Coming off a bye week, the Cerritos College football team was looking to make an immediate impact in their Central Division game at Bakersfield College on Saturday. The Falcons (5-1, 3-0) did just that, as they opened a 21-0 first half lead on their way to a 35-28 win over the Renegades. The win was the fifth in a row for Cerritos, which is their longest streak since they won seven in a row during the 2021-22 seasons. The Falcons will now host Pasadena City College (3-3, 1-2) next Saturday at 6:00 p.m. in another conference game.

On their second possession of the game, freshman quarterback Jeremiah Calvin (Mayfair HS) completed all three of his passes to put the team deep in Bakersfield territory. He started with a 31-yard completion to freshman Charles Clinton II (Long Beach Poly HS) to jump-start the drive. But it was the ground game that put the team in the end zone, as sophomore running back Josh Cason (Long Beach Poly HS) broke a tackle to score from four yards out in what would be his first of three touchdowns.

The Falcons got the ball right back when freshman defensive back Ezra Mueller (Norwalk HS) picked off a Carson Woods pass and brought it back 10 yards to the Renegades 46-yard line. Five straight rushes by Cerritos softened the Bakersfield secondary, which presented to opportunity for Calvin to connect with Cason for six yards and then sophomore wide receiver Rocco Caldarella (Valley Christian HS) for 15 yards, which put the ball at the 5-yard line. Cason then took it the rest of the way for his second scoring play of the quarter and a 14-0 Cerritos lead.

In the second quarter, Cerritos took possession of the ball after forcing the Renegades to punt. On the first play, Calvin found sophomore tight end Danez Maxey (Buena Park HS) alone in the middle of the field and he moved the ball 30 yards up to the Falcons 45-yard line. Later in the drive, Maxey pulled in another pass for seven yards, while sophomore wide receiver Malachi Wright (Mayfair HS) caught a pass for another eight yards. A pass interference penalty against the Renegades put the ball at Bakersfield 11-yard line. Cason picked up his third touchdown run of the first half when he raced to the outside, dove and hit the pylon for the score.

Coming out in the second half, freshman defensive back Max Rankin (La Mirada HS) intercepted Dae'jon Shanks at the Falcons 25-yard line and returned it 70 yards before getting pulled down at the Bakersfield 5-yard line. Three rushing plays put the ball at the one-yard line, with freshman Romeo Clark (Western HS/Simpson, CA University) busting into the end zone on fourth down, giving Cerritos a 28-7 lead.

After the Renegades responded with a touchdown, the Falcons had an answer with a scoring drive of their own. Faced with a third-and-six at the Bakersfield 44-yard line, Calvin found freshman wide receiver Michael Ashford (Narbonne HS) over the top for a touchdown. Bakersfield came right back for a touchdown, as they drove down the field to score, cutting the Cerritos lead to 35-21.

Unlike in the first five games, where the teamplayed clean football on offense, the Falcons turned the ball over multiple times, which hurt the momentum of the game. The trio of Cerritos quarterbacks did not throw any interceptions through the first half of the season, but were picked off three times on the day. Additionally, a bad snap on a punt attempt resulted in Bakersfield taking over possession of the ball in Falcon territory. However, the Cerritos defense shut them down, especially on a fourth down play with five minutes remaining and leading, 35-21. Looking to convert a fourth-and-one at the Falcons 20-yard line, Bakersfield running back Ja'Daniel Nettles broke the first tackle in the backfield, but was then swarmed by five other players and failed to get the needed yard.

Calvin finished the game completing 19-of-27 passes for 237 yards and one touchdown, as he connected with nine different receivers. On the ground, Cason finished with 98 yards and his three scores on 24 carries, with are all season highs.

Sophomore linebacker Adrian Castro (La Serna HS) was all over the field on defense in the first half and ended the game with a team-high 12 tackles, while sophomore linebacker Clarence Chaney (JSerra HS/Southwest Baptist University) posted six stops.