No. 7 Riverside Drops Second Straight, Falls to No. 5 Canyons
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Riverside (4-1) | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
|
Canyons (5-0) | 7 | 20 | 7 | 7 | 41 |
For the first time since 2018, the Riverside City College football team will have two losses etched in their overall record after suffering their second-consecutive defeat this past Saturday to No. 5 College of the Canyons.
It is the first time in the Tom Craft era, which has spanned for just over a decade, that the Tigers have lost back-to-back games.
It was a tight contest early on as both teams were gridlocked at seven-all entering into the second quarter despite an opening-drive pick-six from the Cougars. But by the opening whistle of the second quarter, it was all Canyons.
In the ensuing 30 minutes of play, the Cougars outscored Riverside 27-3. Three of Riverside's drives ended in interception and the other four in punts.
Riverside was not effective on third down as they had a 43% efficiency rating (6-for-14) and only converted one of two fourth down attempts. They were held to just over five yards-per-play despite amassing just under 400 yards of total offense.
The quarterback play was split, but not entirely productive. Freshman Budd Bernie earned the nod under center for the fourth-straight week and produced season low marks going 11-for-22 with 86 yards and two interceptions. Freshman Jordan Barton came in and completed half of his attempts going 15-for-30 with 194 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. Both of Barton's touchdowns came in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore Ricardo Chavez continued to do hi thing by converting his only attempt in the second qaurter. He knocked down a 36-yard field goal. It is the fourth-consecutive game where he has booted home at least three points.
Freshman Lawrence Starks hauled in the first touchdown pass from Barton going for 15 yards, while freshman Marquise Ashley connected with him for a 16 yard grab.
While offense has come at a scarcity, Ashley continues to be a threat in the aerial attack. In all four games, he has caught at least two catches highlighted by his five catches against Canyons. Sophomore Jammal Houston was the top receiver with five catches for 68 yards.
Freshman Dean Connors and sophomore Thomas Kinslow handled the bulk of the load in the backfield as they each carried the ball nine times. Connors found the end zone for the Tiger's first score on a four-yard tote. He has now found the zone in three of Riverside's four games.
Defensively, the woes continued. Riverside allowed nine yards-per-pass and 7.1 yards-per-play. They fell victim to a Canyons offense that produced a 483 yards and 41 points. It was the most points a Riverside defense has allowed since November of 2017.
Freshman Gage Summers led the team with six tackles, while sophomore Noa Purcell and Peter Lewis each tallied five. Freshman Demontti Peoples recorded one of three takeaways with an interception, while sophomore Alex Oyawale and sophomore Nathan Bolton each recovered a fumble. Freshman Ed Riley recovered one of the two fumbles.
