when they took their very first offensive and scored. Granted the Owls were got great field position thanks to a forced fumble sophomore defensive end Aubrey Coleman that was recovered by freshman defensive lineman Vaughn Hoskins at the San Bernardino 25, but a 17 yard strike from sophomore quarterback Brian Meyette to sophomore wideout Henry Tarin had made things look promising.

That 17 yard strike was the most offense the Owls would muster until a pair of solid drives late in the second quarter. Luckily for the offense, the defense was game. The Citrus "D" held San Bernardino too three points after the Wolverines got the ball on the Owl 20 yard line and had made it all the way down to the Citrus four. The defense again made lemonade out of lemons twice more before the half when the Wolverines made two more field goals, both of which came when the San Bernardino started inside Citrus territory.

Citrus' best two drives in the second quarter, still came up a little short. The first which saw the Owls go from their own 35 all the way down to the SBVC 11, ended on a missed field goal, and the second which had the Owls get great field possession once again ended with a made field goal this one by freshman Torbin Jorgensen that put Citrus back on top 10-9.

Things finally started to click for the offense on the opening drive of the second half. Citrus needed just nine plays to go 71 yards, culminating in a seven yard touchdown pass from Meyette to sophomore Gino Mastandrea that made it 17-9. The Owls would score once more in the third, getting a two-yard TD run by freshman Daniel Williams, and twice in the fourth. The first score in the fourth was on another Meyette TD pass when he found freshman Jacob Bystry from seven yards out, and the second was a defensive score when a bad snap on a punt by the Wolverines ended up out of the back of their end zone thanks to freshman George Duffey helping chase down the ball.

In the win, Meyette finished 17 of 30 for 166 yards and those three touchdowns. Freshman Devin Floyd was the game's leading rusher with 74 yards on 10 carries, while Mastandrea caught a game high six balls for 60 yards and a score. On defense sophomore Carlos Delgado had a team high seven tackles. Sophomore Samuel Edwards added six, including a sack, and a forced fumble.

The Owls will take the next week off before resuming SCFA play on October 1^st against Southwestern College (3-0) inside Citrus College Stadium at 6:00 PM.