COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOOTBALL : Saddleback’s Offense Appears Just in Time

Saddleback’s offense seemed to be in hiding for most of the second half until it was really needed Saturday night.

The Gauchos then rallied for a game-clinching touchdown and a 28-14 victory over Riverside in a Mission Conference Central Division game at Saddleback.

Saddleback (7-1, 3-0) led, 21-6, at the half and seemed content to let its talented defense keep Riverside under control. The defense recovered five fumbles, had an interception and blocked a point-after attempt.

Meanwhile, Saddleback’s offense was held to a season-low 242 total yards and had only nine first downs.

But after Jeff Landreth broke up the middle for an 80-yard touchdown with 6:36 left and Riverside got the two-point conversion to trail, 21-14, the offense suddenly appeared.

Previously in the second half, Saddleback had punted three times and had a pass intercepted.

Then quarterback Tim Snowden completed two short outs to Rob Fanti, and Marcellus Chrishon broke free for 19 yards to give Saddleback a first down at the Riverside 33.

Snowden completed a 24-yard pass to tight end Julian Ford to move Saddleback to the nine. Chrishon needed three carries to go the final nine yards, scoring on a one-yard dive with 4:22 left.

Saddleback gained 76 of its 112 yards in the second half on that drive.

“Sure was a nice drive considering how poorly they (the offense) played the whole game,” Saddleback Coach Ken Swearingen said. “But the bottom line is we are 3-0 in our division and have two games left.”

Chrishon scored on runs of three and two yards in the first quarter as the Gauchos opened a 14-0 lead. He finished with 106 yards in 23 carries. It was the second consecutive game Chrishon has scored three touchdowns, and he has a team-high 13 for the season.

Riverside rallied on a 10-yard run by Landreth but missed the extra point and was down, 14-6, with 11:45 left in the half.

But Saddleback’s Marshall Francis took the ensuing kickoff a yard deep in the end zone and ran 100 yards up the left sideline and into the end zone to make it 21-14.

“It was just a straight picket left,” Francis said. “Once I got outside it was a straight track meet all the way.”

Riverside used almost 10 minutes of the third quarter on a 17-play drive, but the drive ended in failure. Quarterback Jack Manu fumbled the snap at the Gaucho two and Saddleback defensive lineman Bill Trainor recovered it.

Manu, from Paramount High School, took several hard jolts in the game and passed out for about 10 seconds on the sideline late in the game. He was taken to Mission Hospital where he was listed in stable condition.

Saddleback also got fumble recoveries from linebacker Sean Mallett, back Beau LaBreton and two by lineman Damon Psaros.

Saddleback also got an interception from lineman Bill Fredrickson with 3:23 remaining, when the ball was tipped near the line of scrimmage by Mallett. Fredrickson also blocked an extra-point try in the first half.