The Bakersfield College Renegades lost and won in their final two regular-season games and are headed to the playoffs but will not host the Golden Empire Bowl game.
BC led Cerritos College going into the fourth quarter of their game on Nov. 6, and then Cerritos started to come back and tied the game at 21. But BC still had a chance to win on the final play of the game with a 47-yard field goal attempt. Cerritos blocked the attempt, and pulled off the unimaginable and won 27-21.
BC set up for a field goal attempt with one second on the clock, and after Cerritos used up three timeouts to try to ice kicker Josh Gallington, Falcons’ free safety Keith McGill blocked the attempt. Defensive back Tyrone Taylor picked it up and ran 62 yards the other way before pitching it back to McGill, who ran for 35 yards and the touchdown as time expired.
The Renegades controlled the game with a solid combination of rushing and passing, but allowed the Falcons to get back in the game with their ground game. Cerritos racked up 282 rushing yards with three touchdowns.
BC head coach Jeff Chudy spoke about how the game ended.
“You know, sometimes that’s how the game of football goes,” he said. “Our guys gave a good effort, but there are some things you just can’t control.”
Against College of the Canyons, the defense dominated and helped the Renegades to a 41-14 victory. On the opening drive for Canyons, it looked like it would be a rough day for the Renegades when the Cougars drove the ball down to the one-yard line, but after an illegal procedure penalty that moved Canyons back to the six-yard line, the Cougars missed a 27 yard field goal.
The defense played strong all game and held the Cougars to 25 yards rushing. They did allow 201 passing yards with one touchdown, but most of the pass yardage was the Cougars trying to play catch up. The Renegade defense also helped put points on the board with a series of Cougar miscues that led to points.
Early in the second quarter, Cougar quarterback Justin Arias fumbled the ball and linebacker Tierney Yates recovered it at the Canyons’ 18-yard line. Four plays later, running back Julian Dean-Johnson rushed one yard for the touchdown. After the kickoff for a touchback, Arias dropped back to pass and was hit as he released the pass, defensive back Tyler Dogins intercepted the pass and returned it 25 yards for the touchdown.
After returning the pick for a touchdown, Dogins wasn’t done.
On the kick return for the Cougars, Jarrel Jordan was hit by Dogins and fumbled the ball into the hands of defensive back Zach Vasquez. The Renegades wouldn’t manage any points off the turnover, but late in the second quarter after another Arias interception – this one intercepted by Dillon Meadows – BC drove down the field from their own 37 and finished the drive with a 10-yard pass from quarterback Lyle Negron to wideout Brandon Hobdy for the touchdown giving BC the lead 31-0.
The Renegades added 10 points with a 37-yard field goal by Gallington in the third and a Dean-Johnson 18-yard rush in the fourth quarter.
Dean-Johnson ended with three touchdowns on 15 carries for 52 yards.
After the game, Chudy talked about how the team performed.
“Obviously to be extremely proud as coaches would be an understatement and for them to come out with the type of intensity and the type of energy that we had the first half was truly a statement on what type of football team we have here,” said Chudy. “We don’t have guys that look the part, we just have guys that play. We created some turnovers and were flying around defensive and offensively we came off the ball and put hats on guys.
“I was totally impressed with how our attitude was and the fact that we took the initiative right from the start because both teams were playing for the same scenarios.”