home news sports culture ideas up-to-date

You are viewing
Volume 38 Issue 3
October 3, 2000

To return to the current issue please click here.

FOOTBALL: Scottsdale 18, Mesa 7
MCC shows little offense
Scottsdale makes most of big plays

BY CHRIS BOWMAN
MESA LEGEND
Submitted October 3, 2000

The MCC football team visited Scottsdale Community College Sept. 30, in desperate need of a victory, but a sputtering offense kept the T-Birds winless in league play.

Although MCC’s offense gained 295 yards, costly penalties and turnovers stalled the offense as SCC prevailed with an 18-7 win.

Jim Allen/MESA LEGEND

MCC quarterback Bryant Berge (7) attempts to escape the pressure applied by the Artichokes' defense Sept. 30. Head coach David Rice said both Berge and backup Mike Strack are "holding the ball too long and taking too many sacks."

“We have been able to throw the ball for years, and right now we can’t throw it,” MCC head coach David Rice said. “Our quarterbacks are holding the football too long and taking too many sacks. They’re not running the offense the way it’s designed.”

The Artichokes jumped out to a 9-0 lead early in the second quarter when freshman quarterback Jack Tomco hit sophomore wide receiver Khalid Meals for an 80-yard touchdown pass.

The T-Birds answered back on the next play when freshman wide receiver Shorty Hardin ran a reverse for an 80-yard touchdown scamper. MCC’s defense stopped SCC on their next possession to three-and-out, but T-Birds quarterback Bryant Berge gave the ball back when he was intercepted by the Artichokes’ Julien Ballestros.

One play later, MCC (0-3, 1-3) landed a break when safety Ysidro Morales made an interception and returned the ball to the SCC 14-yard line. But, two straight holding penalties shut down the offense and the T-Birds had to settle for a 37-yard field goal attempt, which Nick Toppel missed.

SCC brought sophomore quarterbackGeoff Revling in to replace Tomco in the second quarter. It didn’t take Revling long to warm up as he quickly found Meals for a 44-yard touchdown pass, putting SCC ahead 15-7 with 3:04 left in the half as the Artichokes failed on the following two-point conversion attempt.

SCC forced a punt on the T-Birds next possession and got into field goal range with one second remaining in the half. Freshman kicker Mike Prochaska nailed the 50-yard field goal, giving the Artichokes an 18-7 halftime lead they never relinquished.

Rice surprised SCC when he called an onside kick to start the second half, but the Artichokes recovered the ball after the kick failed to travel 10 yards.

MCC got the ball to midfield on their second possession of the the third quarter, but running back Kenny Clayton fumbled to stop the T-Birds’ drive.

On MCC’s next possession, Berge found freshman wide receiver Jay Williams deep down the field for a 47-yard pass, but the drive ended with a failed 40-yard field goal attempt.

“I though our special teams beat us tonight,” Rice said. “We dropped balls right and left and it killed us.”

MCC’s defense made huge strides of improvement against the Artichokes, after giving up 10 touchdowns and 649 total yards of offense to Ricks College in a 69-21 loss Sept. 16.

Against SCC, the Thunderbird defense forced six punts, knotched two interceptions and hammered out six sacks.

“Coming off that dismal game against Ricks, we made a remarkable improvement on defense,” Rice said. “But we took a step backward on offense.”

Rice attributed the defensive turnaround to moving tailback Emmanuel Fuller and punter Brandon Tomlin to the cornerback positions.

Berge played the first three quarters at the quarterback position, but shifted to wide receiver in the fourth. He completed six-of-13 passes for 118 yards. Mike Strack replaced Berge to start the fourth, and completed five passes for 57 yards.

In last year’s 27-10 MCC victory over the Artichokes, the two teams racked up more than 400 yards of penalties and personal fouls, including three ejections. This year’s game was no such fiasco, and ended with both teams shaking hands.

The T-Birds will try to get their first Western States Football League win Oct. 7, when Dixie College (Utah) comes to Mesa.

Scott may return to Devils

Former MCC All-American tackle Travis Scott, who recently quit the ASU program citing personal reasons, said Saturday night he would be meeting with Sun Devils coach Bruce Snyder this week to express his desire to return to the team for the remainder of the season.

Back to Top | Previous Page | Home