The Hornets were a force to be reckoned with as the team operated like a finely tuned machine at Sherbeck Field, dominating the Huskies 51-0 on Saturday afternoon.
Fullerton established its dominance in the first four minutes when sophomore quarterback Brandon Nunez punched it in for his first of three rushing touchdowns on the day.
The Huskies’ (2-1) first possession of the ball didn’t last long as Hornet sophomore defensive back Branson Tita-Nwa made an impressive interception on ELAC’s second play of the game. Nunez scored once again on the ground at the 9:22 mark of the first quarter, making the score 14-0 in a flash.
Hornets sophomore kicker Jonathan Fobear then successfully launched a 42-yard field goal through the uprights, ending the high scoring first quarter at 17-0.
The energy in the stadium was electric. The excitement of the Hornets (3-0) could not be contained as the players hopped up and down on the sidelines, cheering their teammates on. Nunez and freshman wide receiver Leland Smith carried the Fullerton momentum into the second quarter, as they worked together for multiple completions, eventually finishing the short drive with a Smith touchdown catch from 15-yards out, putting the Hornets ahead by 24 points.
The key to the successful plays was the team’s synchronicity and practice. Nunez attributes it to their execution of the game plan each week.
“It feels great, you know. Everything that we game planned for, we executed really well,” Nunez said. “It was a lot of screens, a lot of deep shots. It’s kind of hard to throw an intermediate [pass] with them because of the way they roll their safeties down, but I think we put together a really good game.”
The chants of the Hornet football team must have gotten to the Huskies, as their frustration was slowly starting to be shown by some of their players.
Flags began to fly as tensions started to rise in the second quarter. As the lead singer Chris Martin of Coldplay once sang, “and it was all…yellow.”
Hornets and Huskies received their fair share of penalties, some of which were illegal blocks, face mask, pass interference, and even unsportsmanlike conduct.
However, the developing maturity of both teams shined through the gloomy day as the two sides didn’t fully let their emotions get the best of them, as there were no ejections in the contest.
“At the end of the day you know, what really matters on how you play on Saturday comes down to Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday… It’s not about just showing up for the game and thinking you can throw it out there and be great,” said head coach Garrett Campbell. “And not just football-wise, it’s everything else. It’s coming to class, doing your school work, all that stuff is extremely important because all that leads to maturity.”
In addition to good execution of game plays, the players believing in their leadership is what guided the team.
“I think the coaches are consistent. And consistency is what earns trust, and I think over time the kids trust the coaches and what we’re saying and what we’re asking them to do. It may not happen right away, but it always happens,” said Campbell.
As the end of the second quarter approached, there seemed to be a disconnect between the Huskies’ quarterback and receiving corp as ELAC tried to save some face and get on the scoreboard before halftime. Freshman quarterback Trilian Harris attempted to throw the ball to freshman wide receiver Bryson Corbin twice, but was incomplete both times.
Then the Hornets swarmed in with a thrilling play. With two seconds remaining in the quarter, the Hornets blocked the field goal attempt. The loose ball was then recovered by sophomore defensive back Quintin Ashford, who returned it 57 yards for a touchdown, making the score 38-0 heading into the half.
The Hornets were not done with the bashing of the Huskies, as they came out of halftime with a vengeance. After forcing a three and out, the Hornets’ offense took just three minutes to score, with Nunez hitting Smith yet again. This time however, it was a 56-yard deep ball that brought life into the crowd again.
A pair of sophomore running backs, Michael Vakapuna and Jonathan Sewell, were some of the key players that helped Fullerton maintain their dominance in the 3rd quarter. The Hornets executed a long eleven play drive to score their final touchdown of the day when Sewell rushed it in from a yard out, making the score 51-0.
Early into the fourth quarter, the Huskies slowly made their way down the field attempting to score their first points of the day. But the Hornets defense stood tall.
On a fourth down, Hornet sophomore linebacker Nick Doane ran right through the Huskies offensive line to nail Carter in the back field to put an exclamation point on his impressive day. Doane led the defense in tackles with a total of six.
“I couldn’t have done it without my team,” Doane said. “It all goes to our defensive coordinator. You know, he comes up with a great game plan, all of our coaches, and as a team we all got to come together. It can’t happen without all 11 of us. We’re only as strong as our weakest link.”
The next Fullerton College football game is at Sherbeck Field on Saturday, Sept. 23 at noon vs. the Mt. San Jacinto Eagles.
