An exhausted Hornets defense that struggled defending the Falcons passing attack most of the game came up with the game ending red zone interception with 10 seconds left to hand Cerritos their first loss 33-29 late Saturday night at Falcon Stadium.

After a pair of pass interference calls helped move the Falcons all the way down to the 35-yard-line, Hornets safety Tim Roberts looked like he had secured the victory with an interception near the 10-yard line, until fellow defensive back Marcus Kirkpatrick collided and dislodged the ball as the two went to the ground.

A couple plays later, Kirkpatrick saw an opportunity to redeem himself when Falcons quarterback dropped back looking for a slant route over the middle. This time Kirkpatrick read it perfectly and jumped the route, making the spectacular game ending interception.

“He ran that same slant the play before and got me, so I knew he was coming back to me, this time I saw it and jammed [the receiver], stepped in front and picked it off,” said Kirkpatrick.

Kirkpatrick was a little banged up and couldn’t feel his legs after the collision with Roberts, but felt he had to get up and finish the game for his team.

“All I wanted to do was win for the team, and I’m glad we got the w,” said Kirkpatrick.

The game began more like a track meet with Cerritos airing it out deep from the first play of the game. Falcons quarterback connected on four passes over 20 yards in the first half alone.

With the score 23-16 Falcons, both defenses welcomed halftime, as it was the only thing that seemed capable of slowing the offensive units down.

Both defenses used their break wisely making adjustments to slow down the offensive assault in the second half.

Walker excelled throwing the deep ball, finishing with 350 yards and 3 scores. His top two wide receivers, Steven White and De’Jai Whitaker hauled in a combined 304 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Hornets quarterback Trey Tinsley had a solid performance too, finishing with 245 yards and a touchdown. His favorite target from week two, Ryan Markush finished with 91 yards, including a 31-yard score.

In such a closely contested contest, the kicking game was critical. Hornets kicker Tavis Guerra made two field goals from 29 and 33. While Falcons kicker Cannon Plooster missed two extra points.

Another big difference in the second half for the Hornets was the pressure they put on Walker. The FC defense finished with four sacks and eight hits on the quarterback, with Walker spending much of the second half picking himself up off the ground after throws.

“This was a total team victory, I know they scored a lot in the first half, but our defense played so tough late in the game,” said Tinsely.

The Hornets (2-1) will host their first conference game against Orange Coast (1-2) next Friday at 6 p.m.