What started out looking like a blowout for Santa Barbara City College turned sour with a fourth-quarter L.A. Valley comeback and a stunning 34-30 upset loss for the Vaqueros.
The Monarchs scored the game’s last two touchdowns, including an improbable 97-yard drive with 2:36 left and no timeouts for the go-ahead score with 9.6 seconds left.
SBCC, ranked 25th in the CCCSIA state poll, tastes defeat after four straight wins and is now 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the American Pacific League. L.A. Valley improves to 2-5 overall and 1-1 in the APL.
The Vaqueros started out looking like the heavy favorite they were, with two quick scoring strikes from quarterback Alex Johnson to former Dos Pueblos star Cyrus Wallace and later a 46-yard field goal by Jorge Figueroa for a 17-0 first quarter lead.
The first TD was set up by a fumble recovery by Vaquero Kai Singleton on the opening kickoff return at midfield. A quick and efficient drive resulted in Wallace leaping at the back of the end zone for a 15-yard pass from Johnson.
The Vaqueros then forced a three-and-out and partially blocked a punt, getting the ball at the Monarch 36. Three plays later, Wallace again made a tremendous end-zone catch on a 22-yard pass. Figueroa’s extra point made it 14-0 with just over 8 minutes left in the first quarter.
The two teams traded touchdowns in the second quarter, L.A. Valley on a 57-yard touchdown pass from TK Drayton to Dallas Martin, and then for SBCC on Johnson’s third touchdown pass of the game, 21 yards to Marcus Ballon. Halftime found SBCC up 24-7.
The Monarchs made a close contest of the game in the third quarter, scoring two unanswered touchdowns to narrow the gap to 24-21.
The fourth quarter opened with a 13-yard pass interception by Vaquero freshman defensive back Jack Kilpatrick for a score. A bad snap doomed the extra point, but the Vaqueros had a 30-21 lead.
The ensuing Monarch drive was helped by two 15-yard penalties assessed the Vaqueros, and ended with a two-yard keeper score by Drayton after a fake handoff. The extra point was missed, but the Monarchs were again within three, at 30-27 with 9:29 to go.
After an exchange of three-and-outs, the Vaqueros put together a drive from midfield that saw an apparent 12-yard TD pass from Johnson to Chase Wells called back on a holding call. The Vaqueros managed to get to the 3 yard line, but two pass incompletions turned the ball over to L.A. Valley. The ensuing throat-clutching drive, with a couple of spiked balls by Drayton to stop the clock, made it to the Vaquero 9-yard line after a 27-yard pass play to JaLani Ellison with just over 10 seconds left. Then Drayton found a wide-open Daniel Del Villar with 9.6 seconds left for the game-winner —and L.A. Valley’s first lead of the game.
Drayton ended up with 339 passing yards on 34 completions out of 48 attempts, with four touchdowns and one interception. Johnson was 17 for 29 for 222 yards and three touchdowns.
SBCC, normally a strong rushing team, was held to 84 net yards on the ground. Jerry Martin led that effort with 54 yards on 11 carries.