11/17/09: Western State Bowl live this Saturday on GSN (game preview)
 The Western State Bowl between Saddleback and College of the Canyons will be broadcast live on the Gaucho Sports Network, starting at 5:00 PM. Saddleback is 8-2 on the season and rated No. 18 in the nation by JCGridiron.com while Canyons is 6-4 and rated No. 32.
If you can’t make it to the game, no problems, as the Gaucho Sports Network is proud to bring you live action via streaming video for a minimal $10 fee. Windows Media Player is required to view the event and you can purchase the viewing by visiting the GSN web page at the following link. Please follow all of the instructions carefully.
Gaucho Sports Network
Game Information:
#18 Saddleback (8-2, 4-2 Southern Conf. t-2nd) vs. #32 Canyons (6-4, 3-3 Northern Conf. 4th)
Date: November 21, 2009
Kickoff: 5:00 PM
Site: Saddleback Stadium (The Snakepit)
Broadcast: Gaucho Sports Network (pay-per-view, $10)
Play-by-Play: Brad Hoiseth
Game Preview:
Gauchos looking for respect against Canyons in Western State Bowl
A look at Saddleback
 Saddleback has one of the more dynamic offenses in the state, averaging 38.1 points-per-game on the season. The Gauchos have been evenly balanced, scoring 22 times through the air and 21 times on the ground. Running back Jai Morris has had a solid season despite battling a few nagging injuries throughout the season, rushing for 454 yards and five touchdowns on the ground while catching 35 balls for 211 yards and one more score through the air. The quarterback combination of David Ingram and Brad Curtis have combined to throw for 2,045 yards and 18 touchdowns, with 6-foot-8 wide receiver T.J. Knowles leading the way on the other end with 40 receptions for 777 yards and six touchdowns.
Saddleback’s defense has been opportunistic all season long as they are currently third in the state with 21 interceptions on the season and eighth in the state with 13 forced-fumbles. Sophomore linebacker Jason Young has been stellar all season, leading Saddleback with 66 tackles for the year while sophomore safety Jeremy Rodenburg has looked like a one man wrecking crew at times, as he is second on the team in tackles-for-loss (9.5), tackles (61), interceptions (4), and third on the team with 3.5 sacks. The Gaucho special teams have also been active, scoring three times on punt returns and three times on kickoff returns. In all, six different players have returned either a punt, kickoff or interception for a touchdown during the course of the season.
A look at Canyons
 Canyons comes in with one of the top defenses in the state, surrendering just 16.5 points-per-game and 282.1 yards-per-game, both in the top-10 in the state. The Cougars are young and talented on defense, as 10 of their top 13 tacklers on the season are freshmen, led by defensive back Kenny Shanahan with 66 tackles and five passes broken-up on the season. Sophomore linebacker Evan Harrington leads the team with 5.5 sacks on the season and spends a lot of time in the opposing team’s backfield, recording 8.5 tackles-for-loss on the season. Freshman defensive end Jeremy Boone has had a fine season up front for the Cougar defense, leading Canyons with nine tackles-for-loss while recording 3.5 sacks.
The Cougars have struggled a bit on offense throughout the season, turning the ball over 31 times, including 20 fumbles. Despite it all, Canyons has one of the top deep threats in the state in receiver D.J. Stephens, who has 52 catches on the season for 827 yards and six touchdowns. The Cougars have used a running back-by-committee approach this season, with four running backs carrying the ball at least 50 times. Freshman Nick Hale leads the ground attack with 493 yards and seven touchdowns on the season while freshman Ryan Zirbel has been getting the bulk of the work in recent weeks, carrying the ball 11 times for 124 yards last week against Bakersfield College.
Series History
 Saddleback and Canyons have played on three occasions, with Canyons winning all three times. The most memorable game between the two teams came back in 2004 when the Cougars defeated the Gauchos in the Southern California title game, 37-24. In that game, Canyons used its dominating defense to sack then-Gaucho quarterback Colt Brennan eight times in moving on to the state championships game where they defeated City College of San Francisco.
The game featured a number of high-profile players on both sides of the field, as the Gauchos were led by Brennan, who went on to set 31 NCAA records at Hawaii, and Jerard Rabb, who famously scored on the hook-n-ladder play (picture left) to lead Boise State over Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. Canyons had a number of stars on their roster as well, including corner Justin Tryon, who now plays with Brennan for the Washington Redskins after a successful career at Arizona State. Safety Troy Nolan was also a part of the Cougar secondary in 2004 and is currently with the Houston Texans.
Inside the numbers
Saddleback is currently 11th in the state in scoring, averaging 38.1 points-per-game for the season. The 2008 team set the school record when it averaged 38.7 points-per-game in 11 games. The Gauchos would need to score 46 or more points in the game against Canyons to eclipse the 2008 numbers.
Offensive Points Scored:
Saddleback, 38.1 (#11 in state)
Canyons, 23.1 (#50 in state)
Total Offense (yards):
Saddleback, 370.6 (#30 in state)
Canyons, 325.6 (#48 in state)
Defensive Points Allowed:
Saddleback, 19.6 (#10 in state)
Canyons, 16.5 (#4 in state)
Total Defense (yards):
Saddleback, 308.3 (#23 in state)
Canyons, 282.1 (#8 in state)
11/15/09: Gauchos to host Western State Bowl
 It was announced on Sunday that Saddleback (8-2) will host College of the Canyons (6-4) in the Western State Bowl scheduled for Saturday, November 21, with a 5:00 p.m. kickoff.
Saddleback, which finished second in the Southern Conference but was beaten out of a state playoff berth by Palomar, knew it was bowl-bound before beating Grossmont 44-27 last night in the regular-season finale but assumed it would be on the road. By virtue of Saddleback's No. 8 ranking in Southern California, the Gauchos earned the right to host a bowl game.
Canyons finished fourth in the Northern Conference behind Bakersfield, Hancock, and Ventura. The Cougars lost their regular-season finale to Bakersfield last night, 24-9, and are ranked No. 12 in the final poll.
Other bowl games include No. 14 Golden West (6-4) hosting No. 9 Ventura (7-3) in the Orange County Bowl and No. 7 El Camino (8-2) hosting No. 11 Grossmont (7-3) in the Beach Bowl.
Southern California Regional playoff matchups include No. 1 Mt. San Antonio (9-1) hosting No. 13 L.A. Pierce (7-3) in the Southern California Bowl, No. 2 Fullerton (9-1) hosting No. 9 L.A. Harbor (9-1) in the American Bowl, No. 3 Cerritos (9-1) hosting No. 6 Palomar (8-2) in the National Bowl, and No. 4 Bakersfield (9-1) hosting No. 5 Hancock (9-1) in the Golden Empire Bowl.
11/14/09: Gauchos spoil the party for Griffins
 The Saddleback football team turned back the Grossmont Griffins 44-27 on Saturday night and in doing so knocked Grossmont out of the Southern California playoffs. The Gauchos scored 44 points in a span of 34 minutes to finish the regular season 8-2 and will wait until Sunday to find out where they will play next week.
For Saddleback, it was sweet revenge for being knocked out of the playoffs by Grossmont the previous week when the Griffins lost to Santa Ana, thus eliminating the Gauchos from playoff contention. A win by Grossmont last week would have created a three-way tie for the second place, and the Gauchos would have owned all tiebreaker scenarios by virtue of beating top-rated Mt. San Antonio College earlier in the season.
Early in the game on Saturday night it looked as if Grossmont was playing for keeps as the Griffins scored two early touchdowns and darted to a 14-0 lead on the Gauchos’ home turf. The next 2-plus quarters, however, would turn out to be a nightmare for Grossmont as Saddleback scored at will, churning out close to 350 yards of offense over the last three quarters.
Trailing 14-0, Saddleback used a bit of trickery when the Gauchos pilled off a double pass to a wide open T.J. Knowles for a 76-yard touchdown to narrow the gap to seven. Saddleback then held the Griffins to a three-and-out on the following possession and after a mediocre punt by Grossmont, the Griffins were flagged for two personal fouls on the punt return, thus giving the Gauchos the ball at the Grossmont 22 yard line. Three plays later quarterback Brad Curtis found Marc Moody wide open in the end zone from 17 yards out and the game was tied at 14.
The teams traded field goals and touchdowns in the second quarter before Jai Morris returned a kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown, giving Saddleback a 31-24 lead heading into the locker room for halftime. The Griffins would get no closer the rest of the game, scoring just three points in the second 30 minutes of play.
Saddleback received fine offensive performances from strange places, as starting linebacker Kory Johnson (pictured) was used at running back and thwarted the Griffin defense for 130 yards on 17 carries. Defensive back Cameron Chadwick lined up as the featured back in the increasingly popular Wildcat offense, rushing for 54 yards and a touchdown as the Gauchos racked up 212 yards on the ground.
Curtis had an effective evening under center, finishing 16-of-27 for 165 yards and two touchdowns. Knowles led all Gaucho receivers with 99 yards on five catches.
The Saddleback defense wreaked havoc on Grossmont quarterback Brandon Fricke all night long. After a quick start to the evening, Fricke finished just 21-of-48 on the night. Linebacker Jason Young led the Gaucho defenders with seven total tackles while the secondary play of Chadwick, Jeremy Rodenburg and Richard Crawford made things difficult for the Griffins most of the evening.
Saddleback improved to 8-2 overall on the season with the win and will find out on Sunday where they will play in a bowl game next weekend. Check back on the site late on Sunday for a potential update.
11/12/09: Gaucho football live this Saturday on GSN
Gauchos looking to play spoiler against Griffins
It isn’t often during the McElroy era that the Saddleback football team has been closed out of the playoffs entering the final week of the season but it was this week’s opponent, Grossmont College, who made it happen when they lost to Santa Ana College last Saturday. Saddleback will now look to return the favor when the Griffins come to town looking for a win and a playoff berth.
 The 13-10 loss by the Griffins last week means the best the Gauchos could hope for would be a tie for second place with Palomar, who defeated Saddleback in head-to-head 27-21 on October 10 and thus holds the tiebreaker advantage. Had Grossmont won its game last week, the Gauchos would have been playing tonight’s game for a three-way tie for second, and would have held tiebreaker advantage over both programs by virtue of beating Mt. San Antonio College, the top-ranked team in the south.
The two teams have met 17 times, with Saddleback holding an 11-5-1 advantage in the series that started in 1969. The Gauchos also won games in 1986 and 1987, but had to forfeit both games despite outscoring the Griffins 63-7 in the two contests.
Saddleback defeated the Griffins in 2008, 38-21, when the Gauchos offense rolled up 478 yards of offense. In that game, Saddleback held a 20-minute advantage in time-of-possession despite committing 12 penalties as quarterbacks Brian Shrock and David Ingram combined to throw for 393 yards and four touchdowns.
Inside the numbers
Saddleback is currently 11th in the state in scoring, averaging 37.4 points-per-game for the season. The 2008 team set the school record when it averaged 38.7 points-per-game in 11 games. The Gauchos would need to average 45 points in the game against Grossmont and a potential bowl game opponent to eclipse the 2008 numbers.
Offensive Points Scored:
Saddleback, 37.4 (#11 in state)
Grossmont, 35.0 (#15 in state)
Total Offense (yards):
Saddleback, 361.4 (#33 in state)
Grossmont, 430.7 (#10 in state)
Defensive Points Allowed:
Saddleback, 18.8 (#11 in state)
Grossmont, 18.2 (#8 in state)
Total Defense (yards):
Saddleback, 310.3 (#24 in state)
Grossmont, 268.3 (#8 in state)
11/10/09: Gaucho football back in top-25
 The Saddleback football team had the week off to heal before finishing up the regular season on Saturday against Grossmont College and took advantage of it. The Gauchos moved up three spots in the JCGridiron.com national rankings and now sit at No. 24.
Saddleback may not have a chance at making the playoffs but still has a solid chance to finish in the top-20 in the nation if they can win their final regular season game and win a bowl game the following week. The Gauchos have played one of the toughest schedules in the nation in 2009 and will once again face another highly ranked opponent this weekend when No. 23 Grossmont College comes to town. The Griffins will be the sixth Saddleback opponent this season that has cracked the JCGridiron Dirty 30 rankings. The Gauchos’ lone losses of the season came against No. 8 Fullerton College and No. 16 Palomar College.
JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 (November 9, 2009)
1. Navarro (TX) 10-0
2. Fort Scott (KS) 9-0
3. Mt. SAC (Calif.) 8-1
4. East Mississippi 10-1
5. El Camino (Calif.) 8-1
6. Bakersfield (Calif.) 8-1
7. Blinn (TX) 8-1
8. Fullerton (Calif.) 8-1
9. City College of San Francisco (Calif.) 8-1
10. Grand Rapids (MI) 9-0
11. Mississippi Gulf Coast 9-2
12. Allan Hancock (Calif.) 9-1
13. Butler (KS) 7-2
14. Los Angeles Harbor (Calif.) 9-0
15. San Mateo (Calif.) 8-1
16. Palomar (Calif.) 8-2
17. Arizona Western 8-1
18. Foothill (Calif.) 7-2
19. Cerritos (Calif.) 8-1
20. Snow (UT) 9-1
21. Ellsworth (IA) 8-2
22. Eastern Arizona 7-2
23. Grossmont (Calif.) 7-2
24. Saddleback (Calif.) 7-2
25. Ventura (Calif.) 6-3
26. Reedley (Calif.) 6-3
27. Jones County (MS) 6-4
28. Tyler (TX) 7-3
29. Central Lakes (MN) 10-1
30. Rochester (MN) 10-1
10/31/09: Gauchos make turnovers a treat in win over Bucs
 Saddleback converted four Orange Coast fumbles and two interceptions into five touchdowns as the Gauchos rolled to a 52-14 Halloween evening victory over the Pirates in Costa Mesa.
Orange Coast fumbled the ball away on its own 4-yard line during its first possession of the game, allowing Cameron Chadwick to score on Saddleback's next play to get on the scoreboard just two minutes into the game. The Saddleback defense held on Orange Coast's next possession and put together a 13-play, 70-yard drive to kick a field goal and go up 10-0. Orange Coast then fumbled the ball away again on its second play of the next drive, giving Saddleback possession at the Pirate 29-yard line. On the very next play, starting quarterback Brad Curtis found receiver Marc Moody in the endzone for a 17-0 lead. Saddleback's next possession was highlighted by a 56-yard pass from Curtis to receiver T.J. Knowles which set up another 4-yard touchdown run by Chadwick as Saddleback posted a 24-0 lead in the first quarter.
Safety Jeremy Rodenburg intercepted Orange Coast quarterback Kyle Manning on the Pirates' first play of the second quarter and returned it 62-yards for a touchdown to give Saddleback a commanding 31-0 lead. Orange Coast would put together a 65-yard drive to get onto the scoreboard in the first half, but on the Pirates' next possession, Manning would fumble the ball away after getting sacked by linebacker Kory Johnson. Jason Young recovered on the Orange Coast 13-yard line. Saddleback's next play would be a 13-yard scoring strike from Curtis to Tre Villahermosa to help Saddleback to a 38-7 halftime bulge.
The Gauchos went scoreless in the third quarter, but T.L. Edwards picked off Manning at the end of the third quarter to give Saddleback the ball to start the fourth quarter. Aziz Spellman-Smith caught a 42-yard pass from Curtis just two plays later and added a 22-yard run four minutes later to cap Saddleback's scoring.
Curtis finished with 255 passing yards (11 of 26) and three touchdown tosses while Knowles caught two passes for 87 yards and Spellman-Smith added two catches for 57 yards. Saddleback's defense limited the Pirates to just 3.2 yards per play (91 plays) with Johnson leading the defense with 10 tackles while Rodenburg added eight tackles. Johnson added two sacks, forced a fumble, and broke up a pass while Rodenburg had a pass break up to go with his interception.
Saddleback (7-2) will have a bye date on November 7 before wrapping up the regular-season by hosting Grossmont (7-1) on November 14 starting at 6:00 p.m. in the campus stadium.
10/24/09: Defense holds firm but Gauchos fall to Hornets
Although both teams had pretty prolific offensive numbers heading into Saturday night's game, it was the defensive play of both teams that attracted the most attention and proved to be the key in Fullerton's 22-13 win over Saddleback in a Southern Conference contest.
 Fullerton (6-1, 3-0) led the Southern Conference by 1/2 game heading into the contest and Saddleback (6-2, 2-2) knew it needed a win to take over the top spot. But that would be a tough task against the Hornets' top-rated defense. Saddleback also struggled with its special teams, giving up nine points to the Hornets.
After a scoreless first quarter, Fullerton received a gift when Saddleback lined up to punt from the Fullerton 35-yard line. With only 10 men on the field, Temeni Brewster sprinted onto the field to block for the punter. However, the snap hit Brewster in the helmet, carromed over the head of punter Morris Keseloff, and dribbled down to the Saddleback 20-yard line before Keseloff scooped it up and booted a line-drive into the chest of Fullerton linebacker Nick Moreno who fell onto the ball at the Saddleback 26-yard line. Four plays later Fullerton was in the endzone for the first points of the game. However, the PAT was blocked by Jordan Weingrad.
Saddleback was stopped on three plays during its next possession and punted the ball away cleanly, but the possession following gave up more points as the Gauchos were stopped after another three plays and needed to punt the ball away from their own 23-yard line. The snap went over Keseloff's head and out the back of the endzone for a safety, giving Fullerton an 8-0 lead.
Fullerton took the ensuing kickoff and marched all the way down to the Saddleback 1-yard line before fumbling the ball. Kory Johnson alertly jumped on the loose ball at the Saddleback 3-yard line. The Gauchos moved the ball 97 yards downfield to score, assisted by a 43-yard scamper by quarterback David Ingram
and two long passes from Ingram to TJ Knowles, the final one a 25-yard scoring strike. However, the 2-point conversion failed and Saddleback trailed 8-6 at halftime.
Saddleback took the second half kickoff and moved the ball downfield before Ingram was intercepted by Raul Pintado at the Fullerton 14-yard line. Pintado returned the pick 54 yards to the Saddleback 32. Two plays later, Fullerton was in the endzone with a 15-6 lead. But Saddleback answered three plays later as running back Jai Morris was beaten to the corner on a sweep right by a handful of Hornet defenders, reversed his direction to the left and into the path of a host of Gaucho blockers then ran 60 yards up the left sideline for the score to cut Fullerton's lead to 15-13.
After Saddleback turned the ball over on downs at the Fullerton 33 near the end of the third quarter, the Hornets put together a 67-yard scoring drive to start the fourth quarter, capped by a 41-yard scoring pass to give Fullerton a 22-13 lead. Saddleback's next drive was halted when Ingram was intercepted but the Gauchos got the ball back when linebacker Jason Young forced a fumble at the Saddleback 11-yard line. The Gauchos couldn't get past midfield and punted the ball away, but the defense held Fullerton to three downs and a punt to get the ball back inside Fullerton territory. Ingram was sacked twice before being intercepted at the Fullerton 23-yard line to end the Gauchos' last offensive possession and Fullerton ran out the final three minutes on the clock.
Morris ended up with 107 rushing yards, his first 100-yard game of the season, and Knowles finished with eight receptions for 152 yards. Ingram had 97 rushing yards but was sacked seven times for a loss of 57 yards to finish with 40 rushing yards. He was also intercepted three times. Young finished with 11 tackles and Jeremy Rodenburg added nine tackles to lead Saddleback's defense.
10/22/09: Game preview versus Fullerton
Date & Time: October 24, 6:00 PM
Event: Gaucho Football
Game: Saddleback (6-1, 2-1) vs. Fullerton (5-1, 2-0)
Broadcast: Gaucho Sports Network (pay-per-view, $10)
Game Preview:
 Saddleback College (6-1) versus Fullerton College (5-1) is one of the top games in Southern California this weekend, and a lot could end up riding on the line when the playoffs start in November. Both teams are in a dogfight and fighting for the National Division Southern Conference title and the loser could find themselves on the outside, looking in.
Fullerton currently leads the conference with a 2-0 record and holds destiny in its own hands, but with road games at Saddleback this week and Palomar next, the Hornets could easily find themselves left out of the playoffs with a pair of losses. Saddleback, on the other hand, sits in a 3-way tie for second place at 2-1 in conference play and a loss would put their playoff hopes in serious jeopardy.
Saddleback has had a number of exciting finishes as of late, the latest coming at Long Beach City College where the Gauchos found themselves down 21-0 at halftime only to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat with a 28-24 win. It was the third straight game that Saddleback had to go the final moments before a winner was determined. The previous week, the Gauchos fell to Palomar College 27-21 when they were unable to punch the ball into the end zone in the final moments. Three weeks ago Saddleback scored 21 points in five minutes to turn back Santa Ana after the Dons held a 17-point lead in the final frame.
 Fullerton’s lone loss of the season came in week four when they traveled to College of the Canyons and lost to the Cougars, 26-13. The Hornets have bounced back nicely, knocking off two undefeated teams in beating Orange Coast College 38-10 and Grossmont College 30-17.
The Southern California playoffs will begin on November 21 with eight teams qualifying for a shot at the state title. The five divisional winners from Southern California will all automatically qualify for the playoffs along with three at-large bids to be determined by the Coach’s Poll. At last look, Fullerton was rated No. 4 in the Coach’s Poll while Saddleback comes in at No. 8. On a national scale, Fullerton is rated No. 13 in the nation in the JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 rankings while Saddleback comes in at No. 18.
The Hornets enter the game with the #8 defense in the state, allowing just 16.2 points-per-game. Fullerton is 10th in the state in total offensive points scored (38.2) and has scored 30 or more points in each of its five wins. Conversely, Saddleback is 7th in the state in offense (38.9) and 17th in defense (19.0).
10/22/09: Gaucho football climbs a spot in national rankings
The Saddleback football team jumped one spot to No. 18 in the JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 national rankings this week after a 28-24 win over Long Beach City College last week. The Gauchos will face off against the No. 13 team in the country, Fullerton College, this Saturday at the stadium.
The win last week against LBCC may not have gone as planned by the coaching staff, but a win is a win and the Gauchos will take it. Saddleback (6-1) raised one spot in the national rankings as a result and will have a chance this weekend to improve on their rankings as they welcome the red hot Hornets to town.
Fullerton leads the National Division Southern Conference with a 2-0 record in conference play and comes in rolling, following an impressive 30-17 win over previously undefeated Grossmont College. A win by the Gauchos would likely put them back into the top-15 in the national rankings, which come out every Monday.
Here is a glance at the JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 rankings for this week.
JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 (October 19, 2009)
1. El Camino (Calif.) 7-0
2. City College of San Francisco (Calif.) 6-0
3. Blinn (TX) 6-0
4. Navarro (TX) 7-0
5. Fort Scott (KS) 7-0
6. Mississippi Gulf Coast 7-1
7. Butler (KS) 5-1
8. Butte (Calif.) 5-1
9. Mt. SAC (Calif.) 5-1
10. East Mississippi 7-1
11. San Mateo (Calif.) 6-0
12. Bakersfield (Calif.) 6-1
13. Fullerton (Calif.) 5-1
14. Grossmont (Calif.) 6-1
15. Palomar (Calif.) 6-1
16. Cerritos (Calif.) 6-0
17. Grand Rapids (MI) 6-0
18. Saddleback (Calif.) 6-1
19. Los Angeles Harbor (Calif.) 6-0
20. Allan Hancock (Calif.) 6-1
21. Fresno City (Calif.) 4-2
22. Arizona Western 5-1
23. American River (Calif.) 5-1
24. Canyons (Calif.) 5-2
25. Rochester (MN) 8-0
26. Ventura (Calif.) 5-1
27. Jones County (MS) 6-2
28. Snow (UT) 7-1
29. Ellsworth (IA) 5-2
30. Dean (MA) 3-0
Others on the bubble: Eastern Arizona 4-2, Orange Coast (Calif.) 5-1, Tyler (TX) 5-2, Foothill (Calif.) 4-1, Copiah-Lincoln (MS) 5-3, Santa Rosa (Calif.) 4-2, New Mexico Military 3-2, Modesto (Calif.) 4-2, Sequoias (Calif.) 4-2, San Joaquin Delta (Calif.) 4-2
10/17/09: Gauchos bounce back in second half against Vikings
 Saddleback bounced back from a 21-0 halftime deficit to outscore Long Beach City College 28-3 in the second half, adding some late-game heroics for the third consecutive week on the way to a 28-24 victory over the Vikings on a foggy night at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach.
The Gauchos were down 17 points against Santa Ana two weeks ago before staging a successful comeback to beat the Dons and were trailing Palomar by 13 points last weekend in the second half before a comeback was stopped in the endzone on the last pass of the game to hand Saddleback its first defeat. So, exciting finishes down the stretch are quickly becoming Saddleback's trademark. Saturday's finish at Long Beach provided more of the same.
Saddleback took the opening kickoff of the second half and marched 48 yards on 10 plays to set up a long field goal attempt to get some numbers on the scoreboard. That kick was just short, but the offensive effort of the drive gave the defense some added inspiration. On the very next play, linebacker Jason Young hit Viking running back Daveon Barner at the line of scrimmage so hard that it separated Barner from the football and as they hit the turf, Young was holding the ball and the Gauchos were awarded the turnover. Five plays later, Charles Neal capped a 30-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run and those elusive points had finally made it up to the scoreboard.
The defense caused more offense on Long Beach's next possession. After two Viking plays for lost yardage, Cameron Chadwick picked off LBCC quarterback Tyler Tuiasosopo and returned the ball to the Viking 30-yard line. It would be the first of four interceptions in the second half for the Gauchos defense. Saddleback would put together another five-play scoring drive, using a little razzle-dazzle to find paydirt on the artificial turf. The double reverse with a half twist culminated with wide receiver Ben Gomez tossing the pigskin to a wide-open Dominique Vinson, cutting Saddleback's deficit to 21-14.
Some strangeness entered the ball game at this point in addition to the thick fog which had rolled into the stadium.
Long Beach was whistled for a personal foul on Saddleback's PAT kick, allowing Saddleback to kick off at their own 45-yard line. The punter, Morris Keseloff, kicked off for the first time this season rather than the regular kicker, Michael Frisina. LBCC's Genesis Fonoimoana returned the kickoff from the goal line all the way out to midfield. Although it appeared Saddleback's defense held firm when Kameron Thurmond blocked the Vikinigs' field goal attempt, the officials ruled that Saddleback had called a timeout prior to the kick and gave the Vikings another attempt which they converted, making it a 24-14 lead. Gaucho fans, players, and coaches were more than a little upset.
Enter running back Jai Morris. Morris was frustrated by his lack of footing on the wet artificial turf the whole night, slipping and falling whenever he tried to make his typical cut up the field and hadn't had a rush for longer than five yards all night. So, when he took the ensuing kickoff at his own 9-yard line he progressed the ball up near the 20-yard line and nearly stopped all forward progress to make his cut. Assured of firm footing, he took off again and scampered past a body-launching block, up the middle, and all the way to the endzone for a 91-yard touchdown return.
Saddleback's defense held again, forcing Long Beach to a three-and-out with the Gauchos getting the ball back at their own 31-yard line. David Ingram engineered a 10-play, 71-yard drive which included three pass completions to Vinson and some solid running by Craig Woods. Josh Andrews carried the ball down to about the 6-inch line and Ingram pushed it into the endzone from there, giving Saddleback the eventual winning points to start the fourth quarter.
The Gaucho defense forced a Viking punt on their next possession, and the final three possessions all ended in interceptions as T.L. Edwards, Jordan Weingrad, and Jeremy Rodenburg each ended up with a pick. Weingrad's interception was aided by lineman Paul Gonzalez who deflected the pass up in the air. Rodenburg's interception was aided by the punter Keseloff who had pinned the Vikings in at their own 1-yard line with under one minute to play in the game.
Saddleback (6-1) will host Fullerton (5-1) on Saturday, Oct. 24, starting at 6:00 p.m. in the campus stadium.
10/13/09: Gauchos drop to No. 19 in the nation
The Saddleback football team dropped its first game of the season on Saturday, losing to Palomar College 27-21 to fall to 5-1. The Gauchos dropped to No. 19 in the nation in the JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 rankings and will get a chance to redeem themselves this Saturday at Long Beach City College.
Saddleback nearly pulled off its second straight comeback on Saturday but was unable to punch it in from the red zone in getting turned back by the Palomar defense, which came into the game ranked No. 1 in defense in the state of California. The Gauchos fell to No. 19 in the national rankings, but will have plenty of opportunities to climb back into the top-10 in the coming weeks, as they play three more teams ranked in the top-40 in the country. Palomar climbed to No. 15 in the rankings with the win.
Saddleback’s schedule is favorable, however, as two teams ranked in front of them still loom in the future. Fullerton College is rated No. 18 and Grossmont College No. 8, as the team still clings on to a slim chance at making a run at a national title. Another thing in favor of the Gauchos is a playoff system in Southern California that could give them as many as four more games against rated opponents in the postseason.
Here is a glance at the JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 rankings for this week.
JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 (October 12, 2009)
1. El Camino (Calif.) 6-0
2. Blinn (TX) 5-0
3. City College of San Francisco (Calif.) 5-0
4. Navarro (TX) 6-0
5. Butte (Calif.) 5-0
6. Fort Scott (KS) 6-0
7. Mississippi Gulf Coast 6-1
8. Grossmont (Calif.) 6-0
9. Butler (KS) 4-1
10. Mt. SAC (Calif.) 4-1
11. Arizona Western 5-0
12. East Mississippi 6-1
13. San Mateo (Calif.) 5-0
14. Bakersfield (Calif.) 5-1
15. Palomar (Calif.) 5-1
16. Cerritos (Calif.) 5-0
17. Grand Rapids (MI) 6-0
18. Fullerton (Calif.) 4-1
19. Saddleback (Calif.) 5-1
20. Los Angeles Harbor (Calif.) 5-0
21. Allan Hancock (Calif.) 5-1
22. Fresno City (Calif.) 3-2
23. American River (Calif.) 5-1
24. Canyons (Calif.) 4-2
25. Santa Rosa (Calif.) 4-1
26. Rochester (MN) 7-0
27. Ventura (Calif.) 5-1
28. Jones County (MS) 5-2
29. Snow (UT) 6-1
30. Ellsworth (IA) 4-2
Others on the bubble: Dean (MA) 2-0, Eastern Arizona 4-1, Reedley (Calif.) 3-2, Pasadena City (Calif.) 3-3, Iowa Central 3-2, Orange Coast (Calif.) 5-1, Foothill (Calif.) 4-1, Copiah-Lincoln (MS) 4-3, Trinity Valley (TX) 3-3, Lackawanna (PA) 3-1
10/10: Young, Palomar stop Saddleback
 Saddleback's attempt at fourth quarter heroics for the second consecutive week were stopped by Anthony Young and the Palomar defense during a 27-21 setback in a National Division Southern Conference game Saturday night in Mission Viejo.
The Gauchos, which scored 21 points in the final seven minutes to defeat Santa Ana 42-38 a week ago, were stopped at the goal line in the final seconds when Young recorded his third interception of the game. The Gauchos as a team were 17-of-44 on pass attempts for the night for only 136 yards so it was not too shocking that on third down from the Palomar 15-yard line an out pattern to the corner of the endzone didn't quite work out the way it was drawn up on paper. Quarterback Brad Curtis' toss up to 6'8" wide receiver T.J. Knowles was short, allowing the 5'9" Young to step in front for the pick. Curtis (3-of-13) threw all three of Saddleback's interceptions. Starting quarterback David Ingram was 14-of-29 on the night.
Saddleback tailback Jai Morris did everything possible to help the Gauchos offensive efforts. Morris had 12 carries for 62 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter. He also led the team with 10 receptions for 65 yards and added a 40-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter.
Palomar quarterback Nate Ong threw two touchdown passes in the first quarter to give the Comets a 14-0 lead and the visitors savored a 20-7 lead at halftime. Morris' third quarter scoring run cut the deficit to 20-14. But Curtis' first interception came from his own 19-yard line which Young snagged at the 34-yard line and returned it 26 yards to the Saddleback 8-yard line. Two plays later, Palomar's Tyler Lavea scored on a 6-yard run to make it 27-14. Saddleback's Richard Crawford intercepted a Matt Christian pass on Palomar's next possession, returning it 18 yards to the Comet 18-yard line. That set up a short field, allowing Charles Neal to slash in from 2-yards away to bring the Gauchos closer at 27-21.
Curtis was intercepted near midfield by Young on Saddleback's next possession, but the Gaucho defense held. A 29-yard punt by the Comets, coupled with a 15-yard personal foul, gave Saddleback possession at the Palomar 44 with 1:43 remaining and the opportunity to engineer a game-winning drive. Ingram re-entered the game and drove the Gauchos down to the Palomar 15, keeping the drive alive with a pair of fourth down conversions before Curtis came in with 10 seconds to play to try to push the ball into the endzone.
Saddleback will travel to Long Beach City College to play the Vikings next Saturday, October 17, in a 6:00 p.m. kickoff.
10/7/09: Football drops one spot in national rankings
The Saddleback football team escaped with a 42-38 win over Santa Ana College last Saturday and paid a minor price in the JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 national rankings. The Gauchos now sit at No. 7 in the nation and will face No. 21 Palomar College this weekend.
Saddleback almost saw its national title hopes go up in flames last weekend but managed one of the more heroic comebacks in program history when it scored 21 points in just over four minutes to keep its winning ways alive. The Gauchos now sit at 5-0 and will welcome a bitter Palomar team to town after the Comets dropped its first game of the year, losing to Grossmont College, 29-26.
Saddleback was passed up in the rankings by No. 6 Fort Scott College (KS), who is 5-0 and vying for the Jayhawk Conference title. El Camino College (5-0) remained on top in the Dirty 30 rankings followed by City College of San Francisco (5-0), Blinn College, Texas (4-0), Butte College (5-0) and Navarro College, Texas (5-0).
The Gaucho defense is rated No. 12 in the state, surrendering just 16.4 points-per-game for the season. The Saddleback defense ranks No. 9 in rush defense, giving up 72.6 yards-per-game and leads the state with 13 interceptions.
The Saddleback offense is 7th in the state in scoring, averaging 44.6 points-per-game.
10/3/09: Gauchos use miracle finish to down Dons
 Historically, Saddleback has had little trouble in getting past the Santa Ana football team. The Gauchos have 10 straight meetings from the Dons, including every game that head coach Mark McElroy has been involved with. But Saturday afternoon's Southern Conference opener would need some last-minute heroics if the Gauchos were to stay undefeated on the season.
Santa Ana received the opening kickoff and quickly marched 56 yards downfield in just over two minutes to score, sending the home crowd into a frenzy. But Saddleback answered on the ensuing kickoff as Dominique Vinson returned the ball 90 yards for a Saddleback score to quiet the crowd and knot the score at 7's. Less than three minutes into the game and it looked as though it would be a horse race to the finish.
Saddleback opened a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter as Vinson pulled down a 22-yard pass from David Ingram and Jai Morris added a 13-yard run midway through the period to give the Gauchos a 21-7 advantage. But then the offense went flat and Santa Ana started to pick up the momentum.
Santa Ana would score four consecutive touchdowns and a field goal, rolling up 31 points (21 in the third quarter) and controlling the tempo of the game with a comfortable 38-21 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Not much happened offensively for either team for the first several minutes of the fourth quarter and it appeared time might expire without any more scoring. But Morris broke the scoring drought with a 5-yard scoring reception from Ingram with 7:04 to play, cutting the deficit to 38-28. After Saddleback's defense held, forcing a Dons' punt, the Gauchos had the ball back at their own 30-yard line. On the first play of that drive, Ingram dropped back to pass, eluded pressure from the defensive line, then decided to scamper up field. Seeing open tundra in the left flat he cut to the outside and sprinted toward the Santa Ana sideline where the defense gave chase. Instead of running to the safety of the left sideline, he cut up the sideline then angled back to the middle of the field, received some nice blocking from the wide receivers downfield, and outran the remaining defensive back to the goal line for a 70-yard scoring run which cut the deficit to 38-35.
Saddleback's defense came up with another big play on Santa Ana's next possession as Temeni Brewster intercepted Santa Ana quarterback Jordan Thomas' deep pass, giving Saddleback the ball at their own 15-yard line and just over three minutes remaining. The Gauchos used a hook-and-lateral as Aziz Spellman-Smith picked up 70 quick yards, then used 6'8" wide receiver T.J. Knowles to score the go-ahead touchdown on a 12-yard pass from Ingram with 2:51 to play, giving Saddleback the 42-38 final advantage.
Ingram finished with 222 passing yards and three touchdown tosses while Knowles had four receptions for 44 yards and Spellman-Smith added three receptions for 98 yards. Saddleback's defense intercepted Thomas three times and Gaucho punter Morris Keseloff booted a 69-yard punt in the fourth quarter to equal a school record and pin Santa Ana at its own 8-yard line.
The Gauchos (5-0 overall, 1-0 in conference) are ranked No. 2 in Southern California and will host No. 3 Palomar College on Saturday, October 10, in the Saddleback campus stadium starting at 6:00 p.m. This will be Saddleback's Homecoming game.
9/28/09: Gauchos up to No. 6 in national rankings
The Saddleback football team is on a roll and the folks over at JCGridiron.com have been taking notice. The Gauchos rose to No. 6 in the nation this week in the JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 rankings after beating Mt. SAC 24-14 on Saturday to improve to 4-0.
Saddleback knew entering the matchup with the Mounties on Saturday that a lot would on the line, and responded nicely with a stifling defensive effort. The Gauchos leaped over four teams to No. 6 nationally, with three teams previously ranked above them falling from the ranks of unbeaten.
The No. 6 ranking is the highest Saddleback has been ranked since finishing No. 3 in the nation in 2006 and the 4-0 start is the first since 2007 when the Gauchos opened the season 4-0, only to lose to El Camino in game five.
 The top five teams ahead of Saddleback are El Camino (4-0), City College of San Francisco (4-0), Navarro, Texas, (4-0), Butte (4-0) and Blinn, Texas, (3-0). Three teams previously ranked in front of the Gauchos all fell from the undefeated ranks as Fullerton lost to College of the Canyons, Pearl River (MS) lost to Mississippi Gulf Coast and Mt. SAC was previously rated No. 7. Saddleback also leaped past Palomar College, who fell two spots after a modest win over College of the Desert.
The Saddleback defense, led by defensive coordinator Steve Crapo (pictured), is currently No. 2 in the state, surrendering just 11 points per game. Gaucho opponents are averaging only two yards-per-carry and the defense is tied for the state lead in interceptions (10).
Saddleback will play again on Saturday when they travel to Santa Ana to play the No. 40 Dons (3-1) at 1:00 PM. Santa Ana’s lone loss of the season came in week three when they lost a nail biter (47-45) to No. 26 Los Angeles Harbor College.
9/26/09: Swarming defense leads Gauchos past Mt. SAC
Most of the fans that made the trip to Walnut for a national showdown between No. 7 Mt. SAC and No. 10 Saddleback knew they were in for a treat and had reason to celebrate afterwards as the Gauchos beat Mt. San Antonio, 24-14. Saddleback dominated the game for three-plus quarters, as the Gaucho defense stifled the high-powered Mounties, serving notice that they are a force to be reckoned with in the future.
 Saddleback used a bit of trickery to jump out in front in the first quarter when Jai Morris completed a halfback pass to Tre Villahermosa for a 61-yard touchdown with 6:24 remaining in the opening frame. The Gauchos then thwarted an attempt at trickery by Mt. SAC when the Mounties tried a fake punt deep in their own end. Jason Young tackled punter Ian Campbell for a 1-yard loss and Saddleback cashed in the mistake with a Michael Frisina 40-yard field goal to make it 10-0 with 30 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.
Mt. San Antonio was frustrated on offense most of the day and only had two real drives to speak of. Coming out of halftime down 10-0, the Mounties converted on their opening drive when Tyler Vandersee connected with Chase Alcott from 32 yards to cut the deficit to three.
Saddleback would quickly respond, putting together a 10-play, 70-yard drive capped off with a seven yard touchdown pass from David Ingram to T.J. Knowles. Ingram was 5-for-5 on the drive, pushing the Gaucho lead back into double digits with 6:28 remaining in the third quarter.
 Mt. SAC closed the gap to 17-14 early in the fourth quarter when the Mounties engineered a quick drive and got some help from the Gaucho defense. Saddleback was flagged for 32 yards in penalties, including an interference penalty that gave Mt. SAC the ball on the 2-yard line. Lancer Iosefa cashed in the opportunity on the next play to cut the lead to 17-14 with 10:04 remaining in the game.
The lead looked in jeopardy minutes later when Charles Neal coughed up the football at the Mounties’ 30-yard line, thus giving Mt. SAC an opportunity to take the lead. The Mountie excitement was short-lived, however, as Cameron Chadwick intercepted Vandersee three plays later to give the Gauchos the ball back at midfield. Saddleback then marched down the field, grinding up the clock and cashing in with Keegan Gogerty scoring from one-yard out. On the drive, Saddleback attempted a fake field goal from the one-yard line on fourth down and was stopped, but Mt. SAC was flagged for a facemask, thus giving the Gauchos a first down inside the one. Gogerty would take it over two plays later to give Saddleback a 24-14 lead with just 1:55 remaining in the game.
The statistics in the game were somewhat misleading, as Mt. SAC held a 275-264 edge in total yardage. The Gauchos were flagged for 13 penalties in the game and held a nine-minute advantage in time of possession, thus skewing the numbers.
Ingram finished 16-for-31 through the air while Morris led the ground attack with 48 yards on 14 carries. Aziz Spellman-Smith led Gaucho receivers with six catches for 51 yards.
The Saddleback defense had a number of solid performances, led by Chadwick with eight tackles and an interception. Young was also very active, recording seven tackles, two tackles-for-loss, one sack and a pass broken-up.
The Gauchos improved to 4-0 to start the season and will travel to Santa Ana College next Saturday to meet the Dons at 1:00 PM. Mt. SAC dropped to 3-1 on the season and has a bye next week.
9/23/09: Gaucho football back in the top-10
The Saddleback football team is back in the top-10 in the JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 rankings after beating San Bernadino Valley College, 52-0, on Saturday night. The Gauchos come in at No. 10 in the national rankings and will face No. 7 Mt. San Antonio College this Saturday.
Saddleback is 3-0 on the season and has outscored its opponents 157-30 on the season, including 124-7 over the past two weeks. The Gauchos are fifth in the state in scoring (52.3) and sixth in the state in defensive points-allowed-per-game (10.0). In addition, the Saddleback defense is leading the state in interceptions with nine.
The Gauchos will get a tough test this week when they travel to No. 7 Mt. San Antonio College for a 1:00 PM kickoff against the perennial power Mounties. Mt. SAC is also 3-0 on the season, defeating Pasadena City 35-30, Golden West 33-14 and Victor Valley 32-20.
The No. 10 ranking is the highest the Gauchos have been since the preseason rankings came out in late August. Other Southern California teams ranked in the top-10 include No. 1 El Camino, No. 5 Palomar, No. 6 Fullerton and No. 7 Mt. SAC.
9/19/09: Gauchos enjoy second straight blowout win
 The Saddleback football scored early and often in beating San Bernadino Valley College, 52-0 on Saturday night at Saddleback College. The Gauchos improved to 3-0 to start the season and have outscored the last two opponents 124-7.
Jai Morris scampered 70 yards on the opening offensive play of the game for Saddleback, serving notice that last week’s game wasn’t a fluke. Morris was returning from a minor injury and finished with 80 yards on four carries to lead the ground game.
The passing combination of David Ingram and Brad Curtis were effective through the air, finishing a combined 19-for-32 with 314 yards and five touchdowns on the night.
T.J. Knowles was dominant on the receiving end, finishing with five catches for 114 yards and a touchdown. Knowles gave the Gauchos a 21-0 lead late in the first quarter on a jump ball in the corner of the end zone.
Saddleback dominated every aspect of the game, outgaining the Wolverines 510-168 for the game. San Bernadino Valley had trouble hanging on to the football, turning the ball over four times. Richard Crawford had two interceptions to lead the Saddleback secondary while Jeremy Rodenburg led the Gauchos with eight total tackles.
Saddleback improved to 3-0 with the win and now have a key game on the road at Mt. San Antonio College next Saturday. The Mounties were rated No. 6 in the nation by JCGridiron.com heading into the weekend.
San Bernadino Valley falls to 0-3 with the loss.
9/14/09: Gauchos back to No. 11 in national rankings
 The Saddleback football team moved up one spot to No. 11 in the JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 national rankings on Monday. The Gauchos impressed the folks at Rivals.com when they set or tied as many as six records during the 72-7 blistering of Mt. San Jacinto on Saturday.
Saddleback started the season at No. 10 in the rankings but dropped a couple of spots after a lackluster win in week one over Golden West College. The Gauchos completely turned things around in week two, setting records for most points in a game (72) and points in a quarter (34) while tying the record for points in a half (51). Saddleback also tied the record for touchdowns in a game (10) while kicker Michael Frisina tied the school record for consecutive extra points in a game (9). Richard Crawford (pictured) became the first Gaucho in program history to return two punts for touchdowns in a game with a 75-yard jaunt in the first quarter and a 42-yard sprint in the third.
Saddleback meets San Bernadino Valley this coming Saturday at home at 6:00 PM. The Gauchos blasted the Wolverines 69-14 in 2008 and lead the lifetime series 13-0.
The Dirty 30 rankings follow:
JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 (September 14, 2009)
1. Blinn (TX) 2-0
2. El Camino (Calif.) 2-0
3. Palomar (Calif.) 2-0
4. City College of San Francisco (Calif.) 2-0
5. Navarro (TX) 2-0
6. Mt. SAC (Calif.) 2-0
7. Fullerton (Calif.) 2-0
8. Pearl River (MS) 3-0
9. Butte (Calif.) 2-0
10. Butler (KS) 2-1
11. Saddleback (Calif.) 2-0
12. East Mississippi 3-0
13. Sierra (Calif.) 2-0
14. Fort Scott (KS) 2-0
15. Trinity Valley (TX) 2-0
16. Santa Rosa (Calif.) 2-0
17. Grossmont (Calif.) 2-0
18. Arizona Western 2-0
19. Northwest Mississippi 2-1
20. Mississippi Gulf Coast 2-1
21. Hutchinson (KS) 2-0
22. Foothill (Calif.) 2-0
23. Tyler (TX) 2-0
24. Bakersfield (Calif.) 2-0
25. Pasadena City (Calif.) 1-1
26. Ellsworth (IA) 1-1
27. San Mateo (Calif.) 2-0
28. Grand Rapids (MI) 2-0
29. Cerritos (Calif.) 2-0
30. Snow (UT) 2-1
Others on the bubble: Santa Ana (Calif.) 2-0, Joliet (IL) 3-0, Allan Hancock (Calif.) 2-0, Orange Coast (Calif.) 2-0, Rochester (MN) 3-0, Iowa Central 1-1, Phoenix (AZ) 1-1, Santa Barbara (Calif.) 1-1, Canyons (Calif.) 1-1, Coahoma (MS) 3-0
9/12/09: Record-setting day in victory over Eagles
 The Saddleback football team had a record-setting day in an overwhelming 72-7 victory over Mt. San Jacinto College on a hot Saturday afternoon in San Jacinto.
The Gauchos (2-0) scored a school-record 34 points in the first quarter and put points on the board ever time the team had the ball except for the final drive late in the fourth quarter with the game already out of reach and liberal substitutions in the game. Saddleback tied the school-record for most points in a half (51) and broke the school-record for most points in a game (72) on a day when the offense was clicking and the defense was making contributions to the scoreboard.
Saddleback posted a touchdown after taking the opening kickoff 69 yards downfield. Quarterback David Ingram found receiver T.J. Knowles for a 33-yard scoring play as the 6'8" receiver was able to come down in double-coverage and wrestle the ball away from the aggressive defenders. The points started to roll for the Gauchos from that point on as the defense held the Eagles to just six yards on Mt. San Jacinto's first possession, forcing a punt which Richard Crawford returned 75 yards for a touchdown and a 13-0 lead. On Mt. San Jacinto's next possession the Eagles coughed up the pigskin on their first play and Devin Thurman scooped up the ball, racing 16 yards for another Gaucho touchdown. And so it went, time after time, Gauchos finding the endzone every time they touched the ball.
Keegan Gogerty (pictured) ended up in the endzone three times on short, 1-yard runs when Mt. San Jacinto tried to post a goal-line stand. Crawford added a 42-yard punt return for a touchdown late in the third quarter, and D.J. Gallegos - the seventh running back used on the day - received a simple screen pass on his only touch of the day but broke a pair of tackles and fought his way into the endzone to cap the scoring.
Saddleback's 72 points tops the previous record of 69 points it had attained twice - including once last year - and the 499 yards of offense doubled the offensive output of the season-opener a week earlier. The Gaucho defense was stalwart again, limiting the Eagles to just 54 rushing yards and 208 total yards.
Gaucho kicker Michael Frisina equalled a school-record with nine consecutive PAT's in the game. After missing his first PAT attempt low and left, Frisina settled into a groove to blast the remaining nine kicks and added a 30-yard field goal to account for 12 points.
9/05/09: Gauchos open season with win over Rustlers
 The Saddleback football team opened the 2009 season with a 33-23 victory over the visiting Golden West Rustlers, using key defensive plays to ensure the victory.
The Gauchos used the first quarter as a warm up to get out the kinks and butterflies before starting to gel in the second quarter. Defensive pressure on Golden West's punter caused a short punt which was fielded by Andrew Douglass and returned 20 yards to give the Gauchos a 7-3 lead. Saddleback added a 5-yard touchdown run by sophomore tailback Jai Morris with 21 seconds remaining before the intermission to give the Gauchos a 14-3 lead at halftime.
Although Golden West receiver Bryce Blake posted 202 receiving yards on 15 receptions, most of those were swing passes under the Saddleback defense and accounted for a large portion of the Rustler offense. Two of those tosses to Blake went over the middle for touchdowns of 23 and 29 yards in the third quarter to keep the game close. But after Blake's second score of the game the Rustlers misplayed the 2-point PAT and Saddleback's Travis Venzant returned the bobbled ball 87 yards for a 2-point defensive score and a 23-15 lead. Kicker Mike Frisina added a 34-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and Dre Laney made a nice catch on his outside hip on a ball thrown from backup quarterback Brad Curtis and ran in for a score from 10 yards out to five Saddleback a 33-15 cushion with three minutes to play.
Saddleback's defense intercepted five Rustler passes on the night, including one by sophomore linebacker Kory Johnson. Johnson (pictured) also led the Gauchos with 10 tackles and a sack.
Saddleback will travel to Mt. San Jacinto College for a 1:00 p.m. game next Saturday, September 12.
8/27/09: Gauchos the top pick at media day
 The Saddleback football team was picked to finish first by the media and sports information directors at the annual National Division Southern Conference luncheon on Thursday at Orange Coast College. The Gauchos, along with Palomar College and Fullerton College, all garnered first place votes in one of the closest polls in memory.
Fullerton ended up with four first place votes while Saddleback and Palomar had three apiece, as the three programs were separated by only four points. In the end, the Gauchos had the highest average of the seven-teams in the conference in what appears to be a conference up for grabs. Grossmont College edged Santa Ana College for fourth place while Orange Coast College finished in sixth in the voting and Long Beach City College seventh.
Grossmont College was the only program unrepresented at the meeting.
Southern Conference Media Day Voting:
1) Saddleback 60 pts. (3)
2) Palomar 58 pts. (3)
3) Fullerton 56 pts. (4)
4) Grossmont 36
5) Santa Ana 33
6) Orange Coast 24
7) Long Beach City 13
8/24/09: Gauchos enter top-10 to start the season
The final JCGridiron.com preseason rankings are out and the Saddleback football team moved up to No. 10 in the national rankings to start the season. The Gauchos raised five spots in the rankings since early July and will play five programs rated in the top-34 in the country.
Saddleback is one of five teams from Southern California rated in the top-10 in the "Dirty 30" as Mt. San Antonio College comes in at No. 2, El Camino College is No. 3, Palomar College is No. 5 and College of the Canyons is at No. 8. Saddleback will play Mt. SAC on September 26, Palomar on October 10 and three other teams that appear in the rankings. Rival Fullerton College (Oct. 24) is rated right behind the Gauchos at No. 11, Grossmont College (Nov. 14) comes in at No. 27 and Orange Coast College (Oct. 31) is rated No. 34.
Saddleback enters the season with one of the top running backs in the nation in Jai Morris. He rushed for 889 yards and nine touchdowns in 2008 and was named the Co-Offensive Player-of-the-Year in the National Division Southern Conference, leading the Gauchos to a 7-4 finish.
 Saddleback finished the 2008 season ranked No. 15 by JCGridiron.com. The highest the Gauchos have ever been ranked by the Rivals.com site was No. 3 back in 2006. JCGridiron started national rankings of community college football programs in 2005.
Saddleback opens the season on September 5 at home against Golden West College.
Source: JCGridiron.com
7/5/09: Gaucho football rated No. 15 in nation
 The first set of national preseason rankings are out and the Saddleback football team is ranked No. 15 in the nation according to JCGridiron.com (Rivals.com). The Gauchos are one of seven teams from Southern California to crack the preseason top-30 list and have five games scheduled in 2009 against teams ranked in the top-40.
Saddleback enters the season with one of the top running backs in the nation in Jai Morris. He rushed for 889 yards and nine touchdowns in 2008 and was named the Co-Offensive Player-of-the-Year in the National Division Southern Conference in leading the Gauchos to a 7-4 finish.
Saddleback joins Southern California foes Mt. San Antonio (2), El Camino (3), Palomar (5), Canyons (8), Fullerton (11), Pasadena City (30), Orange Coast (33), Cerritos (34) and Grossmont (36) as teams from the southern half of the state included in the rankings. The Gauchos will play No. 2 Mt. SAC in week four (Sept. 26), No. 5 Palomar in week six (Oct. 10), No. 11 Fullerton in week eight (Oct. 24), No. 33 Orange Coast in week nine (Oct. 31) and No. 36 Grossmont in week 10 (Nov. 14).
Saddleback finished the 2008 season ranked No. 15 in the nation and its highest finish in the JCGridiron rankings was No. 3 back in 2006. JCGridiron started national rankings of community college football programs in 2005 and is part of the Rivals.com network of scouting sites.
Source: JCGridiron.com
6/27/09: Meehan signs with Delta State
 Another member of the 2008 football team has signed on the dotted line, as offensive lineman Ryan Meehan will continue his football career at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. Meehan is the eighth player from the 2008 Gaucho team to move on to the next level.
Meehan is 6-foot-2, 275 pounds and played in 2006 and 2008 for Saddleback at both center and guard. He earned fist team All-National Division Southern Conference honors this past season, helping the Gauchos to an unprecedented season on offense where they set the record for most points-scored-per-game (38.7) as a team.
Meehan is the eighth member of the 2008 team to move on to the next level, joining wide receiver Nick Hutter (Portland State), tight end Nick Groeniger (Northern Illinois), wide receiver Jay Wisner (Auburn), safety Aaron Brown (Hawaii), offensive tackle Brett Leonard (Hawaii), corner Daivon Dumas (Northern Arizona) and linebacker Mark Berry (Azusa Pacific).
Delta State is an NCAA D2 program located in Cleveland, Mississippi, and plays in the Gulf South Conference. The Statesmen finished 10-2 in 2008, winning the conference title before losing to North Alabama in the NCAA D2 quarterfinals.
5/6/09: Gaucho football schedule is finalized
 The Saddleback College football schedule is set for 2009 and once again, the Gauchos will have a number of games on the schedule that should test their mettle. Saddleback will open the schedule at home against Golden West College on September 5 and will play six games against teams that were ranked in the top-25 in the country at one point during the 2008 season by JCGridiron.com.
Saddleback returns a number of solid players from the 2008 roster, including running back Jai Morris, who rushed for 889 yards and nine touchdowns last season in being named the Co-Offensive-Player-of-the-Year in the National Division Southern Conference. The Gauchos finished 7-4 in 2008 and 5-1 in conference play, falling to El Camino College, 31-28, in the American Bowl. Saddleback finished the 2008 season ranked No. 15 in the nation according to JCGridiron.com (Rivals.com).
Here is a look at the 2009 schedule:
Sept. 5 vs. Golden West
Sept. 12 @ Mt. San Jacinto
Sept. 19 vs. San Bernadino Valley
Sept. 26 @ Mt. San Antonio
Oct. 3 @ Santa Ana
Oct. 10 vs. Palomar
Oct. 17 @ Long Beach City
Oct. 24 vs. Fullerton
Oct. 31 @ Orange Coast
Nov. 14 vs. Grossmont
2008 Archives
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