COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOOTBALL : Cerritos Will Be Tough Test for Saddleback’s Defense

Saddleback College’s defense earned most of the headlines this season for the 9-1 Gauchos.

The offense struggled at times, but the defense was consistent: Saddleback ranked third in the 16-team Mission Conference, allowing 285 yards per game.

But when Saddleback faces Cerritos (8-2) at 7 tonight in the Simple Green Orange County Bowl at Orange Coast College, the Gauchos will deal with their most difficult test of the season.

Saddleback, ranked sixth in the nation by the J.C. Grid-Wire, won the Central Division, and Cerritos, ranked 12th in same poll, won the Northern Division of the Mission Conference.

Cerritos is coming off a 62-30 victory over Mt. San Antonio. In that Nov. 28 game, the Falcons amassed 670 yards in total offense.

The Falcons were second in the Mission Conference, averaging 425 yards, 237 yards rushing and 188 passing.

“There’s a rule with the football gods that you are only allowed so many yards every two games,” Saddleback Coach Ken Swearingen joked. “We hope they have used all of theirs up. We haven’t faced a team this season that is as good running and passing as Cerritos.”

Saddleback tackle Damon Psaros, the defensive player of the year in the Mission Conference Central Division, led Saddleback with 88 tackles and 12 1/2 sacks. He was also a second-team J.C. Grid-Wire All-American.

Saddleback’s defense also has a talented group of linebackers, including Penn Bushong (78 tackles), Sean Mallett (69 tackles), Todd Norman (64 tackles) and Beau LeBreton (62 tackles).

The first order for the defense will be stopping Cerritos running back Darrell Thompson, who led the Mission Conference with 1,527 yards.

Cerritos quarterback Dean Grosfeld was 132 of 239 for 1,746 yards with 13 touchdowns and only six interceptions.

Saddleback averaged 403 total yards per game. Freshman quarterback Tim Snowden was impressive at times (2,101 yards and 18 touchdowns) but could be shaky (18 interceptions).

Freshman tailback Marcellus Chrishon gained 703 yards in 10 games but was used in limited fashion for the first month. He led the conference in rushing touchdowns with 15.

Few teams get a second chance to end the season on a positive note, but Fullerton College will today in the Shrine Potato Bowl in Bakersfield.

Fullerton (7-3) lost its final game of the regular season, 21-17, to Riverside, but received an invitation to the bowl, at 1:30 p.m. today, against Santa Barbara (9-1).

Fullerton, the second-place team from the Central Division of the Mission Conference, is ranked 16th in the state and Santa Barbara, champion of the Northern Division of the Western State Conference, is ranked fifth.

Santa Barbara uses a run-and-shoot offense, something Fullerton didn’t face during the regular season. But Fullerton Coach Hal Sherbeck is confident.

“We feel good about our game plan,” he said. “Now, the key is executing it. They have good speed and that can hurt us.”

Fullerton running back Brian Williams is as healthy as he has been in six weeks since suffering a badly twisted ankle in the sixth week of the season. Williams leads the team in rushing with 762 yards.

Fullerton quarterback David Pierson completed 99 of 196 passes for 1,509 yards and seven touchdowns this season.

Bowl Notes

Saddleback comes into the game with a seven-game winning streak, having lost to Southwestern, 43-32, the third week of the season. Cerritos has won seven in a row. The Falcons started the season with a 23-12 victory over Palomar, then lost to Fullerton, 25-11, and Orange Coast, 35-15. The victory over Palomar was the only loss of the season for the Comets. Palomar (9-1) plays Chabot (9-1) in the Merced Elks Bowl today at 1 p.m. in Hayward . . . Tickets for the Simple Green Orange County Bowl are $7 for adults and $3 for children 12 and younger.