Once the SBCC football team established a ground game, there was no stopping the Vaqueros in a 43-7 win at L.A. Harbor on Saturday in Wilmington.
SBCC (2-1) rushed for 285 yards on 56 carries and scored three touchdowns on the ground in winning its second straight game.
Jerry Martin led the running attack with 121 yards on 21 carries, Omari Taylor had 104 on 14 rushes and Mekhi Norfleet ran for 69 yards on 9 carries.
With the running game going so well, the Vaqueros passed just 18 times for 134 yards. Coach Craig Moropoulos used four quarterbacks in the game, with Trento Luera having the best day, completing 5 of 8 passes or 58 yards. Carson Doyle had a touchdown, taking a flip from Marcus Bellon on a double-reverse pass and hitting Ben Ortiz for a 37-yard touchdown.
It was the first collegiate catch and touchdown for Ortiz, a Bishop Diego alum.
The defense also scored a touchdown as linebacker Tyler Haughney forced a fumble in the end zone and Bishop alum Ben Boeddeker recovered late in the first quarter to give SBCC a 10-7 lead. The touchdown came after Norfleet was stopped at the 1 on fourth and goal.
SBCC scored first in the game on a 35-yard Jorge Figueroa field goal at 12:48 of the first quarter.
L.A. Harbor struck back on a 75-yard pass play from quarterback Javin Fish to Kajuan Casey for a 7-3 lead.
After Boedekker’s fumble recovery put the Vaqueros in the lead, the Vaqueros got the ball back following a 22-yard punt to the L.A. Harbor 37. A penalty and a 16-yard run by Taylor put the ball at the 10, and Taylor finished the drive with a 10-yard TD run, padding the advantage to 17-7.
Figueroa kicked his second 35-yard field goal with 48 seconds left in the first half to give SBCC 20-7 halftime lead.
He hit the left upright on a 29-yard early in the second half, ending a streak of five in a row.
Shortly after the miss, defensive back Jack Kilpatrick intercepted a pass, setting up the third SBCC touchdown on the well-executed reverse pass. That made the score 27-7.
The Vaqueros got a safety in the third quarter when the L.A. Harbor quarterback was called for intentional grounding while attempting to pass from the end zone.
Martin completed a drive with a 1-yard touchdown at 13:34 of the fourth quarter for a 36-7 lead.
The final SBCC score came on a 6-yard run by quarterback Alex Johnson with 4:27 to go.
SBCC outgained L.A. Harbor 419 yards to 228.
The Vaquero defense had a big day, recording five sacks, holding L.A. Harbor to minus-2 yards rushing and forcing four turnovers: two fumble recoveries and two interceptions.