Football: Bulldogs Fall Short at ELAC

MONTEREY PARK, Calif. - The Allan Hancock College football team fell short in a non-conference contest on the road against East Los Angeles College on Saturday afternoon, suffering a 25-20 loss. This marks the third consecutive meeting where one touchdown or less decided the game between these two programs. Hancock remains ahead in the series record with a 5-3 mark after eight meetings, dating back to their first matchup in 2003. | BOX SCORE

Hancock (1-1) forced a quick three-and-out on ELAC's opening drive, which ended with a blocked punt by Reynold Uti that gave AHC the ball in the red zone on their first possession. Arath Acosta put the Bulldogs on the board at the end of the drive after sending a 26-yard field goal attempt through the uprights. 

Both teams struggled to find offensive production through the remainder of the first frame, combining for four punts and one ELAC (2-0) fumble across the next five possessions. Metuliki Tupou pushed the visiting squad ahead early in the second quarter after an eight-yard scramble to score with just over 10 minutes on the clock. The Huskies used a 22-yard field goal attempt to get on the board before the intermission. 

The Bulldogs extended their lead in the third frame after a successful 37-yard field goal try by Acosta capped off a nine-play drive that spanned 49 yards. East LA managed to knot the score before the end of the frame with a 10-yard touchdown pass, a successful extra point, and a good 42-yard field goal attempt. 

The Huskies took the lead with nine minutes remaining in the game after a short one-yard scurry past the goal line but failed on the two-point conversion attempt. A five-yard rush to the endzone from John Allen, along with another PAT from Acosta, gave Coach Aguilar's crew a one-point lead with under five minutes to go. ELAC answered with a touchdown of their own after using 56 rushing yards and 23 yards of AHC penalties to march down the field, where they scored the eventual game-winner with 57 ticks remaining on the clock before failing another two-point try. 

Hancock ended the day with 231 yards of total offense, including 161 coming from their run game, and allowed 306 total yards on the other side of the ball. Jackson Clavel finished the contest with an 8-for-16 mark en route to 70 yards through the air. Kollins Pettaway led a small receiving group with 45 yards on three catches, while Makai Puga led the kickoff return stats with 109 yards. Tupou and Ferreri Busby were tops for the ground game pack with 49 and 50 rushing yards, respectively. 

Keyshawn Pu'a and Mike Mills led the defensive effort with eight tackles apiece, followed by six from Trent Kimmel and five by JaTe'vius Franklin. Daron Lewis Jr. was credited with AHC's only sack of the game while Aaron Small Jr. snagged one interception.

The Bulldogs are set to travel on Saturday, September 16th, for the final non-conference game of the season at Mt. San Antonio College. The game is scheduled to begin at 6 PM in Walnut.