COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOOTBALL / SIMPLE GREEN BOWL : Saddleback Hangs On to Win

With a little more than five minutes left in the Simple Green Bowl Saturday, Saddleback seemed well on its way to victory. The Gauchos had the ball and a 14-point lead over Mt. San Antonio.

But after an interception changed the momentum, Saddleback (8-3) didn’t get it back until the Gauchos stopped a two-point conversion try with 24 seconds left, hanging on to beat Mt. San Antonio, 21-20, at Orange Coast College.

Steve Luce, the Mt. San Antonio quarterback, picked up his fumble and leaped two yards over the middle to score with 24 seconds left. The touchdown cut Saddleback’s lead to 21-20.

On the two-point conversion try, Mt. San Antonio running back Lamonte Adams tried to go around the right side but was stopped two yards short of the end zone. When the pile cleared, Saddleback’s Joe Cesta was on the bottom with his arms wrapped around Adams’ legs.

Cesta, a freshman linebacker who was the game’s most valuable player, also caused a fumble that set up Saddleback’s third touchdown.

“It was the sweep they had been running all day,” Cuesta said of the two-point try. “I tackled him . . . along with all the other guys. It was the best feeling in the world.”

Adams rushed for 104 yards, becoming only the second player to gain more than 100 yards against Saddleback’s defense this season.

Saddleback, which won its final six games, had two interceptions and recovered a fumble in the first half and led, 10-0. The Gauchos appeared to take control when quarterback Justin Vedder completed a 20-yard scoring pass to a wide open Peter Campbell with 8 minutes 28 seconds left in the game. Vedder scrambled and scored on the two-point conversion to put the Gauchos ahead, 21-7.

Vedder was 15 of 34 for 203 yards and also rushed for a team-high 37 yards.

Mt. San Antonio’s Chris McAlister returned the kickoff 64 yards and the Mounties had a first down at the Saddleback 24. But the defense, the strength of the team all season, stood strong and the Gauchos and got the ball back at their 21.

But on second down, Vedder was crunched as he threw and the ball floated to defensive back McAlister, who raced 26 yards for a touchdown with 5:07 left. The score cut Saddleback’s lead to 21-14.