College of the Canyons vs Grossmont College
Marcel Marquez scored three touchdowns and running back Brandon Clayton tied a school record for carries in a game with 28 as College of the Canyons beat visiting Grossmont College 32-22.
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - Marcel Marquez scored three touchdowns and running back Brandon Clayton tied a school record for carries in a game with 28 as College of the Canyons beat visiting Grossmont College 32-22. Marquez hit Shane Smith on an 8-yard strike in the first quarter and had touchdown runs of 4 and 1 and finished the evening 16-of-21 for 124 yards.
Grossmont stayed close due in big part to the return efforts of Derrell Hutsona. Hutsona had 211 return yards on the night, including a 95-yard kick off return which set up Grossmont's first touchdown, and then later scored on a 54-yard punt return for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
Besides the big return plays of Hutsona, the Cougars (2-0) held the Griffins (1-1) in check for most of the night, outgaining Grossmont 300-142 in total yardage and holding the Griffins to just 8 first downs. Five Griffin backs combined on 20 carries for only 59 yards on the ground, while Griffin QB Reilly Murphy finished 9-of-17 for 83 yards, with 2 interceptions and 1 touchdown.
Cougar defensive back Michael Carr scored for the Cougars late in the third quarter when he stepped in front of a receiver, picked off a Murphy pass, and ran it back 22 yards for a score. Carr had returned a interception return for a touchdown in last year's 30-0 semifinal playoff win over Grossmont last season. This was the first meeting of the two teams in the regular season.
The Cougars extended their regular-season win streak to 30 games, their home win streak to 31 games, and their current overall win streak to 16.
College of the Canyons travels to Ventura College for a 5 p.m. matchup on Sep. 17.
Scoring:
Q1
Canyons - TD: Marquez 4-yard run (Johnson kick) -- 7-0
Grossmont - TD: Smith 3-yard run (Ballman kick) -- 7-7
Canyons - TD: Smith 6-yard pass from Marquez (kick failed) -- 13-7
Q2
Canyons - TD: Marquez 1-yard run (pass failed) -- 19-7
Q3
Canyons - TD: Edwards 8-yard run (kick failed) -- 25-7
Q4
Canyons - TD: Carr 22-yard interception return (Jones Kick) -- 32-7
Grossmont - TD: Boughton 9-yard pass from Murphy (Ballman kick) -- 32-14
Grossmont - TD: Hutsona 54-yard punt return (Mareko pass from Murphy) -- 32-22
Marcel Marquez, 16-21 for 124 yards, 1 touchdown, 18 carries for 29 yards, 2 touchdowns
Brandon Clayton, 28 carries for 132 yards
Shane Smith, 4 receptions for 28 yards, 1 touchdown
Terence Scott, 3 receptions for 33 yards, 2 kick-off returns for 18 yards
Total Offense:
Canyons: 300 - Rushing 176, Passing 124
Grossmont: 142 - Rushing 59, Passing 83
First Downs:
Canyons: 22
Grossmont: 8
Penalties:
Canyons: 8 for 69 yards
Grossmont: 14 for 111 yards