Football Cages No. 12 Canyons in Wild 49-45 Upset

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - The Allan Hancock College football team handed No. 12-ranked College of the Canyons their first National Northern League loss in a thrilling 49-45 upset win on Saturday afternoon. The victory snaps a four-game losing streak against the Cougars, who still hold the all-time series record of 20-11-1, and moves the Bulldogs back into a position for playoff consideration. | BOX SCORE

ALLAN HANCOCK (4-3, 3-1) vs CANYONS (4-3, 3-1)

QUARTER 1: AHC 7 | CANYONS 7

Cougars got on the board first after a 77-yard touchdown completion ended a short drive that spanned just 41 seconds midway through the opening frame. The Bulldogs quickly answered on the following drive when Caden Harris broke free for an 84-yard rushing touchdown before Arath Acosta evened the score with his first of seven successful PAT attempts.  

QUARTER 2: AHC 14 | CANYONS 14

Canyons went up again in the second after building a 15-play drive that ended with a six-yard rush through the goal line, but Hancock answered back once more on the following drive. The visiting squad put together a 10-play drive that covered 80 yards before JP Luketu brought it to an end with a one-yard scurry into the end zone.  

J'syon Joseph gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the day on the ensuing possession with an interception that led to a 50-yard touchdown return, but COC used a 15-yard rushing touchdown to knot the score (21-21) before the intermission.

QUARTER 3: AHC 14 | CANYONS 10

The second half of action opened with a 96-yard touchdown return by Makai Puga on the kickoff, while Harris registered a 70-yard rushing touchdown on the following possession. The home squad used a short rushing touchdown and a 23-yard field goal attempt to chip away at the deficit before the third quarter came to a close. 

QUARTER 4: AHC 14 | CANYONS 14

COC turned the ball over at the start of the fourth frame when Aaron Small Jr. forced a fumble that was recovered by Keyshawn Pu'a. Harris capitalized on the extra possession with his third score of the day on a successful fourth-down conversion attempt that ended in a 15-yard scoring sprint, but the Cougars found their own way into the end zone once more on the ensuing drive. Canyons regained the lead with under 90 seconds remaining after an 18-yard rush through the goal line. After a pair of incomplete passes, Jackson Clavel linked up with Kollins Pettaway for a 76-yard completion that led to the go-ahead touchdown in regulation. 

LEADERS

Tackles: Daelin Randle - 14 
Receptions: Kollins Pettaway - 2 / Elias Martinez - 2
Receiving Yards: Kollins Pettaway - 88
Rushing Yards: Caden Harris - 200 (3 TDs)
Passing Yards: Jackson Clavel - 148 yards, 9-for-16, 1 TD

NOTABLES

• Caden Harris closed the day with 204 yards of total offense (200 rushing/4 receiving), marking his fourth consecutive game of 125+ yards on the ground. He also registered three touchdowns and averaged 15.4 yards per carry after 13 attempts. 
• Arath Acosta remains perfect on the season thus far with 31 made PATs on 31 attempts. He also registered 400 yards off the tee with two touchbacks.
• Daelin Randle set a new career-high mark with 14 tackles on the day en route to his second consecutive contest with double-digit tackles. 

UP NEXT

The Bulldogs will return home to face off against Santa Barbara City College on Saturday, October 28th, at 2 PM on the AHC Football Field for the annual Military Appreciation Game. Additional information about the special event can be found here.