Hickey's Four Touchdowns and Fumble Recovery Lead No. 23 Hancock to 39-35 League-Opening Win at Bakersfield

Dy'Kari Hickey scored four touchdowns and recovered a game-clinching fumble to help the No. 23 Allan Hancock College football team pull out a come-from-behind win at Bakersfield 39-35 to open Northern League play on Saturday evening. The Bulldogs improved to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in conference action. They are off to their best start since winning three of their first four games in 2012.  The Renegades dropped to 0-4 overall and 0-1 in league play.

After Bakersfield took a 35-32 lead with five minutes to play in the game, Malik Williams returned the kickoff 96 yards to the Bakersfield one-yard line. Hickey ran it in for the score, his fourth of the game, to give the Bulldogs the lead 39-35 with 4:47 to play. The Renegades were threatening on their next drive as quarterback Dalton Gallis completed a pass to Jayson Jackson for an 11-yard reception. However, Jackson fumbled the ball and Hickey recovered the fumble at the Bakersfield 41-yard line to give the ball back to the Bulldogs who ran out the clock.

Hancock racked up 211 yards rushing led by Williams. The freshman rushed for 111 yards on 21 carries to go with two catches for 13 yards. Jericho Worrell ran for 48 yards on 15 carries and scored one touchdown. Hickey finished with 45 rushing yards on 11 carries and three rushing scores. He also caught one pass that he turned into a 54-yard touchdown. 

Freshman wide receiver Chris Barganier caught three passes from quarterback Curry Parham for 84 yards, including a 47-yard gain. Parham completed eight of his 18 passes for 190 yards and one touchdown. 

Hancock scored on its first possession of the game. The Bulldogs went 41 yards on nine plays that resulted in a 38-yard field goal by sophomore Jose Morales. The Renegades got the ball back, but Kevon Perry sacked Gallis and forced the quarterback to fumble the ball. David Lopez pounced on the ball for Hancock at Bakersfield's 14-yard line. The Bulldogs needed just three plays to cash in as Hickey ran in from one yard out to give Hancock a 10-0 lead with 7:29 to go in the first quarter. The Hancock defense did not allow a first down to Bakersfield until early in the second quarter.

Hancock added to its lead in the middle of the second quarter as Parham connected with Hickey who sprinted to the end zone for a 54-yard score, his second of the game to give the Bulldogs a 17-0 lead.

Bakersfield finally scored with less than a minute to play in the first half as Gallis hit Jarelle Starr for a 16-yard touchdown to make it a 17-7 game at the break.

The Bulldogs extended their lead to 23-7 in the third quarter as Hickey ran in his third touchdown of the game on a one-yard run. The Renegades made it a 23-14 game late in the third quarter when Gallis hit Curtis McGregor for a 17-yard strike. The Bulldogs responded on their ensuing drive as Morales capped an eight-play, 43-yard drive with a 24-yard field goal to give Hancock a 26-14 advantage with 14:44 to play. The Renegades made things interesting by scoring on their next two possessions, an 84-yard touchdown pass from Gallis to McGregor and an 18-yard strike to David Ross that put Bakersfield ahead 27-26 with 9:40 to play in the game.

The Hancock defense responded on Bakersfield's next drive as Gallis lost the ball and DaMarion King recovered at the Renegades' one-yard line. The Bulldogs regained the lead three plays later as Worrell ran it in from one-yard out. After the two-point conversion failed, Hancock held a 32-27 lead with 6:00 to go in the game. The Renegades answered back with a three-play, 42-yard drive that ended with a 13-yard touchdown run by McGregor to give Bakersfield the lead back 35-32 after the Renegades were successful in a two-point conversion.

That's when Williams returned the kickoff 96 yards to set up the game-winning score by Hickey (pictured below) that put Hancock ahead 39-35 with 4:47 to play.

The Bulldogs finished with 401 yards of total offense compared to 375 for Bakersfield. The Bulldogs were whistled for 12 penalties for 104 yards, while Bakersfield had five penalties for 45 yards.

Hancock's defense forced three fumbles, while Bakersfield recovered two Hancock fumbles.

The Bulldogs will have a bye next weekend. They return to action at undefeated Long Beach on October 10, at 6 p.m.