Jalen Carter tackles Torrance Wiseman during the Riverside City College vs Golden West College football game on Sept. 25. (Daniel Hernandez | Viewpoints) 
Budd Bernie, RCC quarterback, rushes for 4 yards and is tackled by Harrison Cofell (41) among other Golden West defenders on Sept. 25. (Daniel Hernandez | Viewpoints) 
Dean Conners rushes 12 yards and walks into the endzone to put RCC’s first points on the board on Sept. 25. (Daniel Hernandez | Viewpoints) 
Tye Moore, RCC wide receiver, stiff arms Justin Hintze (7) for a 22 yard gain on Sept. 25. (Daniel Hernandez | Viewpoints) 
Jammal Houston makes a reception in Golden West territory on Sept. 25. (Daniel Hernandez | Viewpoints) 
Jammal Houston, RCC wide receiver, completes an 11 yard reception while being tackled by defensive back Dane Despars (43) and Eman Lawoye on Sept. 25. (Daniel Hernandez | Viewpoints)
By Jair Ramirez
The 2021 Tigers looked nothing like the 2019 version of themselves during their second home game as they got beat handily on both sides of the ball.
The Riverside City College football team lost for the first time on its home turf since Nov. 24, 2018, in the California Community College Athletic Association Southern California Football Association Championship game against Ventura College.
“We’re not the 2019, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10 team, we’re the 21 team,” RCC football coach Tom Craft said after tonight’s loss. “We have to understand that this is how we’re going to do things and we have to own it as players.”
Golden West College beat RCC 37-20, snapping the Tigers’ 16-game winning streak and The Rustler’s five-game losing streak versus RCC.
The Tigers’ lack of intensity on both sides of the ball was a big factor in their defeat.
“The other team was a lot more intense than we were, they outcoached us, they outplayed us in every area,” Craft said. “We underestimated their ability and over-estimated ours.”
RCC’s slow offensive start let Golden West take over the game. The Rustlers took a 17-0 lead into the second quarter.
The defending national champs shortened the gap to 17-10, entering halftime with a 12-yard rushing touchdown by freshman running back Dean Connors and a record-breaking 56-yard field goal by freshman kicker Ricardo Chavez.
“We got to come together as a team better,” Connors said. “We have so much potential, we just need to buy in completely.”
“We got to bounce back and play a really tough Canyons team,” Craft said.
