Pierce cages Citrus Owls Brahmas hold on for 28-27 victory, keeps season

JOSHUA MANES Managing Editor @TheManesEvent

In a week following an emotional 7-6 defeat to cross-town rival LA Valley College, Pierce football (3-4, 1-1) kept its hopes of a conference championship alive with a 28-27 victory against the Citrus College Owls (1-6, 0-2) Saturday night.

The Brahmas’ offense struggled to find a rhythm throughout the night. Quarterback Jonathon Saavedra finished the night 7 of 18 for 91 yards with one touchdown and one interception, but it was a 38-yard touchdown run by the freshman in the fourth quarter that gave Pierce the final lead.

“The whole week we felt like we owed the defense; they really stepped up last week,” Saavedra said. “We owed the defense, the team, the fans.”

It was a sack by defensive lineman Eric Mateo on a twopoint conversion attempt with 59 seconds to play that sealed the victory for the Brahmas, reminiscent of the blocked field goal last week that secured things for Valley with 41 seconds left.

“My coaches told me they needed a play, so I just went out there and made a play for them,” Mateo said.

The game started ominously when Owls’ running back Cordelle Taylor II was injured on the first play from scrimmage. Taylor was carted off with an apparent leg injury. The silence in Shepard Stadium was reminiscent of the Quicken Loans Arena last Tuesday when Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward was injured.

“They lost a good player early,” Pierce interim head coach James Sims said. “I think it changed their game plan, not ours.”

The Brahmas defense made it difficult for the Owls offense to take off following the injury.

Linebacker Blaze Allredge intercepted Citrus quarterback

Darreon Lockett’s pass at the Pierce 28-yard line and returned it to midfield.

A few plays later, running back Kyshawn Richards would take the Brahmas down to the 4-yard line with a 21-yard run. An offside penalty on Citrus set up a Marquise Mickens 2-yard touchdown run for an early 7-0 lead.

The teams traded punts for the next six possessions, and Citrus won the field possession battle, starting at the Pierce 48-yard line midway through the second quarter.

The Owls offense finally woke up when receiver Mason MesinaRowe caught a ball over the middle