COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOOTBALL ROUNDUP : Rancho Santiago Falls to Long Beach, 38-28

Rancho Santiago became the third Orange County team to lose to Long Beach this season as the Vikings defeated the Dons, 38-28, Saturday at Long Beach in a Mission Conference football game.

Long Beach (4-0) has also beaten Golden West and Saddleback.

Rancho Santiago’s defense did a reasonable job of pressuring Long Beach quarterback Neo Aoga and intercepted four of his passes. Brandon Hoalton had two of them and caused a fumble. James Stewart and Bret Daeley each intercepted an Aoga pass in the end zone.

But the Dons (1-2) made two costly second-half mistakes, each of which produced a touchdown. Wes Sitala intercepted Rob Petko’s pass and returned it 19 yards for a touchdown. The score came with 10 minutes 20 seconds left in the game and gave Long Beach a 31-21 lead.

Rancho Santiago led at the half, 13-10, despite fumbling the opening kickoff, which Long Beach’s Taeao Salausa recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.

Long Beach appeared to tie it with a field goal early in the third quarter but kicker Ryan Downey was roughed on the play and the Vikings got a first down at the two.

After a penalty moved the ball to the one, Shawn Bane scored on a one-yard run for a 17-13 lead.

Jermaine Grey rushed for 101 yards in 18 carries for Rancho Santiago.

In other Mission Conference games:

Mt. San Antonio 30, Orange Coast 7--Orange Coast lost the ball three times on fumbles and twice more on interceptions in the loss in Walnut. The Pirates (0-3) have fumbled 18 times, losing 11 this season.

OCC, down 23-7 with about six minutes left, had a third and two at the Mt. San Antonio seven. Quarterback Matt Sauk was hit hard on an option play and left the game with an injured right leg. The Pirates then turned it over on downs on the next play.

Mt. San Antonio (3-0) scored four times as a result of turnovers, including on a 95-yard interception return for a touchdown by Chris McAlister with 50 seconds left to play in the game.

Sauk, who struggled much of the time, was eight for 23 for 89 yards.

OCC’s only touchdown came on a one-yard run by Chet Walker with 1:08 left in the first quarter. The touchdown tied the score, 7-7.

Mt. San Antonio took a 13-7 lead on a one-yard run by LaMont Adams with 28 seconds left in the first half.