Hancock Football Dominates Los Angeles Valley 70-3 in Season Opener

Allan Hancock College running back Eddie Battle rushed for a career high 129 yards and scored two touchdowns, Gavin Grondahl threw for 89 yards, and the defense kept Los Angeles Valley at 27 yards of total offense as the Bulldogs opened up the season with a dominant 70-3 win at home. The Bulldogs extend their winning streak against LA Valley to three and improve the all time record to 10-5. The Bulldogs open the season at 1-0 as the Monarchs fall to 0-2. 

LA Valley opened the scoring converting on the Bulldog turnover with 20 yard field goal to go up by three with 6:40 left to play in the first quarter. 

Hancock took the lead for good after running back Terrance Raynor's one-yard touchdown run to cap off the five-play, 42-yard drive. Freshman kicker Edgar Zacarias made the extra point that gave Hancock the 7-3 lead going into the second quarter. Zacarias ended the game going 10-for-10 on extra points. 

Hancock's next drive carried over into the second quarter where they extended the lead by seven points on a Maurice Smith one-yard run capping off a ten-play, 55-yard drive. Hancock scored two more times before the half. Raynor scored his second touchdown of the game on a short five-yard run that put the Bulldogs up 21-3. Hancock's final touchdown of the half came off a 34-yard pass from Gavin Grondahl to receiver Cajon Lakes who jumped and pulled down the pass between two defensive backs. Hancock's defense held the Monarchs to 16 yards of offense for the rest of the half. The Monarchs quarterback was constantly under pressure in the half and Bulldog defensive linemen Kamren Brown came up with a six yard sack to force a punt on LA Valley's last drive of the half. The Bulldogs carried a 28-3 lead going into the second half. 

The Monarchs opening drive of the second half ended with Hancock's lone interception by Jaquez Mcwilliams, Hancock did not convert the turnover. The Bulldogs scored their first second half points on a 30-yard Desmond Newkirk run to put hancock up 35-3. Hancock's defense continued to shine as they forced turnovers or punts for the rest of the quarter. On LA Valley's third drive of the quarter, sophomore defensive lineman Jackson Valencia recovered a fumble to give Hancock a shortened field opportunity. The Bulldogs took advantage of the shortened field quickly as Battle scored a 33-yard rushing touchdown. 

Hancock once again received a shortened field to start off a drive on a Seth Matthysse blocked punt that put the bulldogs on the LA Valley 26-yard line. Hancock converted on the opportunity with a Qualik Davis three yard rushing touchdown. Hancock's last drive of the third ended in a Battle touchdown from 14 yards out to cap a four-play, 51-yard drive that put the Bulldogs up 56-3 leading into the fourth.

The Monarchs had several key players go down with injury during the course of the game. It was decided that the fourth quarter would by shortened to eight minutes from the normal 15 minute quarter length. 

With the shortened quarter, Hancock was still able to score two touchdowns. Newkirk and Smith each earned their second rushing touchdowns of the game to end the game at 70-3. 

Five Hancock running backs earned touchdowns. Battle averaged 14.3 yards per carry on 129 yards, nine carries and two touchdowns. His longest run of the game was a 50-yard gain on Hancock's first drive. DJ Whitmill earned 108 yards on 8 carries. Raynor, Newkirk, Smith, and Davis combined for 208 yards on 34 carries and seven touchdowns in the win. 

Grondahl ended the the day 6-for-13 passing for 89 yards, four interceptions, and a touchdown. Lakes was the Bulldogs' leading receiver with three catches for 61 yards and a touchdown. 

The Bulldogs scored a touchdown on each of their last six possessions of the game.

The Bulldogs will be on the road at Ventura on Saturday, September 14, at 6:00 PM. Ventura was responsible for Hancock's lone loss last season in a close 28-29 game that was decided in the final minute of the fourth quarter. Ventura is the only opponent the Bulldogs will face this year that lead the all time game series 20-17. The series started in 1973.