Carson’s efforts foiled in 42-40 SBCC shoot out

There were lots of treats in Saturday afternoon’s Halloween football bash between SBCC and West L.A. in Culver City but the Vaqueros were foiled in the final minute when a potential game-tying 2-point PAT pass was ruled incomplete.

After recovering an onside kick, the Wildcats (2-6, 1-4) ran out the clock for a 42-40 American Pacific Conference victory that snapped a five-game losing streak. Cale Carson, making his first college start at quarterback, completed 14-of-22 passes for 209 yards and two TDs for the Vaqueros (2-6, 1-4) who dropped their third straight.

After completing one pass for five yards in the first half, Carson caught fire in the final 30 minutes when he connected on 13-16 for 204 yards and two touchdowns.

SBCC, which trailed 20-14 at intermission, scored TDs on six of its last seven possessions. The Vaqueros pulled within two on a 30-yard pass from Carson to Oscar Medina with 59 seconds left. On the 2-point try, Carson rolled to his right, then threw back across the field to tight end Trevor Roe in the end zone. Roe leaped to make the catch but the ball came out as he fell to the ground.

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“I thought he caught it but our guys said he kind of bobbled it,” said coach Craig Moropoulos. “It was unfortunate, especially when the play you called worked perfectly.”

Wildcat QB Alan Ferguson accounted for five of his team’s six touchdowns. He ran 13 times for 119 yards and three scores and completed 24-32 for 252 yards and two TDs.

SBCC rallied from an early 14-0 deficit and took its first lead at 21-20 on an 11-play, 92-yard march. Tristan Carter scored on a 2-yard pitch to the left side with 36 seconds left in the third period.

The teams exchanged touchdowns on the next six possessions.

Douglas ran 15 times for 69 yards and two scores while Carter had 64 yards and a TD on eight attempts. Medina caught four pases for 74 yards, including the 30-yarder in the final minute which was his first TD grab of the season.

The Vaqueros regained the lead 27-26 on a trick play 10:58 to go in the final quarter. Using the Wildcat formation, Carter took the snap and handed to Douglas who was running to the right. He pitched it back to Carson, who delivered a 48-yard scoring pass to a wide-open Carter near the left sideline.

SBCC went for the 2-pointer but Carson’s high-arching pass was too deep for Medina on a fade pattern to the right corner.

The Wildcats regained the lead 34-27 on a 62-yard TD run by DaJuan Cofield but Santa Barbara tied it at 34 on a 5-yard Douglas run that capped a 53-yard drive with 6:57 to play.

Vaquero kicker Jeremy Waxman left the game with a leg injury just before halftime when a defender ran into him on a 27-yard field goal. The penalty gave SBCC a first down at the 5 and five plays later, Medina scored from 6 yards out on a reverse.

Brian Felt kicked two PATs for the Vaqueros and Cameron Humphrey had to kickoff after Felt was injured.

Cameron Hines had 12 tackles for SBCC while Lamont Dupree and Francisco Lugo had 11. The Vaqueros played without injured safety Matt Racowschi, the leading tackler in the APC.

SBCC travels to L.A. Valley for a 7 p.m. game on Saturday before closing out the season on Nov. 14 with a 6 p.m. home game against East L.A.