Nick Pecoraro
Sports Editor
[email protected]
The weather in the month of September read much like the gauge on City’s athletic fields. Some started off a little cold while others were scorching hot. Here’s a brief recap of each team’s September performances:
FOOTBALL
Dannie Walker’s gridiron gang improved to 5-0, with a 34-21 win, on Sept. 30 vs College of Sequoias. The Panthers defeated San Joaquin Delta, Contra Costa, Modesto, Santa Rosa and Sequoias in succession with a “special” run game, “sniper” defense, and “dynamite” special teams.
Jayden Machado’s 1,252 passing yards with 13 TDs, Jordan Moore’s seven scores with nearly 100 yards per game, and a revolving door of of running backs that include Isaiah Montanez, Tre Bussey and Daniel Wright, have given Walker offensive firepower. Special teams stud, Tayvian Cunningham has returned a kick in four of City’s five games this season, including his 95-yard reverse in Week 5.
The Panthers have a Week 6 bye and return for NorCal Division play Oct. 14 at Sierra College at 1:00 p.m. 2017 is the Panthers’ first 5-0 start since 1999, according to the team.
“That 5-0 doesn’t mean anything to us,” said Walker. “These next five games are going to be a little different. This is our second season coming up.”
WRESTLING
The Panthers took third against some of the top talent in Southern California in their latest tourney Sept. 30 in Santa Ana. Despite being unseeded, Isaac Bertolotto (184 pounds) went 4-0 to take his first gold of the season.
After a fun alumni match kicked off the season, the Panthers hosted the KLS Air Express Invitational Sept. 16 where they finished second overall. Morgan Sauseda, Carlos Alvarez and Abel Garcia all reached the finals in their respective weight classes. Trevor Mattox and Dylan Crawford each placed third for the Panthers.
City took fourth place in the Sept. 23 West Hills tournament, where Garcia (174) avenged his Sept. 16 overtime loss in the finals to Chabot’s AJ Cress with a gold-sealing 4-2 victory in a rematch.
Coach Dave Pacheco wants to make sure his grapplers are focusing on technique in order to peak at the right time.
“I feel like we should still be one of the top 2 teams in Northern California,” he said.
City’s next meet is Oct. 7 at Modesto.
WOMEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY
The women’s cross-country team took first place in its latest meet at the MJC Invitational Sept. 29, with all five runners finishing in the Top 10. Perla Gonzalez-Rodriguez, Jasmine Loyola, Alyssa Ayala, Deja Johnson and Daryia Greene placed second, third, fourth, ninth and 10th, respectively, in the women’s 5k.
Marisa Avendano’s fleet earned back-to-back third-place finishes in the Sierra Invitational on Sept. 1 and the Big 8 Preview on Sept. 15 at San Joaquin Delta.
The Panthers’ next meet is Oct. 6 at the Toro Park Invitational in Salinas.
WOMEN’S GOLF
Michael Thomas’ squad shot a combined 390 for fourth place at Tracy Country Club on Aug. 29, in its season-opening tournament. The Panthers finished sixth two tournaments in a row: Sept. 7 at Whitney Oaks Golf Club and Sept. 14 at Elkhorn Golf Club.
Returning All-Big 8 player Ciera Hoag paced City with an 88 at Tracy, an 87 at Whitney Oaks and an 86 at Elkhorn.
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After solid all-around outings from each golfer in the American River College Scramble at Ancil Hoffman Park on Sept. 19, the Panthers had their best showing of the season, finishing fourth overall, with a 377 at Kennedy Golf Club in Napa in their third Big 8 tournament.
The Panthers host the annual Jan High Memorial on Oct. 3 at Bing Maloney Golf Club at noon.
MEN’S CROSS-COUNTRY
The men’s cross-country team was not able to place in its first three meets because it did not meet the minimum number of runners required to qualify for a team score.
Freshmen Noah Spickemier and Jonathan Joe represented the Panthers in all three meets this season, each making improvements on all of their successive individual times. By the Sept. 29 meet at MJC, Spickemier and Joe shaved off over a minute of their original 4-mile pace.
The Panthers don’t run again until Oct. 20 at the Butte Invitational.
VOLLEYBALL
The Panther volleyball team is making strides to get better with each game. Coach Laurie Nash’s team started off 0-4 before the Sept. 6 Foothill Classic, where freshman Gianna Bell erupted for 28 kills against Taft in the Panthers’ first win of the year.
Nash’s focus for the team has been to stay consistent and build team chemistry.
“We’re still having to fine-tune some basic fundamentals. If we can stay on those ritually and make it routine so that they get better, I think everything else will fall into place,” Nash said after a Sept. 13 win over Shasta College.
The Panthers played two of California’s Top 5 teams, Cabrillo (No. 1) and Fresno (No. 5) on Sept. 15–16 at the Cabrillo Classic. A tough test of a tournament handed City three losses over that weekend.
City is 3-14 overall, with an 0-4 start to Big 8 play as of Oct 3. City hosts Diablo Valley Oct. 4.
SOCCER
The soccer team is still in search of its first Big 8 conference win since 2009. Despite only returning three sophomores from 2016, Coach Jang-Ha Oh believes that 2017 is the season that the Panthers finally get back in the win column.
City went 2-2-1 before league started on Sept. 12, and has since recorded five consecutive losses against American River, Sierra, Modesto, Diablo Valley College and San Joaquin Delta.
Savannah Potter, Arianna Gonzalez and Jacqueline Santana each have two goals to lead City.
If Oh’s squad is to capture that elusive Big 8 win, it’ll have to do it with an injury-depleted roster, as eight of Oh’s starters have been sidelined in recent weeks. City’s next chance is Oct. 3 against Cosumnes River College.
WATER POLO
City fell to Diablo Valley College 21-3 in its home-opener at Hoos Pool on Sept. 13, and fell in four straight games from Sept. 15–16 at the West Valley Tournament.
The Panthers (0-7 through Oct. 3) had their best showing against Las Positas at West Valley, with six goals. Freshman Amaya Palmer has been a bright spot, according to coach Steve Hanson, leading the team in goals, steals and blocks.
City is 0-3 in Big 8 play. The Panthers will host an alumni match at Hoos Pool Oct. 7 at 10 a.m.
For more info on SCC athletics, visit sccpanthers.losrios.edu.
