Pierce Receives Brahma Bowl Bid With 17-0 Victory

Last season, when Pierce College earned a berth in the Potato Bowl, the fans pelted the players with potatoes in celebration.

Luckily, that tradition did not continue Friday night at Shepard Stadium. This year, Pierce is going to the Brahma Bowl, and, one can only cringe at the thought of hundreds of steer being lobbed towards the Pierce sideline.

Pierce earned the Brahma Bowl bid and captured the Southern California Conference championship with a 17-0 whipping of cross-town rival Valley College in a game marked by Pierce’s brilliant effort against the top-ranked defense in the state and Valley’s dreary offensive showing.

Pierce, the No. 14-ranked junior college team in the state, pounded the Monarchs for 384 yards, 235 coming on the ground where Valley had allowed only 55 per game in its first nine games.

And the Monarchs, the No. 10 team in the state, scratched out only 126 yards in an offensive performance that was, well, offensive.

Pierce, 8-2 overall and 5-0 in the SCC, will face Moorpark College on Dec. 7 in Shepard Stadium in the very first Brahma Bowl. Valley ended its season with an 8-2 overall record and a 4-1 conference mark.

“For the first time in a while I finally feel like we’ve accomplished something,” said Pierce Coach Jim Fenwick. “We knew they had a tough defense and felt iy was important for us to score early and get ahead of them and force them to come back by passing the ball.”

Valley quarterback Neosia Morris, a converted wide receiver, completed only 6 of 13 passes for 28 yards in that pursuit.

“We don’t throw the ball with him very much,” said Valley Coach Chuck Ferrero. “You’ve got to be able to do both against a team like Pierce. But we had been so dominant against the other teams in the conference that we’ve been able to get by without passing.”

The win was Pierce’s seventh straight this season, its 15th straight conference win and 15th consecutive home win. It also clinched a third straight SCC championship.

Valley’s offensive woes, which resulted in only 69 total yards in the first half, continued in the third quarter as a fake punt play ended when punter Donald Cruse fell down five yards short of a first down.

But the Monarch defense, which had kept the team from being buried in the first half, responded again with a big play as Jeremiah Foster intercepted a pass at the Valley five, cutting down a Brahma scoring threat.

Two minutes later, however, Pierce got the ball back on a punt and this time made Valley pay for its dismal offense as Josh Davis hit Anthony Sargent with a touchdown pass for the second time in the game, this one a 24-yarder that boosted Pierce’s lead to 17-0 with four minutes left in the third quarter.

Dismal turned even more dismal for Valley on its next possession, as Elvin Ware fumbled and Pierce’s Anthony Quaglino recovered at the Monarch 33.

But this time someone must have snuck a Valley playbook into the Pierce huddle and the Brahmas lost the ball on a fumble by Tyrone Beaulieu.

Valley opened with an apparent deep commitment to a three-play-and-punt offense, gaining only seven yards on its first two possessions. Pierce’s offense countered by moving the football and then fumbling it three times on its first four running plays.

The second fumble was recovered by Valley, but the Monarchs’ lethargic offense could do nothing with the ball.

Midway through the opening period, the third punt attempt by Valley’s Shane Griffin turned into a disaster as the snap sailed far over his head--Manute Bol might have had a shot at it--and Pierce recovered the loose ball at the Valley 17.

On the second play, Davis hit Sargent in the end zone with a 16-yard toss, giving the Brahmas a 7-0 lead.

A minute later, Valley’s offense continued to demonstrate its belief that it is better to give than receive, turning the ball over this time on a fumble by Clifford Cannon.

Valley’s defense gave the Monarchs another big scoring opportunity with a minute left in the half when a 42-yard field goal attempt by Hirsch was blocked by Scott Hanson.