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Coming off a record-breaking win over the visiting Vaqueros of Glendale Community College, the home game on Sept. 10 saw the Lancers football team suffer its first defeat to Allan Hancock College in blowout fashion.

The Lancers were held scoreless in the first and third quarters in a game where they seemed unable to stop the run and its subsequent play-action. The final score reads Lancers 21 to Bulldogs 55.

Commenting on his first loss of the season, first-year Head Coach Fred Fimbres stressed the importance of better practice and preparation. “We were not as fundamentally sound as we needed to be. We need to learn how to prepare during the week to get good on the weekend,” Fimbres said. “It’s a long football season; I just know we’re going to improve.”

In a sign of things to come, the first play of the game was called for a delay-of-game penalty, where its resultant offensive drive saw a lost fumble by Lancer running back James Owens. After a pass interference penalty against PCC, the Bulldogs’ Andy Bridge pushed it into the end zone for a go-ahead, one-yard touchdown run, making the score 0-7.

The latter part of the first quarter consisted of miscues by the Lancer team offense which included drive-stalling holding calls, and an interception thrown by PCC quarterback Justin Posthuma in an effort to convert on fourth down.

The second quarter was the bright spot for PCC’s offense as it advanced down the field in a 14-play, 66-yard drive culminating in a touchdown run by quarterback/punter Cesar Hernandez for PCC’s first points of the game. Later in the quarter, the versatile Hernandez faked a punt and threw a 53-yard touchdown pass to wide out/defensive back Cariel Brooks.

Throughout the quarter, however, the Lancers were unable to stop Allan Hancock’s rushing attack led by freshman Cameron Artis-Payne who ended the game with 79 yards and two touchdowns. At the half, Bulldogs led with a score of 14-26.

The second half saw more miscues by PCC as they were called for a personal foul penalty which seemed to stem from their frustration at their inability to slow down Allan Hancock’s ground-and-pound running attack, and the play action passes it set up.

By the end of the third quarter starting quarterback Posthuma left the game after being sacked. In a post-game interview, Head Coach Fimbres described Posthuma’s injury as “feeling significant.”

Depending on the severity of Posthuma’s injury, his loss in games could greatly affect the Lancer offense as Posthuma was recently awarded the SCFA National Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Week after breaking a PCC school record last week for longest pass completion.

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