Complete Release

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – This weekend College of the Canyons will play host to Allan Hancock in its annual homecoming game. COC enters as the No. 9 team in Southern California in the most recent California Community College Regional State Football Poll, while Allan Hancock is the No. 6 squad.

College of the Canyons finished off the non-conference season with a win against the then third-ranked team in Southern California, Fullerton College, 26-13. COC fought back after being down 10-0 in the first quarter to hold Fullerton scoreless in the second and third periods. The Cougar defense held its own, containing the Hornets to 6-of-17 on third-down conversions and 1-of-3 on fourth-down conversions. The Canyons defense also added a touchdown in the final seconds of the game on an interception, making it the second week in a row that the defense has put points up on the scoreboard. Quarterback Justin Morales went 19-of-26 for 187 yards and two touchdowns and wide receiver D.J. Stephens had seven catches for 114 yards and two scores. The defense was led by a trio of defensive backs -- Antwan Smith, Kenny Shanahan and Conference Defensive Player of the Week Arron Fisher. Smith led the team with 10 tackles, 8 solo, a sack and pass break up. Shanahan recorded seven tackles, five solo, and a pass break up and Fisher had six solo tackles, a team-high four pass break ups and ran in an INT return for a score.

Allan Hancock improved to 4-0 on the season last week when they defeated Citrus College, 48-23. It was not the best game for Hancock, as they gave up 196 yards rushing, 405 yards of total offense and a kickoff return for a score. Quarterback Gunner Jespersen was 18-of-23 for 305 yards and four TDs. Sophomore wide receiver was Jespersen’s favorite receiver that night, catching two TD passes and garnering 163 yards on nine catches.

Rushing Offense vs Rushing Defense
Tonight’s game will pit the conference’s best rushing offense against the conference’s best rushing defense. The Bulldogs have earned 940 yards on 183 carries for a 235 yards per game average. Allan Hancock had its best game in its first game of the season against Santa Barbara, when they exploded for 359 yards behind 54 carries. COC has the top rush defense in the National Division, Northern Conference, allowing only 139 yards on 115 carries. The best outing for COC was in the game against Valley as the Cougars held the Monarchs to -27 yards rushing.

Cougars In Conference Openers
College of the Canyons excels in conference openers, going 10-1 in the past 11 years. The team has only lost one conference opener since the program was reinstated in 1998 -- a 33-28 loss to Glendale College in 1999. Since the loss, COC has won nine conference openers in a row.

Honorary Captains and Halftime Guests-2004 National Championship Team
In his seventh season coaching, then head coach Chuck Lyon had already established the Cougars as the team to beat in the conference, winning Western State Conference Championships in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003. Not only were Lyon’s teams claiming conference championships, but they had made an appearance in the post-season play every year since the program was reinstated in 1998, including a trip to the state championship that ended in a loss in 2002 and loss in the Southern California Championships in 2003.

With all the experience under the belt of Lyon, his staff and players, 2004 was the year that College of the Canyons was able capitalize on the lessons learned in the past. COC had no problems moving past its opponents during the regular 2004 season, concluding with a perfect 10-0 record, three shutouts, a conference championship and a No. 2 seed in the Southern California Regional Playoffs.

The first two rounds of the playoffs went smooth for the Cougars as they garnered two more shutouts against No. 7 El Camino, 21-0, and No. 3 Grossmont, 30-0. In the Southern California Championships, COC faced No. 1 Saddleback College. In a test of the Cougars’ will, COC rallied from being down 10-0 to win the game 37-24, earning the program’s second appearance in the state championship game.

In the state championship, COC was pitted against Northern California champion San Francisco City College. San Francisco came in as the favorite with five state titles, including the 2003 state championship.

But a gritty COC team was not going to let the previous year’s title winners intimidate them. COC came out with a 19-point advantage, and held off a furious fourth quarter comeback by San Francisco to win 39-32.

The win improved the Cougars to 14-0, the first and only time a community college football team had accomplished such a feat, and it solidified College of the Canyons as the National Champions.

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