Cougars Run Out of Gas in Overtime, Fall To Golden West

In its first game of the 2013 season - and first under first-year interim head coach Ted Iacenda - the College of the Canyons football team roared back from a two touchdown deficit to force overtime. However, a costly turnover would eventually seal the Cougars' fate in a 27-21 loss to the Golden West College Rustlers on Saturday night.

Cougars Run Out of Gas in Overtime, Fall To Golden West
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September 7, 2013

COSTA MESA, Calif. – In its first game of the 2013 season - and first under first-year interim head coach Ted Iacenda - the College of the Canyons football team roared back from a two touchdown deficit to force overtime. However, a costly turnover would eventually seal the Cougars' fate in a 27-21 loss to the Golden West College Rustlers on Saturday night.

COC forced the extra period after Cougar quarterback Tony Dawson hit wide receiver Vincent Strange for a pair of short touchdown passes in the final four minutes of regulation, knotting up the score at 21-21.

College of the Canyons had a chance to win the game in regulation after the defense forced the Rustlers to fumble the ball on the Golden West 30-yard line with a little less than a minute left in the game. With COC in possession, the Cougars quickly moved into field goal range with three seconds left in the fourth quarter. Freshman kicker Eric Kreitz set up for a 38-yard field goal, but it was blocked as time expired.

In overtime, COC's offense took the field first, but Dawson threw an interception on second-and-10, giving the Rustlers the chance they needed to win the game.

Golden West's offense took four plays and Robert Cruz carried the ball seven yards into the end zone for the win.

COC's defense helped the Cougars stay in the game as they held the Rustlers scoreless in the second half and forced three turnovers in the second half.

Holding Rustler's quarterback Chris d'Entremont to only 105 yards passing, the COC defense was led by sophomores Joey Cicoria, who finished with eight tackles and 1.5 tackles-for-loss, and Antonio Guy who also posted eight tackles, forcing two fumbles and recovering both. Sophomore Cash Barden turned in 1.5 sacks to go with his three tackles and freshman Cory Harris led the way with two sacks and three tackles.

Dawson finished the night 9-of-18 for 89 yards and a touchdown. Matt Bowen led COC with 22 attempts and 50 yards rushing with one touchdown, while Dawson added 33 yards on 12 carries. Strange tallied 36 yards on four receptions with two touchdowns and Louis Gipson added one catch for 25 yards.

Canyons struck first on a one-yard Bowen carry at the 11:56 mark of the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead.
That would be the only lead that COC saw as the Cougars played from behind the rest of the game.

The Rustler's jumped out to a 14-7 lead after they scored two touchdowns in almost the span of a minute, taking the one-touchdown lead into the second quarter.

Golden West posted more points in the second quarter, adding one more touchdown at the 4:17 mark.

Canyons fell to 0-1 and Golden West improved to 1-0 on the season. The Cougars are now 20-7 all time in season openers. 

Canyons will next travel to Saddleback College on Saturday, Sept. 14 for a 6 p.m. game.