Offense struggles for Glendale Community College football
GLENDALE – A week after just missing out on a victory, the Glendale Community College football team ran into a wall Saturday evening.
The Vaqueros struggled to block, move the ball and cash in golden opportunities in a 33-0 loss to JC Athletic Bureau state No. 13-ranked Los Angeles Valley in nonconference play at Sartoris Field.
While the shutout was the first for Glendale (0-4) this season, it’s the third over the last 14 games for a squad that has now lost five straight.
On the other side, the victory was the 18th straight for the Monarchs (3-0) dating back to 2015.
“We went into the game anticipating we were going to have a very difficult time moving the football against the No. 1 defense in their division,” said Glendale coach John Rome, whose team lost to Mt. San Jacinto, 27-26 in double overtime, the previous week. “They played well and are a good football team and we knew it would be a challenge.”
It was a tough night all around for the Vaqueros, who ran 58 plays for 77 total yards and six first downs.
Glendale starting quarterback Michael Bonds, a St. Francis High product, completed four of 14 passes for 19 yards with one interception before he was knocked out of the game with an undisclosed injury toward the end of the first half.
His replacement, Burbank’s Guy Gibbs, completed five of 15 passes for 32 yards and two interceptions. Gibbs rushed four times for 27 yards and may get the start for Glendale on Saturday afternoon at West Los Angeles.
“I just got in there and tried to do what I could for the team,” Gibbs said. “I have nothing but respect for Bonds and I really hope he gets healthy soon. If I’m called to play Saturday, I’ll play.”
The Vaqueros only trailed, 14-0, late in the third quarter.
The game slipped away at about the time a pass from Gibbs was tipped and intercepted by sophomore defensive back Romeo Gunt at the Monarchs’ 10-yard line with 1:02 left in the third.
The interception was the second for Gunt, who also had a fumble recovery.
This giveaway, the second straight for Glendale in the red zone, was cashed in when Valley quarterback Julious Sabastiano connected on a 23-yard touchdown pass to Faizon Knight. With a successful point after, the Monarchs broke an over two-quarter-long stalemate to go up, 21-0.
The Monarchs salted away the clock and added two more touchdowns on a one-yard carry from Terrell Love and a 27-yard score from Dawson Schick with 45.2 seconds left as the score jumped to 33-0.
Perhaps Glendale’s best chance at scoring also ended in a turnover.
Valley botched a punt deep in its territory, which gave Glendale the ball at the Monarchs’ 20 with 6:35 left in the third quarter down, 14-0.
A 13-yard pass from Gibbs to tight end Ethan Quinn pushed the Vaqueros inside the 10. However, a miscommunication between Gibbs and his wide receiver led to a fade into the end zone getting intercepted by Gunt at 4:30 in the third.
It was turnovers that gave Valley a quick start as Craig Jones intercepted Bonds on the freshman’s first pass at 13:03 in the first quarter.
The interception was converted into a 7-0 advantage when quarterback Kalawaia Judd hit receiver Jeremiah Lorick for a 19-yard touchdown with 11:16 left first quarter.
Following the touchdown, Glendale’s special teams whiffed on a subsequent pooch kick that was recovered by Gunt at the GCC 13.
On the next play, Judd scored from 13 yards to suddenly put Glendale behind, 14-0, at 10:58 in first.
Glendale’s defense turned in a few highlights as linebacker Rashad Ysaguirre finished with eight tackles, a half-sack and two total tackles for a loss.
Defensive back Cameron Spencer also turned in an interception and a fumble recovery.
“I feel like our defense played better than what the score says,” Spencer said. “Twenty-one of those points were garbage points in the fourth quarter when we had our [second] and [third string] in. I felt like the game was much closer and the defense can be proud.”
