Vaqueros looking to get even
GLENDALE — After his Glendale Community College football team opened its season with a 41-20 home defeat against Pasadena City College, Vaqueros third-year football Coach John Rome realizes it might take some time for the team to find itself and play together.
“We are young, especially on offense,” said Rome, whose squad will get a shot at redemption when it meets visiting Golden West College in a nonconference contest at 6 p.m. today at Sartoris Field. “Nine of our 11 starters on offense didn’t play at the college level last year.
“It’s going to take some time for everybody to get on the same page. So, we want to see how well our players can develop over the course of the year.”
The Vaqueros, who will close out the nonconference portion of their schedule with road games against East L.A. and Allan Hancock before beginning play in the American Conference’s South Division against visiting L.A. Valley on Oct. 2, will face a Golden West squad that started off with a 20-14 nonconference overtime loss against Long Beach City College on Sept. 3.
The Rustlers got their touchdowns on a 29-yard pass from quarterback Vince Pereza to wide receiver Peter Adams and a rushing score from running back Harold Williams.
Rome said the Rustlers, who beat Ventura to win the Orange County Rooster Bowl last season, and Vaqueros play a similar style.
“They run a multiple-pro style offense, similar to us,” Rome said. “Defensively, they like to pressure to an extent.
“My understanding is that they had a couple of bad breaks in which they had two touchdowns for interceptions called back. They are a fundamentally sound team and it’s a another stiff test for our guys.”
Rome said sophomore quarterback Steven Batista would start today. Batista completed eight of 21 passes for 151 yards and tossed a pair of interceptions against Pasadena.
“Batista will start again,” Rome said. “We just have to see how we will progress.”
The Vaqueros surrendered 469 yards of total offense against Pasadena, something Rome doesn’t want repeated.
“Defensively, we were kept on the field too long,” Rome said. “Anytime you do that, the defense will break.
“We have to step up and play better.”
