2/1/12: Gaucho football commitment list is impressive
 The Saddleback College football team had yet another impressive season in 2011, qualifying for a Southern California-leading 11th straight bowl game in finishing 8-3 on the season. The off-season has been even more impressive, as 11 Gauchos have already signed on the dotted line to continue their careers at four-year universities.
 With the offense putting up record numbers in 2011, it is no surprise that the guys up front were very good. Tackles Kyle Long and Menelik Watson both signed letters of intent on Wednesday, with Long committing to the University of Oregon and Watson deciding on Florida State University. Long was a First Team All-National Northern Conference selection following the season and had offers from a number of major programs, including Arkansas, Florida State, Tennessee, UCLA and Utah  before deciding on the Ducks. Watson was a second team all-conference selection following the season and has been on a recruiting circuit over the past six weeks, visiting Auburn, Florida State and Rutgers before deciding on the Seminoles. Long was also rated the No. 2 junior college offensive tackle in the nation by JCGridiron.com, while Watson was rated No. 9 in the country.
  Long and Watson were instrumental in keeping quarterback Ben Gomez upright all season, something that helped the Gauchos score a record 40.5 points-per-game. Gomez signed during the early signing period in December with Lindenwood University after setting records for completions (268), attempts (451), touchdowns (33) and yardage passing (3,651). Gomez was named the state Offensive-Player-of-the-Year by the JC Athletic Bureau following the season, and was rated the No. 8 pro style junior college quarterback in the nation by JCGridiron.com
 Gomez had a lot of targets to throw to in 2011, but none more lethal to opponents than wide receiver Rodney Woodland. The sophomore receiver signed a letter of intent on Wednesday to Texas State University, a program that will join the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in 2012. Woodland was a First Team All-National Southern Conference selection after leading the team with 125 all-purpose yards-per-game and scoring 18 touchdowns, the most ever by a Saddleback wide receiver in a season. Woodland is rated the No. 12 junior college wide receiver in the nation by JCGridiron.com, and decided on Texas State over Kentucky and Louisiana Tech.
  Two more members of the Saddleback offense signed letters of intent on Wednesday, as back-up quarterbacks Zac Emde and John Cardona scored deals with four-year schools. Both Emde and Cardona played in five games for the Gauchos in 2011, and will continue their respective careers at Northern State University and Sterling College. Northern State is located in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and plays in  the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (D2). Sterling College is located in Sterling, Kansas, and plays an NAIA schedule in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference.
On nearly every good team, special teams are essential and this year the Gauchos excelled in the kicking game with Michael  Bowlin. The First Team All-National Southern kicker signed at Washington State over San Jose State after a solid season when he made 11-for-15 on field goals, leading the state with 64.1 yards-per-kickoff and recording 14 touchbacks. The former Oregon Duck is headed back to the Pac 12 to play for the Cougars, and was also named to the JCGrid-Wire All America Team.
  The defense saw five players make commitments in the past six weeks, as two linebackers, one defensive lineman and two defensive backs committed to play at four-year programs. Courtlin Thompson gave a commitment to Lamar University while Jake Johnston will continue his career at Northern Arizona University. Johnston was a unanimous All-National Southern Conference selection following the season after leading the Gauchos in tackles (73) and fumble recoveries. He is rated the No. 17 junior college safety prospect in the nation by JCGridiron.com.
 Joining Johnston at Northern Arizona is linebacker Chris Connolly, who was a second team all-conference player as an outside linebacker after leading the Gauchos with five quarterback hurries. Connolly was rated the No. 17  inside linebacker in the nation by JCGridiron.com last week after finishing sixth on the team in tackles (41). Joining Connolly from the linebacker ranks was David Belz, who will continue his playing career at Chapman University. Belz played in nine games this season for Saddleback, and will take his act to a Panther program that plays an NCAA D3 schedule in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
2011 Commitments
Michael Bowlin, K, Washington State University
Kyle Long, OL, University of Oregon
Menelik Watson, OL, Florida State University
Ben Gomez, QB, Lindenwood University
Zach Emde, QB, Northern State University
John Cardona, QB, Sterling College
Courtlin Thompson, DB, Lamar University
Rodney Woodland, WR, Texas State University
Chris Connolly, LB, Northern Arizona University
Jake Johnston, DB, Northern Arizona University
David Belz, LB, Chapman College
1/6/12: Gomez heads the list of continued post-season football accolades
 Saddleback College quarterback Ben Gomez was honored this week when it was announced that he had earned the State Offensive-Player-of-the-Year Award, handed out by the JC Athletic Bureau. Gomez finished the season setting a number of program records and led the state in passing yards-per-game.
Gomez finished the season with 3,651 yards passing and 33 touchdowns, completing 59% of his passes for the season. He set programs records this past season for completions (268), attempts (451), touchdowns (33) and yardage passing (3,651), all set by former legend Colt Brennan, who went on to set 31 NCAA records at the University of Hawaii.
Gomez was joined on the JC Athletic Bureau list by defensive back Jake Johnston, who was named to the All-Region IV Team Defense after leading the Saddleback defense in tackles. Johnston finished the season with 73 tackles, also making two interceptions and seven pass break-ups.
Gomez has since signed a letter of intent to continue his football career at Lindenwood University, while Johnston is still undecided.
 Joining those two in winning big recognition in recent weeks were offensive tackle Kyle Long and kicker Michael Bowlin, who were both named to the JCGrid-Wire All America Team. Long was a big part of the success of Gomez, protecting the backside of the heralded quarterback while anchoring an offensive line that helped Saddleback score a program-record 40.5 points-per-game. Bowlin was a pillar of consistency in 2011, leading the state with 64.1 yards-per-kickoff, recording 14 touchbacks for the season. He was also 11-for-15 on field goals, missing just twice inside of 40 yards all season long. Both Long and Bowlin will continue their respective careers in the Pac 12, as Long has given a verbal commitment to the University of Oregon while Bowlin has signed a letter of intent to pay at Washington State University.
In terms of individual accolades, a number of players from the team have been ranked by JCGridiron.com as top junior college players at their respective positions for the class of 2012. Kyle Long was rated the No. 2 offensive tackle in the nation by the Rivals.com network site, while fellow lineman Menelik Watson was named the No. 9 offensive tackle in the nation. In addition, both Long and Watson were named to the top-50 junior college players in the nation by the Rivals.com network. Gomez was named the No. 8 pro style quarterback by JCGridiron while Rodney Woodland was named the No. 12 wide receiver prospect in the nation.
11/20/11: Gauchos turn bowl title over to Tigers
 Riverside was able to complete only its second undefeated season in school history, wrapping up the 2011 season with an 11-0 record after beating Saddleback 31-14 in the Golden State Bowl Saturday night. The Tigers took advantage of three Saddleback interceptions and four lost fumbles to jump out to a 14-0 lead and turned back several Saddleback drives to secure the victory.
Riverside took advantage of Saddleback’s miscues early. Following Bruce Jones’ one-handed interception that was returned 55 yards to the Saddleback 34-yard line, the Tigers got on the scoreboard two plays later on EJ Schexnayder’s 30-yard run after breaking a tackle in the backfield. Riverside upped the lead to 14-0 in the first quarter when quarterback Dalton Livingston found Sadale Foster for a 22-yard scoring strike in the right corner of the endzone.
Saddleback (8-3) would find the endzone on the second play of its next possession as Ben Gomez found a streaking Rodney Woodland open for an 80-yard scoring pass. Woodland would eventually tie the game at 14-14 with 5:05 to play in the half on a 19-yard run. But Riverside took a 17-14 lead into the locker room at the intermission as Wesley Feer connected on a 39-yard field goal following Saddleback’s third interception of the first half.
The Tigers scored on their first possession of the third quarter as Andre Hunt scampered for a 41-yard score. The Riverside defense then took over, forcing three Saddleback punts in the third quarter. The Tigers then stopped Saddleback’s three fourth quarter drives by forcing fumbles. The first drive was stopped at the Tigers’ 6-yard line.
The MVP of the game was Riverside sophomore linebacker Zaire Anderson who finished the game with a game-high 12 tackles including 4.5 tackles for lost yardage, 3.5 sacks, a quarterback hurry, and forced two fumbles. Sophomore tailback Andre Hunt (above) earned the offensive player of the game award after rushing for 121 yards and two scores on 23 carries. Tiger linebacker Will Smith was named defensive player of the game after making several key stops, including eight tackles, a pass break up, and two fumble recoveries.
Saddleback's Rodney Woodland finished the game with 213 all-purpose yards. He had seven receptions for 138 yards, including that 80-yard TD catch, and added four rushes for 35 yards and a score, accounting for all of Saddleback's points. He also had two kickoff returns for 40 yards.
Quarterback Ben Gomez had his roughest outing of the season, completing just 18 of 35 pass attempts for just one touchdown and a season-low 256 yards. He was sacked nine times and intercepted twice. Saddleback was limited to just 10 rushing yards on the night.
Jake Belnap led the Gauchos with nine tackles, including 1.5 tackles for lost yardage. Darian Yahyavi, Jason Kollock, and Jake Johnston each had eight tackles. Johnston and Erik Nelson posted interceptions for the Gauchos.
11/16/11: Something to look out for in football bowl game
When Saddleback (8-2) travels to Riverside to take on the Tigers (10-0) this Saturday night in the Golden State Bowl, it will rekindle an old rivalry.
 Saddleback and Riverside had played each year for 35 consecutive years (1970-2004), the longest-running rivalry in Saddleback’s school history, until some re-conferencing amongst the football programs took Riverside off of Saddleback’s schedule. The teams randomly got together again in 2007 for a single meeting before the conference changed again.
Saddleback’s 28-8 overall lead in the series shows a rich history of success at Saddleback, but that’s not going to make Riverside back down this year. The Tigers are the only undefeated team in Southern California this season and are ranked No. 1 in the region in the coaches’ poll. Saddleback is ranked No. 5 this week after spending several weeks at No. 1 earlier in the year.
For Saddleback and head coach Mark McElroy there are several factors at stake. McElroy has 99 career victories as Saddleback’s head coach and would like nothing more than to finish off the year with career victory No. 100. The Gauchos will be playing in their 11th consecutive post-season bowl game, currently the longest streak in Southern California.
“We’re going to show up and we’re going to be ready to compete the best we can,” Gauchos coach Mark McElroy said during the bowl game press conference on Wednesday.
Riverside has won 18 straight games dating back to week four of the 2010 season and Tigers head coach Tom Craft has his team playing exceptional football this season.
“Our biggest goal was to win the conference,” Craft said at the bowl game press conference after leading his team to back-to-back conference titles. “I’ve been told that this is the best bowl game in Southern California this weekend featuring two teams that are not in the playoffs.”
These are two of the most prolific offenses in Southern California this season. Riverside averages 50.4 points per game, 451 yards per game, and 6.1 yards per play. Saddleback is averaging 43.1 points, 491 yards per game, and 6.2 yards per play.
Saddleback quarterback Ben Gomez already has established single-season school records for pass attempts (416), pass completions (250), and touchdown passes (32), breaking all of Colt Brennan’s passing records. With his first pass completion in Saturday’s bowl game, Gomez will also own the season record for passing yardage. Currently, he is tied with Brennan at 3,395 yards – the only two Saddleback quarterbacks to ever throw for more than 3,000 yards in a single season.
Kickoff for the game is set for 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $5 for children and students.
11/14/11: Gauchos to play at Riverside in Golden State Bowl
 The Saddleback football team found out on Sunday it will not be a part of the Southern California playoffs, but instead will be playing at Riverside College in the Golden State Bowl. The Gauchos were left out of the playoffs despite being ranked ahead of one of the playoff programs, and will take on the top-rated team in the Southern California Coach’s Poll, another program left out of the playoffs.
Saddleback finished ranked No. 5 in the Coach’s Poll, one spot in front of El Camino College, who qualified for the playoffs by virtue of beating Palomar College earlier in the season. The Warriors and Gauchos had the same number of power points in the formula used to decide playoff participants. The next criteria used to determine a playoff participant is the best win in the Coach’s Poll. Saddleback’s best win was when it defeated Cerritos, who ended up with the one spot behind Palomar, by a total of three total points in the poll.
Riverside enters the bowl game at 10-0, and was champions of the Central Division Eastern Conference for a second straight season in 2011. The Tigers were rated No. 6 in the entire nation by JCGridiron.com’s Dirty 30 Rankings heading into last week, while the Gauchos were rated No. 20. Riverside is also rated No. 1 in the State Coach’s Poll, garnering 11-of-14 first place votes. They were left out of the playoffs due to a power points system which distributes points for wins on a sliding scale, depending on which tier your opponent competes within. The Tigers played just one upper-tier program on the season, defeating the playoffs’ top-seeded Mt. San Antonio program 29-26 in week three of the season.
The game will be played at Riverside College, with the kickoff set for 6:00 PM.
11/13/11: Gauchos win shootout against Fullerton
 In a game that had five lead changes in the second half, Saddleback scored on a one-yard run by Keith Lawson with 1:46 remaining to defeat Fullerton College, 44-40. The Gauchos rolled up 543 yards of offense on a wet, windy and cold evening in Mission Viejo and will now wait to see what the coaches decide on playoff spots on Sunday.
The first quarter of the game on Saturday was played in a virtual wind and rain storm, as both the KSBR Radio and Gaucho Sports Network streaming coverage was knocked off the air. High winds and rain had the Gauchos struggling offensively, falling behind 23-10 midway through the second quarter. When things all calmed down for the second half, Saddleback righted the ship, scoring 27 points and finishing with a big win on the final night of the regular season.
Quarterback Ben Gomez finished 26-of-47 for 394 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receivers Rodney Woodland and Exavier Edwards-Ford combined for 12 receptions and 248 yards receiving as the Fullerton secondary had no answer for the Gaucho air attach over the final 30 minutes. It was running backs Lawson and James Poole, however, that made the big plays during the game, scoring three touchdowns between them on the night. Lawson’s one-yard plunge with 1:46 remaining came on the heels of a brilliant 36-yard strike from Gomez to Kasey Closs, as the Gauchos had fallen behind in the final minutes for the third straight week.
Fullerton made one final push in the closing minute, but Connor Bednarski’s pass fell to the ground in the end zone on the final play of the game, giving Saddleback the much-needed win. A play earlier, Bednarski pulled off the unthinkable when he completed a 50-yard pass on fourth and 39 from his own 10-yard line. The clock, however, only had eight ticks remaining when they finally got everybody set and spiked the ball at the Saddleback 40-yard line to stop the clock.
The Gauchos finish the regular season at 8-2, and will now await the bowl and playoff pairings, which will be announced on Sunday.
11/12/11: GSN broadcast goes dead in 1st quarter
 The Saddleback football game that was supposed to be broadcast on the Gaucho Sports Network was officially canceled about midway through the first quarter on Saturday night. All those that subscribed will be refunded first thing Monday morning.
The broadcast was deemed dangerous when all the EZ-Up covers blew down due to 35-mile an hour winds, thus leaving all the equipment exposed to rain and wind. The game continued, but both the GSN broadcast and KSBR radio broadcast were a total loss.
We apologize to those that were looking forward to watching the game.
11/6/11: Gauchos experience déjà vu in San Marcos
 Like a scene from the 1993 movie Groundhog Day, the Saddleback football team once again was turned back on Saturday in falling to Palomar College, 44-41. With the loss, the Gaucho playoff hopes took a serious hit with one game to play in the regular season.
Saddleback once again led by as many as 14 points late in the third quarter but were unable to hold on to the lead, surrendering 24 points in the final 16 minutes of the game. The Gauchos again had a chance to secure the win with under three minutes to play, but a pair of incomplete passes from the Palomar 20-yard line gave the ball back to the Comets, thus giving Palomar one more opportunity to win the game. The Comets made good when Cameron Mercado nailed a 28-yard field goal with three seconds remaining in the game, giving Palomar a much-needed win and sending Saddleback searching for playoff answers with one game left in the regular season.
The Gauchos looked like a team on a mission in the third quarter when it took a 34-20 lead with 3:48 left in the quarter on a Rodney Woodland 13-yard run. It was one of three touchdowns on the day for Woodland, who finished with 168 total yards, including two long touchdown catches from Ben Gomez.
Palomar, however, would not be denied. The Comets received a nice performance from quarterback David Fisher, who completed 24-of-43 balls for 360 yards and four touchdowns, all of which went to wide receiver Nigel Westbrooks. The sophomore receiver combined with freshman Alex Wheat to reel in 19 balls for 301 yards, giving the Gaucho secondary fits all night long in a game that was played in 45-degree weather.
The loss by Saddleback leaves them at 7-2 overall, and now 2-2 in National Division Southern Conference play, tied with Grossmont for third place in the conference. The Gauchos would need a win against Fullerton next week and a loss by El Camino College, who plays at home against Ventura College, to make a strong case for a playoff berth from the would-be voters.
10/30/11: Gauchos collapse in the Mt. SAC heat
 The Saddleback football team looked like a team on a mission through the first three quarters of the much-anticipated matchup with perennial power Mt. San Antonio College on Saturday, taking a 31-17 lead into the final 10 minutes of the game. The Gauchos, however, couldn’t hold on to the lead in falling 38-34 to the Mounties.
Saddleback completely controlled the game for the first three quarters, when things completely fell apart. Mt. San Antonio scored 21 points in 7:05 and 28 fourth-quarter points in snatching victory from the jaws of defeat in winning their 17th straight game at home.
Saddleback led 31-17 and had the ball at its own 11-yard line with just over nine minutes remaining in the game when Mt. San Antonio scooped up an Anthony Cade fumble and returned it 16 yards for a touchdown to close the gap to 31-24. The Gauchos then went three-and-out on its next possession and were forced to punt, thus giving the Mounties the ball on their own 32-yard line. Mt. San Antonio proceeded to run right down the field on the Gaucho defense, scoring in six plays, capped off by a Christian Bobo 29-yard run for a touchdown to tie the game at 31-31.
Saddleback got the ball back with 6:23 remaining on the clock and looked as if it was going to secure the win. The Gauchos drove to the Mounties’ 21-yard line with less than three minutes remaining in regulation and Mt. San Antonio only having one timeout remaining. Saddleback, however, would come up empty on three straight passing attempts, and was thus forced to settle for a 36-yard field goal from Michael Bowlin to grab a 34-31 lead with 2:20 remaining on the clock.
Mt. San Antonio would start its final drive on the 43-yard line after a solid return and 2:11 remaining on the clock. The Mounties scored on its very first play, when Darrin Duncan scampered down the sidelines from 57 yards, thus giving Mt. San Antonio its first lead since early in the second quarter. The Gauchos would have 1:55 remaining on the clock to try and win the game, but a relentless Mounties pass rush would cut the Saddleback drive short at the Mt. SAC 44-yard line, thus completing the comeback.
For Saddleback, it was the first loss on the road since the end of the 2008 season. The Gauchos fell to 7-1 overall and 2-1 in National Division Southern Conference play, one game behind the Mounties.
Saddleback will try and regroup next Saturday when they travel to Palomar College to take on the Comets, who improved to 5-2 on the season with a 40-6 win over Pasadena City College. Game time is set for 6:00 PM at Escondido High School.
10/23/11: Another record falls as Gauchos improve to 7-0
The Saddleback football team scored 35 points in just over 11 minutes during the third quarter in blowing past Pasadena City College, 56-21, on Saturday night at Saddleback Stadium. The 35 points broke a record of 34 points in a quarter, set in 2009.
Saddleback allowed PCC to hang around for a half of football, leading 21-14 at the intermission before kicking into high gear. The Gauchos then scored five touchdowns in a span of 11:01, most of which you could not see due to the dense fog in the area.
Ben Gomez hit Kasey Closs in a 28-yard scoring play at 13:12 of the third quarter as Saddleback went 69 yards in six plays to open the second half in grabbing a 28-14 lead. After the defense forced a three-and-out by the Lancers on the following drive, the Gauchos then went 45 yards in six plays, with Rodney Woodland finding Gomez on a flea flicker pass to up the lead to 35-14. Things would turn from bad to worse for the Lancers, as they then fumbled on the third play of the ensuing drive, and once again Saddleback would score six plays later, as Gomez called his own number for a six-yard run in blowing open the game, 42-14.
Saddleback was not even close to done, however, as the Gauchos scored just four plays later when James Poole returned a punt 32 yards for a touchdown, following another stop by the defense. As if things hadn’t spiraled out of control enough for Pasadena, they then fumbled three plays into the next drive, thus once again giving the Gauchos the ball in their own end of the field. Two plays later, Gomez found Woodland wide open streaking down the middle of the field, hitting him in stride to push the lead to 56-14.
The 35 points in one quarter broke the record of 34 points scored in one quarter against Mt. San Jacinto College in 2009.
Saddleback totaled 503 yards of offense in the game, despite Pasadena holding a 38:46-to-21:14 advantage in time of possession. Gomez finished 11-for-17 for 296 yards passing and four touchdowns, scoring once on the ground and once on the pass from Woodland.
The Gaucho defense was very stout against the run, allowing just 120 yards on 56 attempts. Christian Mejia was a force up front, finishing with 12 total tackles, four tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks on the evening. Maua Vole also had his biggest night of the year, finishing with 10 tackles of his own.
Saddleback improved to 7-0 on the season, and 2-0 in National Division Southern Conference play. The Gauchos will have a showdown next week when they travel to Mt. San Antonio College to take on the defending back-to-back national champion Mounties. Game time is set for 1:00 PM.
10/15/11: Football holds off Grossmont to start 6-0
 The Saddleback football team darted out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter before settling for a 37-23 win at Grossmont College on Saturday. The Gaucho defense had six takeaways in improving to 6-0 on the season.
The first quarter started like a whirlwind for Saddleback fans, as the Gauchos darted out to a three touchdown lead behind two Keith Lawson touchdown runs and a Ben Gomez pass to Kevin Schick in the first 15 minutes of play. Unfortunately, it is the next 30 minutes of football the Saddleback fans would like to forget, as the Gauchos nearly gave the lead away in letting the Griffins back in the game.
Grossmont got within 21-17 just 24 seconds into the second half of play, and the score would remain that way until just under seven minutes remaining in the third quarter. From that point forward, the Saddleback defense and special teams forced a trio of critical errors and the Gaucho offense responded, building the lead to 37-17 with less than four minutes remaining in the game.
 The first turnover came from the special teams as Saddleback’s Denzel Wilson blocked a Grossmont punt, allowing Yogi Hale to recover the ball at the Griffin four-yard line. On the very next play, Donnell Dickerson would walk into the end zone and the momentum seemed to turn.
Early in the fourth quarter the Saddleback defense would strike for its fifth forced turnover of the day when Jake Johnston stepped in front of a Mike Karls pass for an interception at the Grossmont 25-yard line. Two plays later, Gomez would find Schick for his second touchdown of the game, and the Gauchos had some breathing room at 34-17.
Saddleback would capitalize on one more Grossmont turnover later in the fourth quarter when Courtlin Thompson would intercept Karls for the third time in the game, giving the Gauchos great field position at the Griffin 30-yard line.  Saddleback would eventually connect for three points as Michael Bowlin kicked a 27-yard field goal for a commanding 37-17 lead with 3:28 remaining in the game.
Saddleback improved to 6-0 on the season on a day when it clearly did not have its best stuff. Despite racking up 444 yards of offense, the Gauchos committed five turnovers of their own, converting on just 4-of-13 third down conversions and committing 13 penalties.
Gomez would finish 31-for-50 on the night, throwing for 286 yards and three touchdowns against two interceptions. The running game had five players with double-digit yardage, led by Anthony Cade with 57 yards on eight carries. Terrell Johnson and Rodney Woodland both finished with six receptions while James Poole led the Gauchos with 57 yards receiving. Kyle Smith led the defense with 7.5 tackles for the game.
Saddleback will now face Pasadena City College next Saturday at home at 6:00 PM. The Lancers were a surprise 30-20 winner over Fullerton College on Saturday.
10/14/11: Gomez earns monthly recognition from the state
Saddleback quarterback Ben Gomez has had a sensational start to the 2011 season, and was recently recognized by the state offices for his play during the month of September. Gomez was named honorable mention Athlete-of-the-Month by the California Community College Sports Information Association and the California Community College Athletic Association on Tuesday.
Gomez had a big September for the Gauchos, finishing the month 117-for-199 with 1,721 yards passing and 18 touchdowns against just three interceptions. He led Saddleback to a 4-0 finish during the month, setting the single-game record for passing with 478 yards against Victor Valley College on September 24.
Gomez has guided the Gauchos to a 5-0 start to the season and a No. 4 national ranking by JCGridiron.com.
10/1/11: Woodland soars past Falcons in 56-21 win
Sophomore wide receiver Rodney Woodland had a big night on Saturday night as the Saddleback football team rolled past Cerritos College, 56-21, at Saddleback stadium. The Gaucho speedster scored three times as Saddleback got some revenge for a loss to the Falcons in the playoffs last November.
The Gauchos seem to have a different star just about every week, and this week it was Woodland. The former track star totaled 166 yards from scrimmage, reeling in touchdown receptions of three and 69 yards, while taking an inside handoff on a double-reverse and scoring from 13-yards out on the ground.
Ben Gomez had a consistent night throwing the ball, completing 24-of-30 passes for 330 yards and three touchdowns. Donnell Dickerson returned from an ankle injury to lead the team in rushing with 97 yards on 17 carries, scoring three times on the ground and consistently hurdling would-be tacklers for big plays.
Other than a couple of busted plays, Cerritos struggled to find any consistency on offense, recording just nine first downs for the entire game. The Gaucho defense was particularly tough against the run, surrendering just 54 yards on 34 carries. Bryant Chirinos led the Gauchos with six tackles on the evening, while the Saddleback front put pressure on Falcon quarterbacks all night long, recording three sacks and limiting Cerritos to complete just 10-of-22 passes on the night.
Saddleback held a 491-287 advantage in total yards, converting on 8-of-11 third down opportunities. The Gauchos were 7-for-7 in the red zone, despite committing 16 penalties for the game.
Saddleback improved to 5-0 on the season with the win and will now enjoy a week off to heal from bumps and bruises before heading to Grossmont College on October 15. Grossmont improved to 2-3 on the season with a surprise 38-14 win over ranked College of the Canyons.
9/29/11: Gomez earns player-of-the-week honors
 Saddleback quarterback Ben Gomez was honored by the coaches association in Southern California on Monday when he was named the Southern Conference Offensive Player-of-the-Week. Gomez set the program record, passing for 478 yards in a 48-14 win over Victor Valley College last Saturday night at Homecoming.
Gomez finished 32‐of‐51 with three touchdowns, leaving after the third quarter with the game well in hand. The sophomore from San Clemente has now thrown for 1,391 yards and 15 touchdowns on the season in four games, throwing just two interceptions in 169 attempts. Gomez currently leads the state in both passing yards and touchdowns throw, and has the No. 14 passer rating.
In addition to Gomez, defensive back Trent Von Yokes was named honorable mention for his play on the defensive side of the ball. Von Yokes was one of the three Gauchos to finish with seven tackles last week, also returning an interception 33 yards to set up a score for the offense.
9/24/11:
Gomez batters Rams for 4-0 start
The Saddleback football team got a record-setting performance from Ben Gomez in cruising past Victor Valley College, 48-14, on Saturday night. Gomez threw for a single-game record 478 yards in leading the Gauchos to a comfortable win on Homecoming night.
Gomez and Saddleback started a bit slowly, but once they heated up, there was no turning back. The sophomore finished 32-of-51 with three touchdowns, and was removed after the third quarter with the Gauchos up 48-14, allowing some other players to participate. Gomez broke the record set by Jason Whieldon, who threw for 433 yards against College of the Canyons in 2001.
Saddleback would finish with 628 yards of offense for the game, eclipsing the old single-game record of 615 set on two occasions. The Gauchos rolled up 615 yards in 1996 against Orange Coast College and then again had 615 yards of offense against Orange Coast in 2008.
Saddleback also received a sensational performance from freshman wide receiver Terrell Johnson. Johnson finished with 10 catches for 137 yards and a touchdown, scoring on a 17-yard play early in the second quarter to put the Gauchos up 17-7 at the time. Rodney Woodland had another fine performance, reeling in six balls for 98 yards, including a 58-yard touchdown that put Saddleback up 34-7 midway through the third quarter.
The Gaucho defense caused all kinds of problems for the Victor Valley offense, forcing Rams quarterback JaQuorrey Williams into a 15-for-34 night. Victor Valley finished with 200 yards rushing on 37 attempts, but 70 of the yards came on one play as Williams split the Gaucho defenders for a late touchdown against the third string.
Trent Von Yokes, Jake Johnston and Kyle Smith all led Saddleback with seven tackles apiece for the night. Von Yokes also had an interception, returning it 33 yards to give the Gauchos field position deep in Victor Valley territory. Eight different defensive players finished the night with tackles-for-loss.
Saddleback improved to 4-0 with the win, its first 4-0 start since 2009, when the Gauchos opened the season 5-0. Saddleback will be back home again next Saturday when it hosts Cerritos College, a program that knocked the Gauchos out of the playoffs a season ago. Game time is set for 6:00 PM.
9/18/11: Gauchos shake off road rash in win over Chaffey
 The Saddleback football team fought off road rash and a lack of consistency on Saturday night at Chaffey College, beating the Panthers 40-24 in improving to 3-0 on the season. The game was marred by 37 penalties as the Gauchos found their stride in the second half, winning on the road for the 12th straight time.
Saddleback took its time in kicking into second gear on Saturday, but when they did they had enough gas left in the tank to dodge a bullet in beating a previously undefeated Chaffey team that had upset on their minds. The Gauchos were solid on defense all night long, allowing just 171 yards of offense to a Panther team that committed 20 penalties in the game. Saddleback would finish with 404 yards of offense, most of which came in the last 35 minutes of the game.
Ben Gomez struggled with consistency at quarterback, but when pressed for big plays, managed to throw five touchdown passes in the game. Gomez finished just 18-of-40 on the night, but avoided any turnovers in throwing for 303 yards, completing passes to eight different receivers.
Two of his biggest passes of the day were to wide receiver Kasey Closs, who finished with four catches for 57 yards and two scores. The first touchdown to Closs came on fourth down and 10 late in the first half when Gomez threw a perfect strike down the sidelines for a 33-yard score to put the Gauchos up 13-7. The ladder came with 17 seconds left in the half when the two once again hooked up from 11-yards out to give the Gauchos a 19-10 lead at the intermission.
Saddleback nearly let Chaffey back in the game early in the third quarter when they botched a snap on a punt, thus giving the Panthers great field position. Chaffey closed the gap a few plays later with a touchdown to narrow the lead to 19-17, but it may have been the play that woke up the Gauchos, as they proceeded to respond by scoring three straight touchdowns in extending the lead to 40-17 with 13:24 remaining in the game.
Gomez responded by driving the Saddleback offense down the field, hitting Rodney Woodland in the back of the end zone from 5-yards out to give the Gauchos a 26-17 lead. Donnell Dickerson would then find the end zone from 2-yards out to extend the lead to 33-17 late in the third quarter. The final score came when Gomez hit Akeem Woodson in stride from 26-yard out with 13:24 remaining, giving Saddleback some breathing room and allowing some other players to play down the stretch.
The defense was consistent all evening, forcing Chaffey quarterbacks to run for their lives and make errant throws. Panther quarterbacks finished just 15-of-37 on the night, throwing two interceptions as the offensive line for Chaffey was under seize, committing too many false start penalties to count. Jason Kollock and Kyle Smith led the defense with six tackles apiece, as both J.B. Torsy and James Hong pulled in interceptions on the night.
For Saddleback, it was the 12th straight win on the road, dating back to the beginning of the 2009 season. The Gauchos improved to 3-0 on the season and will now be at home for two straight games, starting with Victor Valley next Saturday night. Game time is set for 6:00 PM.
9/16/11: Gauchos up to No. 6 headed to undefeated Chaffey
 It has been a short week for Saddleback football players, after playing on Monday night in Bakersfield and now having just a handful of days to prepare for an undefeated Chaffey team. The Gauchos were praised by the national media, but remain on guard about the possibility of a letdown.
Saddleback jumped to No. 6 in the national JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 Rankings this week, after an impressive 31-17 win over another top-20 program, Bakersfield College. However, coaches say they need to remain focused given all the distractions in the past week after traveling nearly 800 miles in three days.
“Like I always say, anybody can beat us on any given day,” head coach Mark McElroy said. “Chaffey has done some nice things in the first two weeks. We will have to be ready.”
Chaffey defeated San Bernadino Valley 22-15 to open the season and hammered Mt. San Jacinto 42-22 in week two.
For Saddleback, they will attempt to win their 12th straight road game, dating back to the beginning of the 2009 season. It is the second longest road winning streak behind the 1995-97 teams, and tied with the 1972-74 teams.
Other National Division Southern Conference teams ranked in the JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 Rankings include Mt. San Antonio (#3), Fullerton (#15) and Palomar (#24).
Game this Saturday at Chaffey is set for 6:00 PM.
Kevin Wyart and the rest of the KSBR sports team will broadcast all the action on 88.5 FM and on the regular KSBR webstream.
9/12/11: Gauchos prove to be road warriors in Bakersfield
After traveling 480 miles and spending eight hours in a bus over the past three days, Saddleback will enjoy the final 160 miles after beating Bakersfield College, 31-17, on Monday night in Bakersfield. The Gauchos defense was stifling at times, recording nine sacks and holding the Renegades to five yards rushing for the game.
Saddleback and Bakersfield remained scoreless into the second quarter when Ben Gomez connected with Terrell Johnson from 36 yards out giving the Gauchos a 7-0 lead with 7:44 remaining in the second quarter. Gomez would later run one in from 10 yards out in the final minute of the half, giving Saddleback a 14-0 lead at the intermission.
 Things got a bit dicey in the third when Gomez was picked off, leading to a Bakersfield touchdown and narrowing the gap to 14-10. Saddleback would quickly turn things around as Gomez found Rodney Woodland for two straight touchdowns in the third quarter, one from 43 yards and the other from 20 yards out as Saddleback took a 28-17 lead into the fourth quarter. Kicker Mike Bowlin would finish off the scoring with 6:43 remaining in the game with a 40-yard field goal.
Gomez finished 24-of-44 for 305 yards and three touchdowns through the air, adding another on the ground. Donnell Dickerson saw his first action of the season at running back for Saddleback, carrying the ball 14 times for 96 yards.
As proficient as the offense was, however, it was the defense that stole the show. The Gauchos recorded nine sacks on the evening, as Bakersfield was held to -12 yards rushing in the first half. Bryant Chirinos led the Saddleback defensive front with three sacks while Dustin Alewine added five tackles and 2.5 sacks of his own. The Gauchos held a 478-296 advantage in total yards for the game.
For Saddleback, it was the 11th straight win on the road, dating to the beginning of the 2009 season. The 11 straight road wins is two shy of the program record set back in 1995-97. The streak equals the streak of the 1972-74 teams.
Saddleback will have a quick turnaround before trying to run the streak to 12 games on Saturday night when they travel to Chaffey College to take on the 2-0 Panthers. Chaffey opened the season with wins over San Bernardino Valley (22-15) and Mt. San Jacinto (42-22). Game time is scheduled for 6:00 PM.
9/11/11: Football moved to Monday night
 The Saddleback football game has been moved to Monday night after the game was canceled on Saturday night in Bakersfield, due to lightning in the area. The Gauchos will travel to Bakersfield on Monday for a 6:00 PM start time against the Renegades.
In what was a highly anticipated game between two top-20 teams in the nation, the game on Saturday was delayed for nearly 90 minutes before the weather was deemed too dangerous to play. The game was rescheduled on Sunday morning for Monday night at 6:00 PM. All tickets bought at the game are still valid, for those looking to make the trip a second time.
Weather reports predict sunny skies and 88 degrees during the day in Bakersfield.
Pictured right, assistant equipment man Mikey Stuetz takes cover under a table during the storm.
9/9/11: Gauchos head to Bakersfield for top-20 battle
The Saddleback football team has been great on the road in recent years, winning 10 straight games in other stadiums and beating some good football programs in the process. The battle this week will take them to Bakersfield College, and both teams appear in the top-20 in the JCGridiron.com Dirty 30 National Rankings.
Saddleback rose to No. 8 in the national rankings this week after an impressive 44-20 win at home over Orange Coast College on opening day. Bakersfield comes into the game at No. 17 in the rankings after a 32-19 victory over ranked Los Angeles Pierce College last weekend.
“They look really good on film,” head coach Mark McElroy said of the Renegades. “We will have our hands full.”
Bakersfield handed Saddleback its first loss of the season a year ago when the Renegades outscored the Gauchos 28-7 in the second half in beating Saddleback, 41-24. Lyle Negron led the Bakersfield charge, throwing for 170 yards and a touchdown while rushing for another 80 yards and a score in what was a very poor display of tackling for the Gauchos a season ago. Negron has since moved on to Stony Brook University, but freshman quarterback Brian Burrell looked more than adequate in his first action last week for the Renegades, finishing 16-of-30 for 234 yards and two touchdowns against a Pierce defense loaded with talent.
Saddleback also has a new man under center in Ben Gomez, who picked up where Sean Reilly left off a season ago, throwing for 303 yards and four touchdowns on opening day.
The Gauchos will be looking to extend a 10-game road winning streak that started at the beginning of the 2009 season. Over that time frame, Saddleback has won games at Mt. San Antonio, Cerritos, Fullerton and Santa Ana, all programs that have been nationally ranked over the past few years. Game time in Bakersfield is set for 7:00 PM. The game is scheduled to be broadcast live on KSBR Radio and on the KSBR Webstream.
9/3/11: Gauchos beat Orange Coast in season opener
 The Saddleback football team darted out to a 37-12 halftime lead in defeating Orange Coast College, 44-20, on Saturday night at Saddleback Stadium. Quarterback Ben Gomez (pictured left) passed for 303 yards and four touchdowns as the Gauchos defeated the Pirates for the fifth straight time.
Saddleback made a point early when Gomez’ first pass of the game resulted in a 60-yard touchdown to James Poole. Two drives later he connected with Keith Lawson on a 14-yard strike and the Gauchos had a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Gomez would later throw touchdown passes to Kasey Closs (5 yards) and Kevin Schick (10 yards), finishing 19-of-30 on the evening, with no interceptions.
 Despite falling behind big, the Pirates continued to run the ball for most of the evening, rolling up 375 yards rushing on 62 attempts. Orange Coast was riddled by turnovers however, fumbling four times and losing three. The Pirates showed no consistency through the air, completing just 11-of 30 attempts on the night against the Gaucho defense.
Poole led Saddleback’s running-back-by-committee approach, finishing with 38 yards on eight carries. Rodney Woodland finished with six receptions while Closs led the Gauchos with 96 yards receiving.
Jacob Johnston led the Saddleback defense with 11 tackles on the night and linebacker Junior Alvarado had the big highlight, returning a fumble 16 yards for a touchdown.
Saddleback improved to 1-0 on the season with the win. They will now travel to Bakersfield College next Saturday in a game between two teams ranked in the top-20 in the nation. The Renegades were 32-19 winners over Los Angeles Pierce College on Saturday.
7/12/11: Gaucho football opens at No. 10 in the nation
The Saddleback football program opens the season at No. 10 in the nation, according to JCGridiron.com’s Dirty 30 Rankings on the Rivals.com network. The Gauchos have never finished lower than No. 15 over the past five seasons in the rankings, and are expected to challenge for the Southern California title.
Saddleback finished 8-3 in 2010, and was the No. 2 seed for the Southern California playoffs before falling to Cerritos College in the SoCal semifinals. The Gauchos are expected to challenge Mt. San Antonio College for supremacy in Southern California in 2011, as the Mounties are coming off back-to-back national titles and enter the season rated No. 3 in the country. Saddleback will face Mt. San Antonio on October 29, looking for revenge after a heartbreaking 33-31 loss on the final play of the game last season.
Other opponents on the 2011 schedule that appear in the rankings includes No. 18 Bakersfield College (September 10), No. 33 Cerritos College (October 1), No. 36 Palomar College (November 5) and No. 19 Fullerton College (November 12).
City College of San Francisco opens the season at No. 1 in the nation, followed by Blinn College (TX), Mt. San Antonio, Northwest Mississippi and Mississippi Gulf Coast to round out the top-5.
6/20/11: Belardes is commitment No. 15
 The Saddleback football program announced over the weekend that another member of the 2010 football team has signed a scholarship agreement with a four-year university. Wide receiver Matt Belardes became the latest member and will continue his career at Menlo College, running the season total to 15.
Belardes had an outstanding sophomore season in 2010, finishing with 35 receptions for 454 yards and three touchdowns. In two seasons at Saddleback, Belardes totaled 39 catches for 486 yards and three touchdowns and his 35 receptions in 2010 ranks as the No. 40 highest total in a single season in the history of the program
Menlo College is located in Atherton, California, and is an independent NAIA program. The Oaks finished the 2010 campaign at 4-7 overall.
Gaucho Commits
Blake Harrah, DE, Oregon State
Max Little, OT, Humboldt State
Sean Reilly, QB, UNLV
Samuel Tautolo, OC, Iowa State
Steven Watts, OT, Stony Brook
Michael Frisina, K, Boise State
Andrew Douglass, LB, Robert Morris
Taber Cheo, LB, Evangel
Lanny Papanikolas, WR, Weber State
Matt Reza, S, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Chais Pinesett, LB, Jackson State
Brad Curtis, QB, Southwestern Oklahoma State
Alex Castellanos, LB, Rhode Island
Michael Campana, RB, Humboldt State
Matt Belardes, WR, Menlo College
Archives
2010 Stories
2009 Stories
2008 Stories
|
Accredited by the
Accrediting Commission of Community and Junior Colleges, of the
Western Association of Schools and Colleges