Gaucho victory on Homecoming night
Freshman wide receiver, Nathan Rodgers, caught a pass from Stanton for 5 yards to the 20 yard line. (Angel Grady/Lariat)
The Saddleback Gauchos hauled in their fifth straight win Saturday night, winning 32-12 against the Grossmont College Griffins. Saddleback welcomed alumni and gave them recognition during halftime.
The Griffins’ defense held some ground at the start of the game, without either side getting more than a few yards. Gauchos quarterback Johnny Stanton started the change by boldly passing to wide receiver Remy Wasserbach, who ran 71 yards for a touchdown. The Gauchos converted a two-point conversion and led 8-0 at the end of the first quarter.
“I got open,” Wasserbach said. “Johnny threw a great ball and then I outran the [defensive backs].”
Two players that lead the defense, Carlton LeFrance and Jeff Holsinger both ended with 2.5 sacks. LeFrance was unstoppable and finished the game with eight tackles.
Saddleback continued the fight with unrelenting force and showed no mercy. Grossmont’s offense became no match for the Gaucho’s defense. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter the Griffins scored their first touchdown.
“I mean their defense is alright,” said wide receiver Zack Davis. “But they leave a lot of holes open in the middle of the field, so we’ll just keep working on that.”
On Grossmont’s last drive, they completed seven plays for 42 yards before freshman cornerback Daryl Wyrick, with great coverage, topped off the fourth quarter with an interception right near the end zone. Saddleback’s football team was pleased with the force and domination the defense showed.
“Our defense has been playing great, we’ve been getting to the ball really well,” said outside linebacker Blake Whitlock. “We’re playing with a lot of passion, a lot of purpose, making everyone else do what we want them to do.”
The Gaucho’s offense was on fire, they did not struggle finding the end zone. They scored a touchdown every quarter and gained the extra points each time. Running back Marvin Marshall also skillfully blocked a punt.
“We practiced it all week, just stay tight,” said Marshall. “So, I stayed tight to the line, got skinny and nobody blocked me, I just extended, dove and came up with a block.”
Stanton finished with 14 completions over 25 attempts for a total of 220 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Myron Buchanan finished on top of the rushing game with eight carries for 38 yards and a touchdown. Wasserbach lead the receivers, with just one catch, but for 71 yards and a touchdown.
The game had a slow start, but the Gauchos never took their foot off the pedal. They continued to make big plays and drive the ball up field to find the end zone, with the defense blocking and covering the Griffins to near perfection. Saddleback completed the game with 360 total yards, their performance on the field was outstanding.
“I thought our defense played well,” said Mark McElroy, head coach. “Special teams played solid and on offense we scored when we needed to.”
This win gives Saddleback their fifth straight win, making them 5-2 on the season and 3-0 in conference. Next Saturday, Saddleback will be on the road to Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa at 1 p.m. According to McElroy, OCC is a better team than they were last year. Saddleback trounced OCC, 57-24 last season.
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