Corsairs falter, suffer blowout
It was one of those games where every player was ready to hit the showers by halftime. The Corsair football squad looked like a punching bag in a karate convention in a 17-56 loss to the Santa Ana Dons this past Saturday. Santa Monica College's primary attempts to earn a touchdown failed repeatedly, whereas the Dons landed their first 15-yard touchdown early on in the game taking a 0-6 lead in the first quarter. Following the touchdown, a large array of fog settled over the field, foreshadowing a dreary night ahead for the Corsairs. Upon their second possession, the Dons landed their second touchdown of the first quarter and took a lead of 0-14.
Despite vicious tackles made by both defensive back Kris Johnson and linebacker John "The Real Deal" McNeal of the Corsairs, Santa Ana capitalized over and over with a 14-yard touchdown on the ground and a 41-yard touchdown pass and extended the lead to 0-34.
It was not until the third quarter that the Corsairs finally put some points on the board with a 24-yard field goal, put through the uprights by Trevor Dionne.
Following the field goal was a penalty against the Dons for unsportsmanlike conduct, which opened the eyes of many to Santa Monica's excellent discipline in a blowout match.
As the fourth quarter approached, the Corsairs showed their resilience and dedication to the overall goal of improvement. Instead of throwing in the towel and calling it quits, the team showed signs of maturity and picked up their game. They wouldn't let Santa Ana keep them out of the end zone, and followed through with two touchdowns to finish the game with a score of 17-56.
"Although Santa Monica College wasn't exactly victorious in their football game against Santa Ana, I feel that the team gave it their best shot," said spectator May Rafiei.
Although the Corsairs didn't continue their undefeated 2010 campaign, they still remain 2-1 overall and persist as a significant force in the race for the Conference title.
Expect them to come out with a chip on their shoulder for this week's away game at San Bernardino on Saturday.