Pierce’s Defense Grows Up in 7-7 Tie

A year ago, it would not have seemed possible that the Pierce College football team could be involved in a defensive struggle against any team, let alone one of the better teams in the state.

The Brahmas gave up an average of 24.1 points and 378.5 yards a game last season, but they showed how far they’ve come by playing visiting L.A. Southwest to a 7-7 tie Saturday night in a Western State Conference Southern Division opener.

Pierce (4-1-1, 3-1-1 in conference play) had to watch a 40-yard field-goal attempt by DeShawn Cobbs of Southwest fall short as time expired before it could take satisfaction in having shut down the high-powered Cougar offense for most of the game.

“We’re not happy with the tie, but we’re not sad about it either,” Pierce defensive lineman Ed Staley said. “They’re a good team and we both played hard tonight, and this is how it ended up.”

Trailing, 7-0, early in the fourth quarter, Pierce drove 51 yards in 10 plays to tie the score. Anthony Florence’s one-yard plunge on fourth down narrowed the Brahmas’ deficit to 7-6, and Steve Szekely’s extra point tied it, 7-7, with 5 minutes 24 seconds remaining.

“For a split second, I thought about going for two points,” first-year Pierce Coach Bill Norton said. “But then I figured, we’re a young, up-and-coming team playing one of the top-ranked teams in the state, and a tie isn’t so bad.”

Norton’s thinking nearly backfired when Southwest drove from its 20 to the Pierce 23 on the last offensive series of the game, but when Cobbs’ field-goal attempt was short by a couple of yards, the Brahmas had a tie that was probably as important to their reputation this season as any win.

Pierce held Southwest (4-1-1, 4-0-1) to 210 yards, including just 62 in the second half.

Southwest quarterback Jesse Wallace, who entered the game with 884 yards passing and 10 touchdowns, was held to 45 yards. He completed four of nine passes for one touchdown and threw an interception.

Wallace’s scoring pass went for nine yards to wide receiver Michael Stephens with 2:48 left in the second quarter, but he was only one of five for seven yards after intermission.

The Pierce defense set the tone for the second half after John Johnson fumbled the kickoff to open the third quarter and Southwest recovered on the Brahma 22. After a three-yard gain on first down, however, Southwest was called for holding. On second down, Takim Brown (74 yards in 16 carries) was dropped for a five-yard loss, and defensive lineman Willie Jackson sacked Wallace for a seven-yard loss on third down, forcing the Cougars to punt.

“That was a crucial series,” Norton said. “That really got our guys jacked up.”

Pierce gained 266 yards--including 217 yards on the ground--but the Brahma passing game continued to struggle.

Joe Pica completed only four of 14 for 49 yards and threw two interceptions. Florence rushed for a game-high 97 yards in 12 carries for Pierce, and Parker gained 75 yards in 18 carries.

“Our passing game is just not playing well,” Norton said. “I don’t know what it is. Our quarterbacks have talent and they have brains, but they’re just not putting it all together in the games.”

Thanks to the defense, it didn’t lead to Pierce’s downfall.

Southwest led, 7-0, at halftime, thanks in large part to the bone-jarring running of fullback Brown.

The 6-foot, 240-pound freshman gained 67 yards in 10 carries in the first half, including a 36-yard rumble run that keyed the Cougars’ seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive.

On a third-and-two play from the Pierce 45-yard line, Brown appeared to have been stopped after a five-yard gain off left tackle, but he broke free of the Pierce defense before being hauled down from behind at the Brahma nine.

On the next play, Southwest scored on one of its favorite plays, a nine-yard fade pattern from Wallace to Stephens, who outleaped two Pierce defenders for the ball. Pierce drove inside the Southwest 40 three times in the first half but failed to score.