After another slow start, the Bakersfield College defense came through late in the second half to hold onto the game against the El Camino Warriors.
BC improved their record to 7-1 after beating Ventura College 27-24 in overtime on Oct. 23 and El Camino, 21-14 on homecoming. The Renegades have extended their win streak to three games giving them a 3-0 record in the National Northern Conference.
The Renegades and the Warriors went scoreless in the first quarter, but on the first possession of the second quarter, The Warriors ground game put a cap on the possession by punching it in for six.
BC would tie the game at seven late in the first half on a 10-play drive for 80 yards. The series developed with running back Andre Smith starting to build momentum, and ended with quarterback Lyle Negron completing passes of 14, three, nine, 40 and two yards, followed by an eight yard run for the touchdown from Negron.
Negron ended up passing for 153 yards and one touchdown on 13-of-23 attempts, while Smith rushed for 165 yards, a season high, and one touchdown on 29 carries.
In the second half, BC opened with a three-and-out and the Warriors capitalized on it. El Camino drove down the field on eight straight rush attempts and scored on a five-yard rush attempt by Peter Walton.
The Renegades would again rally, this time late in the third. BC drove down the field in much the same fashion the last Renegade scoring drive went. Smith for a 11, 15, five and 14 yard pickup and Negron completing the necessary passes to keep the drive alive and then completing the 16-yard pass to tight end Jared Hood for the touchdown to tie the game at 14 and end the quarter.
BC’s defense took a stance in the fourth shutting down El Camino on five plays, and the offense did their part by tacking on another touchdown.
Smith, who many fans say had his best game of the season, had several solid gains to keep the Renegades attacking and then finishing off the drive with a 2-yard rush to give the Renegades a 21-14 final score.
From there on out, BC’s defense held firm, and on two possessions, forced two three-and-outs to put the game in their offenses hands.
The Renegades offense ran the ball down to the four-yard line and decided to let the clock expire without the attempt to score.
The week before against Ventura, The Pirates controlled the game in the first half, putting up 17 points, most of which came from their starting quarterback Antavius Sims. Sims threw for 242 yards on 22-of-39 attempts while rushing for three touchdowns and 121 yards on 34 carries.
But the Renegades defense would show up when they were needed the most.
On the Pirates final possession of the fourth and on Ventura’s overtime possession, the Renegades hung tough and held the Pirates scoreless. In overtime, the Pirates had possession first and failed to gain any yards with three plays for losses and an incomplete pass.
BC’s offense struggled throughout only picking up 36 yards on the ground and Negron struggling to find his targets, going 13-for-24 with one interception. However, he did complete one of the most crucial passes of the game to give the Renegades a chance at a comeback.
All in one series, BC started to re-assert their selves back into the game. It started with an illegal-46-yard-would-be pass that found Negron headed to the bench, replaced with backup Byron Campbell.
Two plays later, Campbell threw – his only pass of the game – a 37-yard pass to wideout Loren Kolb, but was injured on the play, bringing Negron back into the game. And on the next play, Negron dropped back to pass and threw a 55-yard touchdown to Kolb bringing the Renegades to within seven, 24-17 with just over 10 minutes to go in the fourth.
Kolb finished with seven catches for 162 yards and two touchdowns.
The Renegades, 6-1 overall, tied the game at 24 on defense with a forced fumble by linebacker Tierney Yates. The fumble was recovered and returned 53 yards for the score by linebacker John Oglesby.
After the failed possession in overtime by the Pirates, BC gained five yards on an encroachment penalty setting up place kicker Josh Gallington for a 35-yard kick for the win. Ventura had 15 penalties for a loss of 120 yards.
Gallington not only made this field goal, but also has gone 10-for-10 on the season and 37-of-38 on PATs.
The Renegades maintain their No. 2 ranking and travel to Cerritos before returning home to play College of the Canyons in the final game of the regular season.