Parker, Pierce Pass WSC Test Against Santa Monica

The report card for the Pierce College football team has been filled with top marks this season.

The Brahmas passed all but one of their early season tests, got through midterms with little trouble and now are boning up for finals.

On Saturday night, Pierce passed an important Western State Conference examination, upending Santa Monica, 47-37, at Pierce to remain on track for a WSC Southern Division championship.

The Brahmas (6-1-1, 5-1-1 in conference play) improved to 2-0-1 in Southern Division play and dropped Santa Monica (5-3, 5-2) to 2-1 in division play.

If Pierce wins its remaining two games against Valley and Bakersfield, it can do no worse than tie for the division title.

“Santa Monica is a good team, but they’ve never played a team that could run on them like we did,” Pierce Coach Bill Norton said.

The Brahmas rushed for 246 yards, and the head bull was LaShante Parker, who scored four touchdowns and gained 214 yards in 31 carries. Parker, the WSC’s leading rusher, has 444 rushing yards in his past two games.

“My line did a great job blocking, and I just ran my usual--hard,” Parker said.

Parker scored on runs of two, 33, 14 and 20 yards, his final touchdown putting Pierce ahead, 47-29, with 2 minutes 58 seconds to play.

Kicker Steve Szekely also had a big night for Pierce, booting field goals of 39, 40, 40 and 37 yards, as well as all five extra points.

On defense, Pierce had trouble stopping the WSC’s leading offense, yet held Santa Monica to 387 yards--22 under its average. Mike Parkes had an interception and a fumble recovery, and Darnell Hendricks and Rick Luna each had an interception for Pierce.

Pierce gained 339 total yards, including a significant contribution from a passing game that has been maligned in recent weeks. Quarterback Joe Pica completed four of eight passes for 93 yards and a touchdown.

“Pica came to the party and threw some nice balls,” Norton said. “Last week he was a forgotten man but this week he did some good, solid passing. That’s what we were hoping for.”

Corsair quarterback Dion Bergeron completed 14 of 22 passes for 200 yards but threw two interceptions. Santa Monica committed five turnovers. Pierce, conversely, did not commit a turnover.

There was just one punt in the first half as both teams moved the ball consistently.

Pierce trailed, 14-3, after one period but put together a 24-point second quarter and led, 27-21, at intermission.

Parker scored on touchdown runs of two and 33 yards in the second period and had 118 yards rushing in 18 carries by halftime.

Also in the first half, Pica threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Shannon Culver, who beat Tyrone Trimble in the left corner of the end zone. Culver had three of the team’s four receptions for 73 yards.

Szekely added field goals of 39 and 40 yards to round out the Brahmas’ first-half scoring.

Bergeron completed his first eight passes and was nine of 12 for 125 yards in the first half.

Santa Monica went ahead, 14-3, in the first period on touchdown runs of 13 and 19 yards by Tim Holliday, who had 41 yards in seven carries at intermission.

Isaac Bruce scored for Santa Monica on a nine-yard reverse in the second period and on a 15-yard shovel pass from backup quarterback Scott Altenberg in the fourth period to pull the Corsairs to within 47-37 with 1:20 left.