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Location: PE 505 [map]
Phone: (949) 582-4639
Fax: (949) 347-9328

Mark McElroy
Head Football Coach
(949) 582-4639
mmcelroy@saddleback.edu

Steve Crapo
Asst. Football Coach
(949) 582-4506
scrapo@saddleback.edu

Kerry Crabb
Asst. Football Coach
(949) 582-4406
kcrabb@saddleback.edu

Don Butcher
Director, Football Operations
(949) 582-4643
dbutcher@saddleback.edu

2008 Gaucho News


SADDLEBACK DEFEATS DONS FOR 10TH STRAIGHT TIME

Saddleback head coach Mark McElroy has never lost to a Santa Ana football team in his previous nine seasons. With the college celebrating its 40th anniversary, its Homecoming game, and his own 10th season at the helm, he certainly didn't want to have that winning streak stopped Saturday night.

There turned out to be no need for McElroy to worry. Although the two teams matched up well on paper, when they hit the field it was all Saddleback as the Gauchos rolled to a 63-28 victory to begin SCFA National Division Southern Conference play.

The Gauchos got on the scoreboard midway through the first quarter as Brian Shrock connected with Jay Wisner for a 46-yard touchdown pass. Santa Ana tied the score just 38 seconds later. But Jai Morris added a 29-yard touchdown run and Shane Henry added a 66-yard run to give Saddleback a 21-7 advantage in the first quarter. Micah Abreu-Laybon added a 1-yard run to start the second quarter but Santa Ana cut the lead in half again at 28-14 on a 46-yard run before Morris added a 10-yard scoring run to put the Gauchos up 35-14 at the half.

It appeared that Santa Ana was going to gain some second half momentum as it took the second half kickoff and marched 57 yards for a touchdown to cut its deficit to 35-21, but Saddleback scored four additional touchdowns on a 25-yard run by Morris, a pair of touchdown tosses from Shrock to Lamont Enyard, and then a 49-yard interception return by Travis Venzant that gave the Gauchos a 63-21 advantage before the Dons scored a final time with 2:00 remaining in the game.

Shrock finished up his night midway through the fourth quarter, connecting on 18 of 23 pass attempts for 250 yards and 3 scores. Morris led Saddleback's 302-yard rushing attack with 10 carries for 107 yards and three scores. Abreu-Laybon, who entered the game as the conference's leading rusher at 130 yards per game, was limited to just 46 yards as the Dons defense seemed to be keying in on him. Wisner had three receptions for 89 yards and Nick Hutter added six receptions for 72 yards.

Saddleback, which only punted once in the contest, was 8-for-11 on third down conversions and 4-for-4 on Red Zone scoring chances. The Gauchos will travel to Palomar to face the Comets next Saturday, Oct. 11, for a 1:00 p.m. kickoff.

GAUCHOS FALL IN OVERTIME TO MOUNTIES

It took a valiant effort by the Gauchos in the fourth quarter to take a 20-17 lead, marching 69 yards in 14 plays and churning up 6:12 on the clock. It took just 28 seconds for the Mounties to snatch victory away from Saddleback.

Quarterback David Ingram directed a Gaucho drive which included a 20 yard pass to Nick Hutter and then, on a fourth down and nine yards to go, connected with Hutter again for 16 yards to keep the drive moving.  Micah Abreu-Laybon ran for 12 yards to get the ball down to the Mounties' 1-yard line before Ricky Pemasa bowled over from a yard out for his second score of the evening, giving Saddleback a 20-17 lead.  However, the point after try failed.

The ensuing kickoff was received by Mountie Dominique Gaisie on his own 1-yard line and returned 54 yards to the Saddleback 45. One pass completion moved the ball to the Saddleback 32-yard line and, three incomplete passes later, the Mounties were forced to try a long field goal to tie the game. Kicker Jacob Harfman answered the call, knocking a 49-yard kick through the uprights with about seven yards to spare. The kick sent the Mt. SAC crowd into pandemonium . . . and the game into overtime.

Saddleback won the toss and elected to play defense first. The Gaucho defense had limited Mt. SAC's offense to just 13 first downs and about 258 total yards. However, Saddleback didn't have an answer for Harfman. After stopping the Mounties for just a 1-yard gain in overtime, Harfman booted a 42-yard field goal to put Mt. SAC up, 23-20.  On Saddleback's possession, the Gauchos struggled with the running game after running all over Mt. SAC in regulation (60 carries, 280 yards).  The Gauchos opted to try a 43-yard field goal to tie the score again.  But a delay of game penalty moved the ball back five yards and also moved the Gauchos out of field goal range.  While shuttling the field goal unit off the field and the offense back on the field, the Gauchos suffered another delay of game penalty.  Now facing a fourth-and-21, Ingram's pass intended for Jay Wisner came up short and the state's top-ranked Mounties avoided the upset.

Abreu-Laybon finished with 22 carries for 159 yards and Jai Morris added 15 carries for 119 yards as Saddleback had little trouble running the ball in regulation. Wisner caught two passes for 80 yards.

Saddleback is at home again next Saturday (Oct. 4) to host Santa Ana College in what will be Saddleback's Homecoming game. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m.

Sept. 20 -- Saturday evening's 69-14 victory over San Bernardino Valley College produced several single-game offensive records for Saddleback as the team improved to 2-1 on the season.

The 69 points scored were the most points ever scored by a Gaucho team, edging the previous record of 68 points scored during the 1969 season. Those 69 points all came on touchdowns . . . a school-record 10 touchdowns. Saddleback had scored nine touchdowns in a game five separate times, including that 1969 win over Victor Valley College (68-6) and last performed in 2004 with a 63-18 season-opening victory over Los Angeles Harbor College.

Oddly enough, the scoring barrage started on defense as freshman linebacker Earnie Sagiao intercepted a deflected pass and scrambled 27 yards for a touchdown. The remainder of the scoring was by the offense, which accumulated 600 yards and 32 first downs in marching up and down the field without having to punt all night. The Gauchos amassed 393 rushing yards as seven running backs and three quarterbacks carried the ball. Micah Abreu-Laybon led the team with 127 yards and two touchdowns. Keegan Gogerty added 70 rushing yards while Shane Henry had two rushing TD's. Charles Neal, Rocky Russo, and Jordan Torres each found paydirt carrying the ball.

Saddleback's passing game was good for 207 yards. Starting quarterback David Ingram was 12-of-20 for 128 yards and two touchdowns, a 15-yard pass to Jay Wisner and a 14-yard pass to tight end Nick Groeniger on identical plays in the first quarter as Sadddleback jumped out to an early 28-0 lead just 13 minutes into the game. The Gauchos enjoyed a 42-14 halftime lead and kept the ball on the ground for all but five plays in the second half.

The 600 offensive yards were just 15 shy of the school record, the 32 first downs were just two shy of the school record, and the 84 offensive plays were just 19 short of the school record.

Even with all of the offensive heroics, several defensive efforts were impressive.  In addition to Sagiao's interception return, Cory Schuler also had an interception for the Gauchos.  San Bernardino Valley missed all three field goal attempts, including two kicks which were blocked by Dez Ralston and Gary Stevenson.  Saddleback's defense limited the Wolverines to just five rushing yards on 15 carries.

San Bernardino Valley also had a noteworthy defensive play as defensive end Jim O'Brien returned a fumble 41 yards for the Wolverine's second score.

Saddleback will be at home on Saturday, Sept. 27, hosting Mt. San Antonio College.

Saddleback runs over Mt. San Jacinto

MISSION VIEJO-Mt. San Jacinto showed up late because the bus went to the wrong college to pick them up.  By halftime of Saturday night's game, it may have felt like the bus ran them over.
       Saddleback scored two touchdowns in each of the first three quarters to open up a 41-0 advantage before the Eagles scored the final two touchdowns of the game as Saddleback was able to substitute liberally in the fourth quarter. Sophomore tailback Micah Abreu-Laybon enjoyed his first game of the season as he ran for two touchdowns and was credited for two receiving touchdowns. He had 100 rushing yards in the first half and finished the game with 104 rushing yards on 10 carries. He caught two passes, then finished off a hook-and-ladder play to account for a 21-yard score and 40 receiving yards.
       Freshman quarterback David Ingram got the start for the Gauchos and made the most of the opportunity as he connected on 14-of-16 pass attempts for 219 yards and two touchdowns. He was not intercepted and was only sacked once. He also ran for 37 yards and a touchdown.
       As a team, the Gauchos racked up 453 total yards of offense (209 rushing, 244 passing) but the big difference during week No. 2 of the season was the eight penalties whistled against the Gauchos - down considerably from the 20 penalties blown against them during the season-opener a week earlier - and Abreu-Laybon.
       Abreu-Laybon picked up 35 yards on his second carry of the game, then added runs of 16 and 17 yards to help set up Ingram's 1-yard plunge on the team's second possession.  He capped off Saddleback's next possession with a 9-yard touchdown run after four consecutive pass plays and a rush for no gain.  Jay Wisner caught a 44 yard pass to set up Abreu-Laybon's scoring run.  On Saddleback's first possession of the second quarter, Abreu-Laybon again ended the drive by scampering 15 yards for a score.  With time winding down in the second quarter, Ingram engineered a 70-second drive starting at his own 20-yard line which included a 13-yard scramble and a 25-yard pass to Nick Hutter.  On the last play of the first half, Ingram hit Wisner with a quick toss and Wisner pitched the ball back to Abreu-Laybon who ran up the right sideline, breaking a pair of tackles and rambling into the endzone as time expired. The Gauchos were a perfect 5-for-5 in red zone scoring chances on the night.
          Saddleback will travel to San Bernardino Valley next Saturday and will return on Sept. 27 to host Mt. San Antonio College at 6:00 p.m.       

GAUCHOS FALL TO GOLDEN WEST IN SEASON OPENER

COSTA MESA-It wasn't the way the coaching staff drew it up.  It wasn't the way the players had practiced it. And it wasn't the way the Saddleback fans wanted it to turn out.

The 2008 season started on a sour note as the Gauchos fell to the Golden West Rustlers 16-11 Friday night at LeBard Stadium in Costa Mesa.  Saddleback had more first downs (20) and penalties (20) than points on the evening as the Gauchos fell to the Rustlers for the first time in 18 years.  The last loss to Golden West came during the 1989 season.  Since then, Saddleback had won 15 straight games against the Rustlers.

Saddleback had a solid night running the ball (48 rushes for 195 yards) as freshman Jai Morris accounted for 91 yards and a touchdown.  Sophomore quarterback Brian Shrock completed just 16 of his 35 pass attempts with half of the completions caught by sophomore Jay Wisner who ended the game with 8 receptions for 136 yards.  But too many other aspects of the Saddleback offense were not in sync to put enough points on the board.

The Gaucho defense had a solid night, limiting Golden West to just 21 rushing yards on 26 carries.  The defense also put points on the scoreboard as Paul Gonzalez recorded a sack in the endzone for a safety at the end of the third quarter, bringing Saddleback close at 7-5.  Morris had a 4-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter to give Saddleback an 11-7 lead before the Rustlers hooked up on a 39-yard scoring pass with 3:26 to play to regain the lead.  Brandon Grissom's one-handed catch while fighting off defensive coverage by Saddleback's J.R. Griffin was a bright spot in an otherwise stale Rustler attack.  Grissom finished with six receptions for 123 yards. 

Saddleback's final drive inside one minute looked like it could prove to be the game winner as the Gauchos started marching from their own 23-yard line, but it stalled out at about the Golden West 35 yard line as time expired.
Saddleback will host Mt. San Jacinto at 6:00 p.m. next Saturday, Sept. 13.


for 2007 News (click here)