Community College Football : A Night of Records Is All Mersola’s as Saddleback Wins, 24-14

Saddleback College sophomore Bret Mersola isn’t that big on records.

“I like records as much as the next guy but it’s not that big of deal,” he had said last week.

But Saturday, as Saddleback ended its Mission Conference season with 24-14 win over Rancho Santiago, Mersola’s 12 catches for 178 yards gave him 91 receptions for the year to break the single-season record of 84, set in 1985 by Tom Schulting of Diablo Valley.

And that was not the end of Mersola’s record-setting. He ended his two-year Saddleback career with 143 catches, which surpasses Dave Oliver’s career mark of 138 set at Grossmont in 1973-74. Mersola’s 12 receptions were also a single-game Saddleback record. And just to make his night complete, he set the Saddleback career yardage mark with 1,829.

“I tried not to think about it but it was in the back of my mind during the game,” Mersola said. “I figured if they threw six passes at me and I caught them then I would have a chance at it. . . . It feels great, I’ve never done anything like this in my career.”

Mersola had nine of his 12 catches in the first half as Saddleback (5-4, 5-5) took a 17-14 lead.

Neither team scored in the third quarter, but Saddleback capitalized on a Rancho Santiago turnover to set up the second half’s only touchdown.

Freshman Dennis Erk intercepted Rancho Santiago quarterback John Cook on the Dons’ 30, and four plays later, Quincy Frank scored on a seven-yard sweep to give the Gauchos a 24-14 lead with 10:18 left.

The Gauchos took a 7-0 lead on a 10-yard pass from Pat Hegarty to running back John Jungkeit. Mersola had four catches during the drive for 62 yards.

The Dons (5-4, 6-4) then tied the score with 5:37 left in the first quarter as quarterback John Cook found wide receiver K. B. Nelson open over the middle for a 16-yard touchdown.

Saddleback took a 14-7 lead on its next possession when Hegarty scored on a 1-yard dive with 8 seconds left in the first quarter, capping a 10-play, 80-yard drive.

The Dons tied the score, 14-14, on a 35-yard pass from Cook to Chuck Zacour with 13:43 left in the half.

Saddleback then took the lead for good at 17-14 on a 22-yard field goal by sophomore Steve Williams.

In other Mission Conference games:

Citrus 36, Orange Coast 12--Quarterback Jon Nowotny was sidelined with two cracked ribs and the Pirates were unable to generate any offense with wide receiver Ollie Perkins at quarterback. The Pirates finished 5-5 under first-year Coach Bill Workman.

In the South Coast Conference:

Fullerton 52, Pasadena 21--Quarterback Richard Williams completed 16 of 20 passes for 287 yards in the first half as the Hornets opened a 42-14 lead and coasted to the victory on Harrell Field in Pasadena. Fullerton finished 5-2, 6-4. Pasadena finished 4-3, 5-5.