College Football:

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor

All four area JC football programs (Citrus, Chaffey, Mt. SAC and Pasadena City College) will compete in postseason games this Saturday.

Mt. SAC (10-0) is hosting Riverside in a Southern California Regional semifinal, Citrus (7-3) welcomes Canyons in a Western State bowl game, and Chaffey (10-0) and PCC (9-1) meet up in Rancho Cucamonga in the American Division Bowl

The Mounties, Panthers and Lancers each won their conference championships in 2023.

And two of three games on Saturday are sequels.

Mt. SAC is the No. 1 seed in the So Cal Regional playoffs.

The Mounties leapfrogged Riverside (9-1) in the state rankings after Fullerton claimed a 17-16 victory in the National Southern Conference finale.

Mt. SAC’s closest game was a 33-21 victory at Golden West two weeks ago, which secured a 10-0 regular season and a National Central Conference championship.

The Mounties are balanced offensively and average 483 yards (271 rushing & 212 passing) of total offense.

And their defense has been stellar all year.

MSAC’s average margin of victory is 46-16.

Alex Flores runs the Mounties offense and he’s completed 150-of-219 for 1,701 yards.

Flores has nearly a 70-percent completion ratio, and he’s thrown for 21 TD’s and four picks.

Nicholas Floyd (113 carries for 1,052 yards & nine TD’s) and Samuel Green (101-760 & seven TD’s) anchor the Mounties ground game.

Dedrek Taylor-Akins leads the receiving corps with 23 catches for 468 yards and nine TD’s.

De’shon Thompson (25-for-272 & five TD’s) and Jordan Williams (22-for-315 & six TD’s) have also been favorites of Flores this season.

Diego Esqueda has converted on 11-of-14 field goals, with a long of 48 yards.

Riverside averages 517 yards (306 passing & 211 rushing) of total offense.

Jordan Borton has completed 202-of-280 for 2,969 yards.

Borton has a 72-percent completion ratio, and he’s tossed 28 TD’s and seven interceptions.

Bryce Strong (144 carries for 906 yards & 13 TD’s) and Ayinde Bonkole (92-617 & eight TD’s) have made up the lion’s share of the Bengals ground game.

Norion Espadron (34 catches for 620 yards & three TD’s), Jacqueze Modico (31-555 & five TD’s) and Jesse Campbell (27-459 & eight scores) have led the Riverside receiving corps.

The MSAC-RCC victor will face the Fullerton-Ventura winner next week.

Chaffey and PCC met in Rancho Cucamonga on September 30th, and the Panthers held off the Lancers, 31-21, in a game that featured two 4-0 programs at the time.

Chaffey would go on to win the next five games and clinched the American Metro Conference title.

The Panthers average 514 yards (247 rushing & 267 passing) of total offense.

Chaffey’s defense has more than done their part in a 10-0 season, surrendering just 274 yards (89 rushing & 187 passing) of total offense.

The Panthers average margin of victory is 46-16.

Dereun Dortch has been nothing short of remarkable.

The Chaffey freshman has accounted for 2,615 yards of offense and 33 TD’s.

He’s completed 144-of-203 (71-percent completion ratio) for 2,119 yards, including 25 TD’s and eight interceptions.

Dortch has also rushed for 496 yards on 71 carries and eight TD’s.

Jayson Cortes is the Panthers workhorse.

Cortes has carried the ball 191 times for 1,125 yards and 15 TD’s.

Corey Cabriales (45 receptions for 681 yards & six TD’s), Jeremiah Beck (33-413 & three TD’s) and William Davis (28-599 & eight TD’s) have all been invaluable for Dortch and the air attack.

PCC rebounded well from the week-five setback at Chaffey, and went on to secure an American Pacific Conference championship.

And to say they want another shot at the Panthers would be a massive understatement.

The Lancers average 381 yards (154 rushing & 227 passing) of total offense.

PCC’s margin of victory in 2023 is 40-15.

The Lancers have used three quarterbacks this season, but Kekahi Graham is their first-string QB.

Graham has completed 170-of-269 for 1,839 yards.

He tossed 21 TD passes and 10 interceptions.

Wyatt Oak (29-of-54, 307 yards & two TD’s) and Kaden Taylor (9-of-14, 114 yards & one TD) are willing, ready and able when their number is called.

Isaac Glover leads PCC with 706 yards on 119 carries.

Glover has 11 rushing TD’s.

Mohammad Maali (42 carries for 235 yards & three TD’s), Oak (25-119 & three TD’s) and Graham (47-147 & three scores) have also contributed to the Lancers running game.

PCC has 10 receivers with at least two TD’s or more.

Jordan Rodriguez (39 receptions for 380 yards & two TD’s), Damien Gonzales (16-274 & two scores), Daniel Schwam (14-218 & two TD’s), Greg Moore (16-213 & two TD’s), LeMonte Holmes (12-180 & three TD’s), Drushun Phillips (10-199 & three TD’s), William Parra (22-171 & two scores) and Jacob Turowetz (17-124 & three TD’s) are a big reason why PCC is 9-1.

PCC’s defense can’t be overlooked, as they surrender just 271 yards (67 rushing & 204 passing) per game.

Citrus and Canyons are finishing what they started.

Back on September 2nd, the Owls defeated the Cougars, 34-28, in the season opener.

Canyons had a pair of late-game drives that got as close as the Citrus 5-yard line, but the Owls defense clutched up and extended their win streak at that time to 15 games.

Citrus has a special group of sophomores that have gone 18-3, and that includes the first perfect (11-0) season in program history.

The Owls lost a number of game changers to graduation, but this 2023 squad has scratched and clawed their way to another successful season.

Citrus averages 372 yards (171 rushing & 201 passing) of total offense.

The Owls margin of victory is 32-25, as compared to Canyons (27-24).

Koy Riggin has come on strong down the stretch in leading the Citrus offense.

He’s completed 125-of-188 for 1,329 yards.

Riggin has tossed 10 TD passes and three picks.

Jack Benson has also gotten some work at QB.

Benson is 51-of-88 for 553 yards, four TD’s and he’s been intercepted five times.

Kannon Katzer (866 yards rushing on 143 carries & 14 TD’s) and Tayvonne Miller (140-721 & 10 TD’s) have made up one of the area’s best 1-2 punches at running back.

Jesse Carmona has been the Owls stud at receiver.

Carmona has team highs in receptions (42) and receiving yards (611), and his three TD’s are second to Donovan Zackery.

Katzer (22 catches for 193 yards & two TD’s) and Zackery (21-190 & five TD’s) are second and third among Owls’ receivers.

The Citrus defense allows 306 yards (97 rushing & 208 passing) of total offense.

Former Ayala star Chander Carthan has had an incredible sophomore season.

Carthan has 86 tackles, which is 40 more than his next closest teammate (Hunter Corbin with 46).

Carthan also has 2.5 sacks, two picks, and he’s the Owls punter.

Corbin has totaled 46 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and he’s picked three passes.

Drew Merrill’s three interceptions ties Fred Martin and Corbin for the team lead.

Merrill also has 28 tackles from the Citrus defensive backfield.

The Cougars offense averages 176 rushing yards and 205 through the air.

Emery Floyd is 110-of-216 for 1,752 yards.

Floyds has thrown 11 TD’s and three picks.

Malik Brooks (108 carries for 538 yards & two TD’s), Floyd (116-433 & 10 TD’s) and Donovan Dunn (79-348 & three scores) anchor the Canyons rushing attack.

Lyndon Ravare’s 31 catches for 624 yards and six TD’s is more than double that of any of his fellow Canyons’ receivers.

Saturday’s Schedule:
Canyons at Citrus at 4
PCC at Chaffey at 5
Riverside at Mt. SAC at 6