The Cerritos football team almost pulled off a huge comeback against the visiting then (7-1) Golden West Rustlers on Nov. 4.
Yet another thriller of a game for Cerritos’ last home game of the season ends in defeat as the chance for another trip to the Western State Bowl game is hanging on by a thread.
The first half of the game was pretty quiet from both ends as neither team was able to score until the very end of the second quarter.
Both teams committed misplays and played sloppy in the first quarter with no one scoring.
Although the Falcons weren’t able to score the entirety of the first half they were able to hold off the Rustlers from scoring for almost two entire quarters.
The Falcons had the opportunity to start the scoring with a potential 37-yard field goal from sophomore kicker/punter, Aiden Petruescu, that ultimately got blocked and recovered by the Rustlers which would end in a Rustlers touchdown.
With :29 seconds left on the clock in the second quarter the Rustlers were able to pull off a last-minute touchdown and start the scoring off as they led the contest 7-0 heading into halftime.
Golden West had an advantage Cerritos didn’t, throughout the game kept switching out their quarterbacks and cycled through each one so the offense had an energized and fresh quarterback every time they took the field.
Freshman quarterback, Andre Lampley, played the entirety of the game and was just happy he was able to be out there to even give his team a chance to win even though they lost.
“I mean I think that just shows I got more grit than them honestly. I’m not tryna be like all me me me type stuff but I think they have the opportunity to be able to do that,” said Lampley.
The Rustlers didn’t waste time to open the third quarter as quarterback, Parker Awad, threw the football six yards to tight end, Jake Troxell, for a touchdown.
Things weren’t looking too good for the Falcons at this point as they made their way to the fourth quarter being down 14-0.
In the fourth quarter, something clicked for the Falcons as they were able to amass two touchdowns.
A touchdown in the fourth quarter by Lampley, to sophomore wide receiver, Michael Bruner, gave the Falcons hope toward the end of the game as they were tied 14-14.
Everything you could have asked to be going right for Cerritos was happening and this game was very close to being sent into overtime as there was 3:29 left after Cerritos’ second touchdown in the fourth.
The thought of a win quickly slipped out of the Falcons’ minds though as Golden West pulled off a game-winning touchdown with :01 second left remaining in the game.
The Falcons had one play to make things even again but unfortunately weren’t able to do so and lost the game with a final score of 21-14.
Fred Fimbres, linebackers coach explained a little bit about what changed for the team between the first and second half that put them in a spot to compete.
“You know I think that we started to tighten up defensively and then the offensive line started exerting them- you know started to impose their will a little bit.”
“We started to get some success running the ball and you know it was that kind of game. You play a really good team and you’re gonna have some back and forth and you see it went all the way to the end,” Fimbres said.
