September 18, 2021
SANTA MONICA, Calif.
After a neck-and-neck shootout with visiting Pasadena City College throughout the first half, the Santa Monica College football team was unable to keep pace with the Lancers after halftime, being held scoreless in the second half en route to a 43-22 loss at Corsair Field.
Despite never leading in the game, the Corsairs offense matched the Lancers offense throughout the first two quarters, racking up 293 total yards by halftime. Santa Monica answered Pasadena City's opening-drive touchdown and two-point conversion with a 60-yard touchdown sprint by sophomore RB Hassan Biggus for an 8-7 deficit midway into the first quarter. Another Lancers touchdown increased their lead to 15-7, but the Corsairs struck back with their best connection of the day, an 80-yard catch-and-run score from freshman quarterback Sam Vaulton to sophomore WR Tariq Brown, followed by a two-point conversion pass from Vaulton to freshman TE Tristen Blankenship to tie the game at 15. The teams would then trade scores until the half's final minute, as the Lancers punched in a late touchdown run following Vaulton's one-yard touchdown scramble, and Santa Monica entered intermission down 29-22.
The offense would sputter behind 72 total yards in the final 30 minutes, as Vaulton would struggle against a more aggressive Pasadena City pass rush that stymied Santa Monica with six sacks, six pass breakups and two interceptions. The Lancers offense added two more ground scores in the second half, bludgeoning the Corsairs defense with 229 rush yards – 505 total – for the game.
Vaulton finished the game 20-of-35 for 290 yards and the touchdown pass to Brown, along with an interception. Brown dashed through, around and past the Lancers defense for a game-high eight receptions for 142 yards. Biggus finished the day with 82 total yards of offense on six touches.
On defense, freshman LB Maximillian Palees was a tackling machine, notching a game-leading 11 tackles, adding two QB hurries.
Santa Monica will look to get back to .500 next Saturday at Orange Coast College at 1 p.m. The Corsairs' next home game will be against West Los Angeles College on Oct. 2 at 1 p.m.