YORBA LINDA — Unbeaten Fullerton College proved itself one more time against Riverside City College, beating the Tigers 23-14 on Saturday at Yorba Linda High School, earning a shot at Butte College next week for the state football title.
Not that the Tigers (10-2) didn't have their share of chances, having opened the game with a razor-sharp first series that ended on a Skyler Howard-to-Mikey Stallone touchdown pass for a 7-0 lead.
But the Hornets (12-0), who beat RCC in a flag-infested 38-36 duel earlier this season, won despite a minimum of penalties — RCC flagged seven times for 35 yards; Fullerton five times for 25 yards — with no holding, unsportsmanlike or pass interference calls.
Maybe, Tigers linebacker Bryce Smith was asked, it wasn't the penalties that were called; it was the penalties that weren't flagged.
Smith, who came up with an interception and fumble recovery, said, "The refs were letting us play (after that Oct. 12 game). I really thought this was a well-officiated game. We were letting it fly out there."
RCC, its defense surrendering 322 passing yards to Hornets sophomore QB Jose Escobar, still managed to hand its offense chances to pull out a shot at the state championship.
Desman Carter recovered an Escobar fumble at the end of a 16-yard run, but the Tigers fumbled the ball back on the next series. That enabled Ian Boozer to boot a 37-yard field goal one snap after RCC's Daniel Young knocked down a potential TD pass to Ryan Longoria, who had four receptions for 140 yards and was name player of the game.
Edmund Fa'imalo's vicious sack of Escobar — which knocked him out for the rest of the opening half — led to a Jeremiah Mitchell recovery, but a 50-yard field goal attempt by Mike Canahai was wide.
One series later, Smith picked off a tipped pass off backup QB Blake Makenzie, which led to an eventual RCC punt.
Anthony Johnston's 67-yard punt in the third quarter pinned the Hornets at the 1, but Fullerton battled out of that hole, eventually missing a field goal after Isaac Colunga knocked down an Escobar pass on third down.
RCC finally took advantage of a turnover, Smith covering a ball that popped out after Escobar found Faafouina Sitagata on a 34-yard flare.
Howard, who went 23 of 36 for 214 yards, found Jermel Walker, Devon Blackmon, Stallone twice and Kenny Torrence for completions before barreling in from 12 yards, diving just inside the right pylon for a 14-10 RCC lead.
Fullerton countered with a backbreaking touchdown play, an Escobar-to-Longoria pass that went for 71 yards that gave the Hornets a 17-14 lead.
Said Smith: "Their receivers do a good job of blocking downfield. They're shifty out there and he broke a tackle."
Calling Fullerton's offensive scheme fairly simple, Smith watched the Hornets clinch the outcome with a 12-play drive capped by Ryan Byrd's 9-yard TD run with 1:55 left.
Anything surprising about the game, Smith was asked.
"Other than we lost," he said, "not really. This was two very good teams."
