Top-Ranked Riverside Cruises in Conference Opener

The top-ranked Riverside City College football team began their quest for a National Central Division title on Saturday night as they took on the Palomar College Comets on foreign territory. It was all Tigers from the get go as they held the Comets to a mere three points while racking up 38 points of their own and 504 total yards of offense.

The Tigers dominated on both sides of the ball by holding Palomar to a mere 161 total yards; 109 through the air and 52 on the ground. They wreaked havoc in the backfield leading to four sacks and five tackles for a loss. Furthermore, Palomar only gained nine first downs and was 2-for-13 (15%) on third downs. They failed to convert on all three of their fourth down attempts.

Leading the charge was sophomore linebacker Gage Summers who recorded seven solo tackles. Sophomore defensive lineman Alex Navarro-Silva tallied six stops and one sack, while sophomore linebacker Arturo Orozco recorded five stops and a sack.

Sophomore Talib Salahuddin and freshman Nick Smith each recorded a sack, while both combined for five tackles.

Offensively, it was nothing new. Sophomore quarterback Jake Retzlaff did it all by going 26-for-43 through the air leading to one touchdown. He did the majority of damage on the ground as he rushed 11 times for 51 yards and a career-high three touchdowns. He was responsible for 24 of the Tigers' 38 points.

He began the game by connecting with sophomore wide receiver Devvin Gitchuway on a 51-yard strike leading to the first touchdown of the game. It would be his only passing touchdown as he followed with a 10-yard scurry to the end zone to begin the second quarter. He capped the second quarter with another rushing score, this time going for four yards. He added his third and final rushing touchdown with just under five minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Sophomore running back Jaquez Jones kick-started the strong running brigade with a three-run score during the ladder half of the first quarter. He finished the day with 48 yards on 11 carries. Freshman Bryce Strong followed with nine carries for 41 yards.

The receiving core was silent in the end zone, but still deadly. Sophomore Reggie Retzlaff hauled in four grabs for 53 yards, while Roshawn Lacy reeled in three catches for 51 yards. Sophomore Juwan Tucker and freshman Norbert Espadron tallied four grabs and combined for 59 yards.