In a crucial game which decided the SCFA American Pacific League title, the Glendale Vaqueros fell to the Pasadena Lancers 37-0 on Nov. 4 at Robinson Stadium in Pasadena, Calif.
Glendale aimed to stand Pasadena up on their home field along with the momentum of a five-game winning streak behind them. This momentum and energy surged the Glendale sideline and allowed the Vaquero defense to hold Pasadena to just three points in the first quarter. However, two huge drives by Pasadena ending in touchdowns put the Vaqueros down 17-0 early in the second quarter. With the three possession deficit, Glendale was forced to air the ball out early but the offense wasn’t able to find the mark. Quarterback Dylan Hassid completed four of his 12 throws in the first half before unfortunately not being able to play due to injury. With a minute left in the first half, the Lancers had the ball with no intention to score, that was until running back Issac Glover evaded six Vaquero defenders on his way to a 41 yard rushing touchdown.
This 23 point first half performance lit a fire in the Vaquero defense, they came out strong in the second half forcing a turnover on downs on the first Lancer possession. With Glendale slowly being able to pick apart the Lancer offense, opportunity arose for Quarterback Adrian Lopez after Dylan Hassid went down with an injury late in the second quarter. The Lancers saw the change at quarterback and used it to send pressure, outnumbering GCC’s offensive line for most first and second down plays. Lopez did a great job at getting the ball out of his hands to prevent a sack but without any real time for a play to develop, the Vaqueros were stuck offensively. Even with the loss, freshman defensive lineman Michael Balian caught the attention of the opposing coaches and the crowd accounting for half a sack, a tackle for loss, and being a huge part of Glendale’s pass rush. Balian, on the loss, was quick to the point saying, “Losing a game like this sucks.” The Lancers clinched 1st place in the SCFA American Pacific League with the win against Glendale and on the 37-0 loss Balian added, “It’s just not who we are.” Friday’s game proved to be a test for the Vaqueros. The Lancers (9-1) finished the season with a perfect home and conference record with five wins and zero losses respectively.
The Glendale Vaqueros faced L.A Southwest College on Saturday, Nov. 11th, and weren’t able to take home a win in their last game of the season. The Vaqueros finished the season with six wins and four losses, with three of those wins coming from conference opponents.
Alec Shirvanian can be reached at [email protected]