The Southwestern College football team’s final game of the season in Saturday’s American Division Championship Bowl at Los Angeles Valley College proved to be one of momentum shifts as the visiting Jaguars fell behind 10-0, rallied to lead 16-10 and then gave up the final two touchdowns in an eventual 24-16 loss to the host Monarchs.
Southwestern finishes its season 9-2 while L.A. Valley finishes 11-0.
Despite the bowl games loss, Southwestern head coach Ed Carberry called the 2016 campaign a “great season.”
“It was our fifth bowl in 10 years and third league championship,” Carberry explained. “(The bowl game was a) great game as we fought off injuries throughout the end of the season. The game was hard fought. Our defense kept their explosive running backs in check through most of the game. Offensively we struggled until the second quarter when we scored three times to take the lead in the game at halftime.
“Breakdowns in the kicking game led to field position problems in the second half and eventually we were unable to overcome the poor field position.
“It was a great 10-year period to be a Jaguars football player.”
The game, witnessed by a crowd of 1,200 fans at Monarch Stadium in Valley Glen in the east-central San Fernando Valley, pitted the American Pacific Conference champion L.A. Valley against the American Mountain Conference co-champion Jaguars.
The hosts took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter as Ahkil Crumpton scored on a 52-yard pass play from Valley quarterback Christian Jorgenson. The two-play drive covered 60 yards in 35 seconds as the Monarchs delivered a quick strike.
Valley went up 10-0 on a 31-yard field goal by Rodolfo Ontiveros early in the second quarter to cap a six-play, 36-yard drive in 2:16.
The Monarchs would not score again until 2:15 remained in the third quarter as Southwestern reeled off 16 unanswered points.
Isaiah Strayhorn capped a three-play, 54-yard scoring drive with a 46-yard touchdown run with 6:55 left in the second quarter. Aeden Johnson supplied the point-after-touchdown conversion and the Jaguars trailed 10-7.
With 22 seconds left in the half, the visitors took a 13-10 lead when quarterback Mike Glass scored on a one-yard run. Johnson’s PAT attempt failed, leaving the Jags with a three-point advantage after completing the eight-play, 49-yard drive in 1:29.
Southwestern used a time-consuming 6:11 drive to increase its lead to six points with 2:29 left in the third quarter as Johnson booted a 25-yard field goal.
However, the SWC lead lasted just 14 seconds as Crumpton returned the ensuing kick-off 95 yards for a touchdown to put the hosts ahead 17-16 following a successful PAT conversion by Ontiveros.
The Monarchs would hold a one-point edge until 7:21 remained in the fourth quarter when Trevor Laurent scored on a 32-yard run. It took Laurent 10 seconds to score on a one-play hand-off from the line of scrimmage.
Southwestern out-gained Valley 337 to 319 in total offensive yards. The Monarchs held a 221 to 211 advantage in rushing yards while the Jaguars held a 126 to 98 edge in passing yards.
Southwestern generated 93 offensive plays to 57 for the victors and owned a 33:38 to 26:21 edge in time of possession.
Despite holding onto the ball longer, the Jaguars averaged just 3.8 yards per play while Valley averaged 5.6 yards per play when it had the ball.
Valley was penalized 17 times for 132 yards while Southwestern was flagged nine times for 53 yards.
The Jaguars punted 11 times in the game; the Monarchs punted nine times.
The SWC defense recorded one sack and one interception in the game. Neither team fumbled.
Valley managed to contain the Jag’s passing game to a degree. Glass completed 11 of 29 attempts for 72 yards with no touchdowns. His longest pass in the game went for 12 yards.
Joe Joe Hudson completed 10 of 16 passing attempts for just 54 yards, with a longest completion of 20 yards.
Neither SWC quarterback threw an interception in the game.
Strayhorn led the Jaguars with 129 rushing yards on 17 carries and scored one touchdown. Glass carried the ball 18 times for 49 yards with one TD to his credit. Geremiah Satele had eight carries for 16 yards.
Five SWC players caught passes in the game. Davin Reynolds had nine catches for 49 yards while Tajon Monday had five catches for 43 yards. Iman Chatman Dixon caught five passes for 18 yards while Ty Shaun Whiting had one catch for 12 yards. Marquis Williams had one catch for four yards.
Michael Brown averaged 30.9 yards per punt for the Jags while Johnson averaged 59.3 yards on four kick-offs.
Ethan Williams averaged 22.5 yards on four kick-off returns for the visitors. Mondy was charged with negative 60 yards on two punt returns.
J.J. Dallas, who led SWC with seven tackles, including six solo stops, returned his pick six yards.
Sergio Ayon was credited with one sack for six yards. As a team, the Jaguars collected seven tackles for losses in the game.
Taylor Manuel led Valley with nine unassisted tackles. The Monarchs recorded three sacks and 11 tackles for losses.
Laurent led the victors with 14 carries for 134 rushing yards. Crumpton had four catches for 80 yards and added 145 yards on two kick-off returns.
In other bowl games involving American Mountain Conference teams on Nov. 19, Antelope Valley defeated Victor Valley, 35-21, in the High Desert Bowl while East Los Angeles defeated College of the Desert, 63-37, in the Patriotic Bowl.
