Southwestern College has the edge in experience while Pasadena City will be counting on youthful exhuberance in Saturday’s inaugural Tremblay Financial Services Bowl at SBCC’s La Playa Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
The Jaguars (7-3) of Chula Vista, ranked No. 11 in Southern Cal, have 10 sophomores on their defensive unit. No. 12 Pasadena (6-4) is the exact opposite with 10 freshmen on its starting defense.
“It’s been quite a challenge to try to mold a young group of straight-out-of-high-school players and teach them the complexities of a college defense,” said James Kuk, Pasadena’s acting head coach. “Every game has been a learning process.”
Southwestern won seven of its last eight games and earned a share of the American Mountain Conference title with San Diego Mesa. It’s the first conference crown in 20 years for the Jaguars, who are making their first bowl appearance in eight seasons.
“We had to scratch and claw to get to this point,” said Southwestern’s second-year head coach Ed Carberry. “We were down 20-0 at halftime against Golden West in our last game. Our players decided they didn’t want to finish the season that way and we went out and scored 21 unanswered points and won the game (29-23).”
The Tremblay Bowl figures to be high scoring with both teams averaging 33 points. They met last year in Week 2 and Pasadena tamed the Jaguars 53-37 for its seventh win in eight meetings with Southwestern.
The Jaguars are led by their Big 3 — sophomore QB Ryan Nelson (62.8 percent passing, 2,700 yards, 24 TDs), sophomore RB Kenslow Smith (956 rushing yards, 11 TDs) and 6-5 freshman George Bell (71 receptions, 1,174 yards, 13 TDs). Pasadena features sophomore Josh Morgan, who’s run for 911 yards and is being recruited by Arizona State and Boise State; quarterback Eldrin Jones, who can run (397 yards) and pass (1,582 yards, 12 TDs) and receiver Owen Dixon (53 rec., 818 yards, 6 TDs).
The contrast in experience is also evident in the head coaches. Carberry has been coaching 31 years on the high school and JC level. Kuk, the defensive coordinator, has four years of Community College experience and has only been a head coach for eight games. He took over in the third week of the season after Kenny Lawler was placed on paid administrative leave for undisclosed reasons.
“Everybody was in shock at the time, but you just have to move forward,” said Kuk. “You can’t panic, you have to pull together. We tried to eliminate outside distractions and the most important thing was to win the next game.”
The Lancers walloped East L.A. 40-12 the next day and won six of their last eight games. The only losses were a 45-42 decision to Hancock (Pasadena’s QB Jones missed the game with a knee injury) and a 42-41 overtime loss to unbeaten Canyons, ranked No. 1 in the country. Pasadena rolled the dice after scoring in the first overtime but the 2-point conversion try came up a yard short.
Pasadena tied for second in the National Northern Conference with Hancock at 4-2.
The Lancers, making their first postseason appearance since 1992, are 11-4 in bowl games. They’ve won six national titles with the last one coming in the 1977 Junior Rose Bowl.
Linebacker David Ferris (75 tackles, 11 for loss) has been the big-play man for Southwestern’s defense, which features 6-7, 300-pound Casey Wayman in the line. Pasadena is led by linebackers Jeremy Aguilar and Julius Harris (70 tackles each) plus linebacker/running back Roman Pula, who has 66 tackles and 10 rushing touchdowns.
The world-famous Kilgore College Rangerettes of Kilgore, Texas will perform before the game and at halftime.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. All proceeds will go to SBCC athletics and the Endowment for Youth.
The game can be heard on local radio (KZSB, AM 1290) with veteran sportscaster John Martony calling the action. It will also be televised by Cox 8 and shown locally at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
