Cougars Fall To Fullerton

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. –The College of the Canyons (1-1) Cougar football team lost an 18 point third quarter lead to the visiting Fullerton College Hornets (2-0) to drop its home opener, 32-31, when the Hornets produced 19 unanswered points in the fourth quarter Saturday night.

Fullerton is the second consecutive Mission Conference team the Cougars have played this season before the start of Western State Conference action next Saturday. This is the second year in a row that College of the Canyons has lost its first home game, dropping its record to home openers to 8-2 since 1998. Last season, the team lost 29-23 to Chaffey College in the first game of the year.

The loss also breaks the teams perfect record when scoring 30+ points at home, dropping their record to 42-1.

College of the Canyons was stunned in the first play of the game as Fullerton's Matt Estrada returned Paul Weinstein's opening kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown, with the Hornets getting the first points on the board, 7-0.

COC reacted with its own four-play drive when quarterback Andrew Miramontes connected with wide receiver Hayo Carpenter for a 54-yard touchdown pass to tie the score at 7-7 with 13:33 left in the first quarter.

Neither team was able to score again until the end of the first as the two squads exchanged field goals to end the first 15 minutes with a 10-all score.

The Cougars broke the tie with 6:10 left in the half when wide receiver Jovonne Augustus snagged a 44-yard touchdown reception from Miramontes. The kick by Weinstein was good and put COC in front, 17-10.

The Hornets produced three more points before the half with a 27-yard field goal by Carlos Reyes, but couldn't even the score as the Coguars went into the break with a 17-13 lead.

The third quarter was all Cougars as Fullerton was kept off the scoreboard. On the first drive after halftime, Canyons extended their lead to 24-13 as freshman running back Fred Winborn scampered into the end zone on an 18-yard touchdown run.

Winborn was back in the end zone at 9:55 as the team recovered a Fullerton fumble on the Hornets' 42-yard line. Four plays later, Winborn took the ball in again, but this time for a five-yard touchdown. Another point-after attempt from Weinstein was good and COC took a 31-13 lead.

As the third quarter belonged to COC, the fourth belonged to Fullerton. The Hornets regrouped and scored on their first possession of the quarter as quarterback Kyle Olson hit wide receiver Marquis Avery for a six-yard touchdown and closed in on the COC lead, 31-19. That wouldn't be the last the Cougars would see of the tandem. 

An onside kick by Fullerton during the kickoff put the ball back in the Hornets hands and the visiting team scored again as Olson and Avery connected for a six-yard touchdown reception with 8:40 to go in the game. Fullerton closed the deficit to five points, 31-26.

COC received the next kickoff, but could not get out of its own territory and had to punt the ball away and set up Fullerton for its last score. With 1:45 left to go in the game, the Hornets scored another six-yard touchdown pass between Olson and Avery to take the lead 32-30.

Miramontes finished the night 19-of-32 for 236 yards and two touchdowns. Raphael Reynolds had 16 carries for 140 yard and four kickoff returns for 82 yards, while Winborn had 11 carries for 96 yards and two touchdowns. On the receiving end, Augustus had seven catches for 88 yards and one touchdown and Carpenter grabbed five receptions for 105 yards and one touchdown.

Defensive back Robbie Cassleberry led the defense with eight tackles (five solo) and 1.5 tackles for a loss of two yards, while sophomore Taiino Herrera had seven tackles (six solo) and two sacks for a loss of three yards. Defensive backs Tyler Roby and Derrick Quals also had one interception each.

The Cougars return to action next week as they open conference play as they take on visiting Santa Barbara City College. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.