LA VALLEY SENDS MESSAGE WITH 23-7 VICTORY OVER CERRITOS

By Matthew Robinson

At a Los Angeles Valley College (LAVC) women's softball game this past March, former LAVC offensive coordinator JASON VANDIVER brought up the subject of the Monarchs football program trying to petition to move into the National Division. That division boasts a playoff tournament and annually gives its participants state-wide and four-year college recruiting respect. While the American Division which is the division that LAVC is in, has bowl games that only matter to the teams that play in them. So in essence, winning tonight will only help the Monarchs in their quest to somehow in the future secure a National Division invite. But that's a BIG if.

Meanwhile, the Monarchs used a punishing and stifling defense and offensive balance to knock off the Cerritos College Falcons (CC) 23-7 at Monarch Stadium.

It seemed like every time the Falcons thought they were making progress on offense, a Monarch defender always found a way to make sure the Falcons had to punt. The Monarchs made the Falcons earn every single last one of the 160 yards that the latter gained tonight.

The Monarchs confused and aggravated the Falcon offense with three-man fronts, that yielded so many spying or blitzing defenders. And the Monarchs rotated so many bodies on defense, that the Falcons couldn't just focus on neutralizing the same old key defenders who never left the game.

It was defenders like outside linebackers CARSON LYDON (5 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and 1 sack) and FREDERICK WORTHAM (1 tackle for loss, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 pass broken up) and left cornerback JUSTIN HARRIS (4 tackles and 1 interception), who helped make this game a miserable exercise for the Falcon offense.

Falcon quarterback NICK MITCHELL (9 of 21 for 46 yards, 0 touchdown and 1 pick) could never really set his feet or go through his progressions tonight, as those aforementioned defenders and the Monarch defensive line chased him like a K-9 dog would a wanted suspect.

On offense, 288 yards total offense may not look like much to a lot of people, but the Monarchs made every single last one of those yards count. The Monarchs used two quarterbacks and four running backs to keep the Falcon defense occupied all night.

But one must give credit to the Falcon defense though. They pass rushed and defended the run well enough to not have the Monarchs just bludgeon them. The Falcon defense was led by linebacker KIJON WASHINGTON (5 tackles included 2.5 TFL's) who seemed to be everywhere and so fired up tonight. His motor and spirit helped keep the Falcons from getting blown out.

The Monarchs scored first when KALAWAIA JUDD (15 of 19 for 73 yards and 1 score) found a wide open BRANDON BROOKS (4 catches for 34 yards and 1 score) in the back of the end for an 8-yard touchdown connection. With 2:22 left in the first quarter the Monarchs took a 7-0 lead. The drive was keyed by a 23-yard run by running back DAMON RIGGINS (16 carries for 73 yards) who took a Judd handoff through a big right side hole to the Falcon 48-yard line.

Early in the second quarter, a Wortham fumble recovery at the CC 40 gave the Monarchs another chance to get some points on the board. But all the Monarchs got from the drive, was a mishandled snap-----a 4^th and goal 23-yard field goal attempt-----by the holder and a subsequent pass by kicker RODOLFO OLIVEROS that was aimed to an area where no LAVC player was present.

But the Monarchs got redemption for that failed drive, when wide receiver AHKIL CRUMPTON (6 catches for 93 yards and 1 score) took a Falcon punt near mid field, with him then taking off to his right where he found a ton of room and the end zone for a 48-yard punt return for a score. The score moved to 14-0 LAVC with 6:12 left in the second quarter.

The Monarchs later added to their lead when backup quarterback CHRISTIAN JORGENSEN executed a play fake to Riggins, and then he looked to his right where he found Crumpton for a wide open 48-yard touchdown pass. That play gave the Monarchs a 20-0 lead with 3:45 left in the first half. In less than three minutes Crumpton already had two scores.

Late in the third quarter the Falcons saw their best chance to score die when a Mitchell pass down field ended up in the hands of Harris, who leapt a few inches in the air and then snagged Mitchell's pass which he took the LAVC 25 yard line. The fact that the Monarchs had to punt a few plays after that theft is beside the point, because Harris' pick ended a potential Falcon scoring drive.

After a long lull in scoring by both teams, the Monarchs finally broke the seal with a successful 42-yard field goal by Olivares to give the Monarchs a 23-0 lead with 5:45 left in the game.  

And finally! After fifty-eight minutes and thirty five seconds of elapsed time off the game clock, the Falcons finally got on the board when running back LAMARR CROWDER took a Mitchell hand off down to the right side of the field, with him ending the run inside the right corner of the end zone. With 1:25 left in the game the score moved to 23-7 Valley.

On the Monarchs' last offensive drive of the game, they did a lot of running as to bleed the clock and move on to their game against College of the Desert next week.