MARAUDER DEFENSE IMPRESSIVE IN VICTORY OVER MT. SAN JACINTO

Photo by Bill Sobalvarro

LANCASTER - The Marauder football team knew it had a challenge heading into Saturday night's game against Mt. San Jacinto College.

AVC knew that the Eagles' main threat on offense was Jomari Becnel, who entered the game leading the state with an average of 143 yards per game. The goal: stop Becnel.

Mission accomplished.

It wasn't Becnel that was the star, it was his counterpart Cole Starnes that stole the show.

Starnes, filling in for an injured Tre Coleman, rushed for 145 yards on 22 carries and scored a touchdown helping lead the Marauders to an impressive 28-14 victory over the previously undefeated Eagles at Marauder Stadium.

The Marauders (3-2) opened the scoring in the first quarter with a 3-play, 93-yard drive, which was capped by a 64-yard touchdown run by Starnes, who did his best Usain Bolt impersonation as he took the handoff and sprinted up the Mt. San Jacinto sideline for the score giving AVC a 7-0 lead.

Later in the quarter, Travon Willis bulled his way into the end zone from a yard out giving the Marauders a 14-0 lead.

However, the story of the game was the Marauders' defense in stopping one of the top rushing teams in the state. AVC's defense held Becnel in check as the freshman running back rushed for only 58 yards on 15 carries, well off his state leading average. As a team Mt. San Jacinto (3-1) only rushed for a total of 52 yards.

Becnel did score a touchdown in the second quarter trimming AVC's lead to 14-8, but the Marauders scored a late touchdown in the second quarter, Willis' second of the night, and led 21-8 heading into the locker room.

The Marauders have a bye week next week and will open conference play on the road on Oct. 15 at Citrus College.