Big Plays Key to Southwest’s Win

Pierce College won about every statistical category Saturday against visiting Southwest.

The Brahmas held the Cougars under 200 yards in offense, outgained them by 54 yards and limited them to six first downs.

About the only area Pierce didn’t hold an edge was the score, as the Brahmas lost, 23-7, in a Western State Conference Southern Division game.

Pierce (3-4, 3-3 in conference, 0-2 in division) let the game get away in the third quarter. Corey Long sacked Brahma quarterback Davis Delmatoff for a safety early in the quarter to give Southwest (2-4-1, 2-3-1 in conference, 1-1 in division) a 17-7 lead.

Darrell Cooley returned the ensuing kick 71 yards to the Pierce seven-yard line, and three plays later quarterback Sheldon Anderson passed 13 yards to Tyrone Gallien for a touchdown.

Delmatoff completed 19 of 37 passes for 192 yards, but was sacked six times and intercepted twice.

Pierce’s David Doyle had seven catches for 63 yards.

Pierce held Southwest to 109 yards in the first half and outgained the Cougars by 58 yards, but were stunned by several big plays.

A 54-yard completion from a scrambling Anderson to Donovan Burks put the ball at the Pierce four on Southwest’s first possession, and two plays later, Darren Walton scored on a four-yard run. After an encroachment penalty on Pierce, Katia Ransom ran for the two-point conversion.

Anderson, filling in for injured starter Bradley Freeman (sore shoulder), threw only four passes, completing two for 67 yards.

Southwest took a 15-0 lead early in the second quarter when Cooley intercepted a Delmatoff pass and ran 89 yards down the sideline for a touchdown. Cooley added another interception in the fourth quarter and leads the WSC with six.

The Brahmas’ first score came midway through the second quarter, as they drove 65 yards in 16 plays. Delmatoff’s one-yard sneak ended the drive. Doug Sidwell added the kick to pull Pierce within 15-7 at halftime.

Southwest plays host to Valley at 1 p.m. Saturday.