College Football:
Editor’s Note: The stats in this story came directly from the CCCAA website.
By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor
The Riverside City College football program finished 2022 at 12-1.
That would seem like a dream season for most programs.
That dream, however, ended on December 10th of 2022, because the Tigers were handed a 55-0 ass kicking at the hands of San Mateo in the CCCAA State Championship game.
Fast forward 364 days, though, and RCC will get another shot at the Bulldogs, and once again, there is nothing less than a state title on the line.
In the championship-round loss last season, three Riverside quarterbacks (Jake Retzlaff, Alex Grado & Budd Bernie) combined for obviously no TD’s and three interceptions.
Former Damien High School quarterback Jordan Barton hopes and expects to upgrade those numbers on Saturday, when they host San Mateo (11-1) at 1.
In the fall of his senior season at Damien, Barton threw for 1,095 yards and eight TD’s in seven games.
Three years after graduating from the La Verne school, Barton has been nothing short of remarkable.
Barton is the state leader in completions (258), completion percentage (73), yards passing (3,789) and TD passes (35).
His 316 yards per game is second to Los Medranos quarterback, Brenden Bush, who averaged 344 yards on Saturdays.
Barton was recently named the National Southern Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year.
Ironically enough, San Mateo’s Anthony Grigsby is second in the state to Barton with 33 TD passes.
To even get this shot in Saturday’s title game, Barton and RCC had their character tested.
As they entered the final week of the regular season at 9-0, and ranked No. 1 in the state poll, Fullerton gave Riverside a swift kick in the stones in the form of a 17-16 victory at RCC.
Riverside fell from No. 1 to No. 4, and they had to travel to No. 1 Mt. SAC in the Southern California Regional Semifinal two weeks ago.
And things continued to go from bad to worse.
The Mounties led 31-14 as the game neared halftime, and Mt. SAC had a 45-31 advantage with 2:28 remaining in the third quarter.
Not a problem.
Barton and the offense would close the game on a 21-3 run to stun the Mounties, 51-48.
Barton completed 34-of-49 for 524 yards.
He tossed TD passes of 22, 9, 74 and 21 yards.
Barton’s 74-yard scoring strike to Kajiya Hollaway with 1:40 to play in the third quarter pulled RCC to within 45-38, and his 21-yard hook up with Norion Espadron got the Tigers even at 45-45 with just over nine minutes remaining in the game.
MSAC would get a field goal to take a 48-45 lead, but Barton drove RCC to the Mounties 2-yard line, and with just 27 seconds left, Ayinde Bankole rumbled in from two yards out for what turned out to be the game winning score.
Last week, Riverside scored first and the game was tied once at 7-7, but from then on, the Tigers never trailed in a 45-26 victory at Ventura.
Barton completed 22 of his 28 pass attempts for 296 yards.
He hit Jesse Campbell on a 50-yard TD, Norion Espadron on a 41-yarder and Barton’s 6-yard TD pass to Jacqueze Modica gave RCC a 38-20 lead with 6:16 remaining in the fourth quarter.
As well as the 2020 Damien grad has played, Barton would be the first to tell you that Riverside wouldn’t be playing for a state title if not for his offensive line, as well as their ground game and receiving corps.
RCC averages 207 rushing yards per game.
Bryce Strong (187 carries for 1,173 yards & 15 TD’s) and Ayinde Bankole (111-729 & 12 TD’s) have paced the Tigers rushing attack.
Norion Espadron (43 catches for 748 yards & five TD’s), Jacqueze Modica (43-707 & seven TD’s) and Jesse Campbell (37-599 & nine TD’s) have all been crucial to Barton’s air attack.
If Barton and RCC are to earn their rings on Saturday afternoon, they’ll have to wear down a San Mateo defense that allows just 252 yards per game (81 rushing & 171 passing).
And on the other side of the ball, Riverside will need to rise to the challenge of containing an offense that averages 45 points and 453 yards of total offense.
The kickoff is set for 1.
Jordan Barton 2023 Stats Through 12 Games:
258-of-357 for 3,789 yards, 35 TD’s & eight interceptions; 84 carries for 193 yards and five TD’s
2023 Riverside Schedule-Results:
9/2: RCC 45, Long Beach 40
9/9: RCC 40, Golden West 15
9/16: RCC 45, El Camino 6
9/23: RCC 45, Palomar 44
9/30: RCC 41, Mt. San Jacinto 17
10/14: RCC 63, Grossmont 0
10/21: RCC 61, Southwestern 0
10/28: RCC 39, Saddleback 0
11/4: RCC 38, San Diego Mesa 13
11/11: Fullerton 17, RCC 16
11/25: RCC 51, Mt. SAC 48
12/2: RCC 45, Ventura 26
12/9: San Mateo at RCC at 1
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