COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : Southwest, Pierce Battle to a 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 the No. 10-ranked team in the J.C. Athletic Bureau state poll.

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 since by playing visiting L.A. Southwest to a 7-7 tie in a Western State Conference Southern Division opener on Saturday night at Pierce.

Pierce (4-1-1 overall, 3-1-1 in conference play) had to watch DeShawn Cobbs’ 40-yard field goal attempt fall short as time expired before they could take satisfaction in having shut down a 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.

“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 on him when Southwest drove from its own 20 to the Pierce 23 on the last offensive series of the game, but when Cobbs’ field-goal attempt was short by two yards, the Brahmas had a tie which was probably as important to their reputation as any win this season.

“This is our best effort of the season,” Staley said about the Brahma defense. “No doubt about it.”

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

Southwest quarterback Jesse Wallace, who entered the game with 884 yards passing and 10 touchdowns, was held to 45 yards on four of nine passing. He had one touchdown and was intercepted once.

Wallace’s touchdown pass was a nine-yard fade pattern 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 the ball on the Brahma 22-yard line. After a three-yard gain on first down, 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 in offense--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 he was intercepted twice. 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 Saturday.

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 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 before being hauled down from behind at the Brahma nine.