Preparing to play an opponent in a post-season game has been nothing new to the Cerritos College football team.
For the last four years, the Falcons have competed in the Cerritos Strawberry Bowl and have come out victorious in each game.
On Saturday, Cerritos (8-2) will look for their fifth straight bowl win and seventh overall, as they host Saddleback (8-2) at 7:00 pm. It will also mark the fourth time the two teams have met each other in a bowl game.
Tickets for the game are $7.00 for general admission and $4.00 for seniors and children under 12. They can be purchased in advance at either college or at the ticket booth the evening of the game.
Cerritos comes into the game with the #2 rushing offense in the Mission Conference, while the Gauchos have the #1 passing offense in the conference. On defense, Saddleback ranks first in run defense, while the Falcons are fourth in pass defense and third in overall defense.
The Falcons are led offensively by sophomore running back Jermaine Whiten, who rushed for 1,170 yards and eight touchdowns this season, while sophomore Josh Herrera accounted for another 669 yards and 12 scores.
Injuries have slowed Whiten in the last six weeks, which allowed freshman Carlos Velasquez to add 483 yards and six scores, while all three backs have rushed for over 100 yards in a game this season.
It has been through the air that Cerritos has struggled, as the duo of sophomore Glenn DeBerg and freshman Michael Keeling have combined to throw for just 1,230 yards and 11 touchdowns. Sophomore receiver Randy Raphiel led the team with 27 receptions, as the duo utilized 14 different receivers this season.
On defense, the team has excelled at times. They posted two shutouts this season and limited opponents to just 19.6 points a game, which was third best in the conference. By contrast, the Gauchos held opponents to 17.4 points a game.
Their aerial assault has been directed by freshman quarterback Brock Farrel, who has thrown for 2,210 yards and 19 touchdowns against only four interceptions. The quartet of Jeff Diulio (31 receptions, 331 yards), Jon Lyon (28-455), Darren Shorter (28-369) and Michael O’Gorman (27-498) have been excellent, while Shorter is a double threat. Shorter is also the team’s leading rusher with 869 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Both teams have fine defenses. The Falcons have been led by the linebacking trio of Justin Burks, Marcus Miller and Ariel Cowan, while the secondary has been playing well late in the season. Burks leads the team with 140 tackles, while defensive linemen Loata Toliniu, Randall Bowen, Anthony Flores have also played well this season.
Additionally, safeties Doug Stewart and Michael Hicks, as well as cornerbacks Michael Bragg and Burnell Jordan have all stepped up in the last few weeks and have played great.
As for the Gauchos, they have been paced by linebacker Jimmy Ellingson with 94 tackles and five sacks, while linebacker Ryan Powdrell has added 92 tackles and four interceptions. Defensive end Blake Curci has added five sacks and 58 tackles, with strong safety finishing the regular season with 65 stops.
