Football Takes Over Top Spot in State Polls

The Riverside City College football team has taken over the top spots in the JC Athletic Bureau Coaches Association and the California Community College Sports Information Association (CCCSIA) polls after a perfect 3-0 start to the season.

The Tigers sat at the second spot in the state the past two weeks, but claimed this week's top spot after former top dog and reigning state champion CC San Francisco was upset by Butte, 35-14. Riverside defeated Saddleback, 34-4, in a dominant performance. 

Statistically, the Tigers rank first in the state with 548.3 yards-per-game, 1,735 yards of total offense, 1,232 total passing yards, 15 touchdown passes and 410.7 passing yards-per-game. Leading the charge on offense is sophomore quarterback Jake Retzlaff who is first in the state with 388 passing yards-per-game and 14 touchdown passes. J. Retzlaff, the reigning Region III Offensive Player of Year, began his RCC career by breaking the single-game passing yards record with 529 yards and six touchdowns. His touchdown total was the most ever thrown by a debuting RCC quarterback. Furthermore, he was named the Southern California Football Association (SCFA) Week One Offensive Player of the Week.

On the other end of his 1,164 yards through the air is his brother, sophomore wide receiver Reggie Retzlaff. R. Retzlaff currently ranks second in the state with five receiving touchdowns and fifth in the state with 100.7 receiving yards-per-game. He currently paces his team with 15 catches and 302 yards. Sophomore Roshawn Lacy has 12 catches for 212 yards and two touchdowns, while freshman Norbert Espadron has eight grabs for 121 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Sophomore linebacker Gage Summers leads the defensive brigade with 15 tackles including one sack for a loss of 10 yards. He has four tackles that equal a loss of just under 20 yards as well. Freshman linebacker Johnny Alo is right behind him with 12 tackles, while freshman defensive back Robert Waters has 10 stops and one pass breakup.

Sophomore Demarco Moorer leads the team in takeaways with three interceptions. All came in a victory over Long Beach in week two. Sophomore secondary duo Eupeterson Lewis and Bryce Tate each have an interception as well.

The kicking game has been on point despite not being in any many leverage situations. Sophomore Jacob Marroquin has booted home five field goals to lead his team with 33 total points. He has also knocked home 18 extra points as well.