SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – The College of the Canyons football team goal of playing in the state championship game was cut short on Saturday evening as the visiting Mt. SAC Mounties scored two touchdowns in the final 10 seconds of the Southern California Championship game to win, 51-44, and move on to the state title game.
College of the Canyons gained 610 yards of total offense against the Mounties, compared to Mt. SAC's 487 yards, and beat them in most team categories. But the score at the end of the game told a different story.
The Cougars fell behind in the first quarter of play, 14-7, after a Hayo Carpenter rushing touchdown from 9-yards out on the Cougars first possession of the game. Mt. SAC then scored on its next drive and converted a punt return into an 85-yard touchdown, to take a seven-point lead.
With the pressure on COC, quarterback Brad McClellan aired out an 80-yard pass to Carpenter on the first play of the drive to bring Canyons within one point. The extra point by kicker Ricky Drake, who was 3-of-5 on the evening, was no good and the Cougars were down, 14-13.
College of the Canyons made up the difference in the second quarter. After holding the Mounties to only a field goal, the Cougars designed a 12-play, 80-yard drive that concluded with a 6-yard Fred Winborn TD reception from McClellan. After one half of play, COC took a 19-17 lead into the locker room.
COC opened the second half of play with a big play from Winborn who ran for 77 yards to the Mt. SAC 3-yard line. One play later, Winborn found the end zone and COC took a 26-17 lead.
Mt. SAC scored four minutes later, coming within two points of the Cougars, 26-24, but Canyons would once again pull away on an 11-yard rushing TD from McClellan with 4:43 left in the third quarter. The score put the Cougars up 33-24.
Four plays and 65 yards later, the Mounties were also back on the heels of COC with another touchdown at the 3:19 mark, and only trailed the Cougars by two, 33-31.
The Mounties took the lead, 38-33, to start the fourth, scoring just seven seconds in the final quarter. Canyons responded well with another McClellan rushing TD and then went for two on the extra point attempt that was also successful.
The defense did its part on the next Mt. SAC drive that resulted in a 50-yard field goal miss by kicker Jacob Harfman.
On COC 's next drive the Cougars scored on a 32-yard Ricky Drake field goal, which gave them a six-point advantage, 44-38, with 2:15 left in the game.
With 2:07 left, Mt. SAC constructed a 7-play, 62-yard drive that ended in the end zone with 10 seconds left in the game and a 45-44 lead over the Cougars.
The only chance the Cougars had for the win was the following kickoff, but a fumble by BJ Iverson that was returned for a touchdown by Mt. SAC at the buzzer, ending the game.
Winborn ended the game with a school record 264 rushing yards on another school record of 30 carries. He previously held the single game rushing yards record with 235 yards in the Pasadena game this year. McClellan was 20-of-28 for 295 yards and two touchdowns while throwing to nine different Cougars. He also 16 carries for 23 yards and two touchdowns. Carpenter had four receptions for a team-high 85 yards and one touchdown.
Defensively, Eric Wells led the team with nine tackles, six solo, and Josh Gibbs tallied four tackles, three solo, a forced fumble and a interception, his fourth of the year.
COC finishes the season at 12-1 under second-year head coach Garett Tujague.
College of the Canyons had not reached the Southern California Championships since 2005 when they lost to Grossmont College, 24-19. The Cougars are now 2-2 in the SoCal Championship, including wins in 2002 and 2004.
