Using quick-strike offense to help open up an early lead, the Cerritos College football team racked up 576 total yards in a 66-17 win over visiting Santa Barbara City College on Saturday night at Falcon Stadium. The 66 points were the most by a Falcon team since November 19, 2009 when they defeated Palomar College, 68-49. Cerritos (2-1) will travel to Orange Coast College next Saturday for a 6:00 p.m. game against the winless Pirates (0-3).

After the defense turned away the Vaqueros on their opening drive, freshman quarterback Jeremiah Calvin (Mayfair HS) found freshman Charles Clinton II (Long Beach Poly HS) on a post route across the middle and he outraced the defense for a 63-yard touchdown on their first offensive play.

The scoring came quick and often for the Falcons, as they needed just five plays on their next offensive series to find the end zone. Sophomore running back Nick Adimora (Mayfair HS/Eastern Washington University) got the team in the red zone after his 34-yard scamper, while the drive capped off on a two-yard pass from Calvin to sophomore wide receiver Saxon Va'a (Banning HS). Freshman kicker Jonathan Arreola (Mayfair HS) would convert all nine of his extra point attempts and also added a 39-yard field goal.

With possession of the ball at the end of the first quarter, freshman quarterback Nick Miali (Foothill HS), who came on to start the drive, connected with sophomore wide receiver Malachi Wright (Mayfair HS) from 34 yards out and a 21-0 Cerritos lead.

Later in the second quarter, the Falcons moved the ball downfield with veritable ease, as Miali hit freshman wide receiver Alex Martinez (Cerritos HS) down the sideline for 34 yards, while a 26-yard completion to freshman Michael Ashford (Narbonne HS) was followed by Miali finding Clinton (pictured, left) from a yard out for another touchdown through the air.

The Cerritos offense was put in great field position all night, thanks to the play of the defense. Sophomore cornerback Kyle Cunningham, Jr. (Hopewell, NC HS/Louisberg, NC CC) picked off a pair of passes, with his second one turning into a touchdown drive. Collectively, the defense sacked the Santa Barbara City quarterbacks five times, with freshman Brishon Durden (Leuzinger HS) accounting for two sacks. Freshman safety Ezra Mueller (Norwalk HS) recorded 10 tackles in the game, while sophomore linebacker Clarence Chaney (JSerra HS) added seven stops

A flubbed punt by the Vaqueros gave Cerritos the ball at their own 35-yard line with 2:19 remaining in the first half. Calvin, who came back in as the signal-caller got off eight plays in a span of 1:17, which culminated on a 25-yard scoring pass to Adimora. Included in the series was a 20-yard completion to Va'a on third down.

The second half started the same way as the first half, as the Falcons took the opening kickoff and reached the end zone in five plays with sophomore running back Josh Cason (Long Beach Poly HS) scoring from 11 yards out. The next drive resulted in another long touchdown pass, with Miali completing a pass to Ashford, who raced 52 yards for a touchdown. Ashford put a sweet move on the SBCC defender at the 30-yard line, which cleared his path into the end zone.

Sophomore running back Romeo Clark (Warren HS/Simspon, CA University) made the most of his time in the game, as he scored a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns, including a 70-yarder to close out the scoring for the Falcons.

Both Calvin and Miali threw for three touchdown passes on the night, while Clark finished with 99 yards on seven carries and two touchdowns. There were 10 different receivers catching passes, while five of them found the end zone.

Photos by Daryl Peterson