The Hornets delivered a clinic on the defensive side of the ball, blocking multiple field goal attempts and scoring two touchdowns. The relentless effort overwhelmed the Renegades and resulted in a dominant 37-0 shutout victory. The win moves the Hornets to 6-1 on the season and adds to their 5-game win streak.
Co-Head Coach Brian Crooks was pleased with the performance by the defense and team as a whole, but focused on the goal of finding consistency.
“It was not perfect,” said Crooks. “That’s a key thing we tell them, try to be as perfect as you can and see what happens. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good.”
The Hornets’ offense opened strong when Chris Lundsberg connected with Logan Lester for a 30-yard touchdown. However, the momentum quickly vanished. The following drives were filled with punts and costly turnovers, as both Lundsberg and Jack Schierholz threw an interception.
The offensive struggles, however, did not infect the defensive unit. Despite consistently being tasked with defending short field position following punts and turnovers, the Hornets’ defense refused to give anything up, repeatedly forcing the Renegades into three-and-out drives. Bakersfield only threatened to score twice in all those opportunities, reaching field goal range on both occasions.
On fourth down, the Hornets special teams unit blocked both attempts. The first blocked kick was most effective as Fullerton defensive back EJ Robinson returned the block for a touchdown. The defense was doing both the scoring and defending the whole first half of the game.
“We tackled a lot better than we have in the past,” said Crooks. “Just did our job. That’s what we harp on the players, to do your job.”
Fullerton’s offense managed an impressive one-minute drill as the clock wound down in the second quarter. The drive put them into field goal range, and Hornets kicker Nicholas Sandoval capitalized by making the kick, adding on to the lead. The teams went into the locker room with Fullerton leading 16-0.
The offensive unit that emerged after the halftime break looked like a completely different team. Rather than relying on their usual air raid offense, the Hornets established the run game, using it to both gain yards and effectively drain the clock.
The Hornets relied heavily on freshman running back Quintyn Isabell. On the first drive of the second half, he proved the shift in strategy was smart. Isabell ran the ball six times for 55 yards, capping a great opening drive with a 12-yard touchdown run.
With the game all but decided, the Renegades were forced to go for it on fourth down inside Hornets territory. The defense grew aggressive, committing to a heavy blitz that resulted in Fullerton linebacker Muhammad Hassouneh sacking Bakersfield quarterback Malachi Statler. The fumble was then scooped up by linebacker Ethan Charpentier for the second defensive touchdown of the day, making the score 30-0.
“I want to get the ball out of his hands quickly,” said Crooks. “I’m aggressive on fourth down all the time. I want to dictate to him, I don’t want him to dictate to me.”
The defense finished the day with two blocked field goals, a fumble recovery and two touchdowns, all while shutting out the opposing team to cement the victory for Fullerton. The Hornets are 6-1 and are looking ahead to next week’s matchup against Pasadena City College.
