SWC football team suffers third straight conference setback, falls to 4-4

Southwestern College fell to its third consecutive loss after dropping a 35-10 Central Division/East Conference match-up to host Golden West on Saturday (Oct. 29) at Orange Coast College. The Jaguars fell to 4-4 on the season, 0-3 in conference play.

SWC took a 3-0 lead on a 37-yard field goal by Jovan Gonzales (Olympian) but Golden West (2-1 in conference play, 4-4 overall) scored three unanswered touchdowns to lead 21-3 at halftime. Jags quarterback Brett Nelson (St. Francis) scored on a one-yard run in the third quarter as the visitors narrowed the score to 21-10. But Golden West closed out the game with two more touchdowns.

Aaron Harris (Granite Hills) rushed 18 times for 138 yards to lead the visitors, who were held to just 50 passing yards in the game.

Southwestern will host Santa Ana (1-2, 4-4) in a conference match-up this Saturday in what will double as the Jags’ final regular season appearance at home. Kick-off is 6 p.m.
Harris earned honorable mention honors for Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week award after rushing for 219 yards and scoring three touchdowns in the Jaguars’ 34-31 double overtime loss to Orange Coast on Oct. 29.

Harris also caught five passes for 26 yards in that game.

Riverside (8-0 overall) leads the conference with a 3-0 record, followed by College of the Desert (6-2) and Golden West, both at 2-1.

SDSU Aztecs
San Diego State University’s Aztecs will be out to make amends for a disappointing 30-27 Mountain West setback to visiting Wyoming on Oct. 29 when they host the winless New Mexico Lobos Saturday, Nov. 5, at Qualcomm Stadium. Kick-off is 5 p.m.

The Aztecs enter the MW contest 1-2 in conference play, 4-3 overall. New Mexico is 0-8, 0-3 in conference.

Castle Park alumnus Abel Perez missed two fourth quarter field goals in the loss to Wyoming, as well as an extra-point conversion. Head coach Rocky Long, while obviously disappionted by the kicker’s performance in the clutch, attributed the loss to an overall poor showing by the entire team.

SDSU trailed 30-13 at halftime.

Perez did finish the game with three PAT conversions. He has made three field goals in eight attempts this season. His field goal misses came from 39 and 27 yards.

SDSU shut out the Cowboys in the second half. But two fourth quarter touchdowns by the Aztecs — both by Ronnie Hillman — were not enough to complete a furious comeback.

Wyoming improved to 5-2 overall, 2-0 in MW play.

SDSU highlights included a school-record 99-yard touchdown run by Hillman in the first quarter. Hillman also scored on a 71-yard pass from Lindley in the first quarter and on a three-yard run, also in the fourth quarter.

The Aztecs actually held a 7-0 advantage when quarterback Ryan Lindley (El Capitan) connected with tight end Gavin Escobar on a 44-yard scoring pass with 4:36 elapsed in the first quarter.

Hillman’s pass reception gave the hosts a 13-7 lead but the Cowboys ended the opening quarter ahead by a point, 14-13, on the first of 23 unanswered points by the visitors.

New Mexico is coming off a 42-0 loss to Air Force (1-3, 4-4).

TCU (6-2) leads the MW standings with a 3-0 record, followed by unbeaten Boise State (7-0) at 2-0 in conference play.

TCU plays at Wyoming while Boise State plays at UNLV (1-1, 2-5) in other games on Saturday, Nov. 5.