SAN BERNARDINO >> After a first half in which their defense kept them in the game, the Citrus Owls’ offense got on track in the second half Saturday at San Bernardino Valley College.
The Owls scored 23 unanswered points in the second half to turn a one-point halftime lead into a 33-9 nonconference victory over the Wolverines.
But Citrus coach Ron Ponciano was unimpressed with his team’s effort.
“We’re getting a little bit better,” he said. “I think our offense got a big slice of humble pie. I take my hat off to San Bernardino Valley’s defense. They were freaking awesome.”
Citrus got on the board on its opening possession, thanks to an 18-yard pass play from Brian Mayette to Henry Tarin. But that was all the Owls could get until their final drive of the half. The Wolverines held Citrus to 33 plays and 103 yards in the first 30 minutes.
But San Bernardino couldn’t get into the end zone, despite four trips inside the red zone. San Bernardino fumbled the ball away at the Citrus 9, then was forced into field goals of 22, 25 and 27 yards from Humberto Ramirez, briefly taking a 9-7 lead in the second quarter.
Citrus got one of the field goals back before the first half ended when Torben Jorgensen booted a 21-yard field goal with 41 seconds left to give the Owls the lead.
In the second half, the Owls struck quickly, going 71 yards in nine plays. Mayette hit Gino Mastandrea at the front of the end zone to stretch the lead to 17-9.
Valley couldn’t get its offense moving in the second half. It had two drives stopped by interceptions, and another drive end with a safety when the Wolverines took a delay of game penalty, followed by a false start, before the snap rolled past Ramirez and out of the end zone.
The loss ended a 13-game home winning streak for the Wolverines, and was only Citrus’ 11th win at Valley in 31 tries.
But Ponciano was still impressed with the Wolverines’ defense.
“San Bernardino is going to be really good,” he said. “Their defense is as salty, and as tough and as hungry as anything I’ve seen.”
