FOOTBALL: THE KEY STAYS WITH FULLERTON

In the 95th Key to the County game, the Hornets claimed the rights to the key once again with a 77-28 victory over Santa Ana College.

It is California Community College Football's oldest rivalry dating back to 1916 when the two fledgling teams rose out of the dust fighting it out to a 0-0 finish. Times have changed as both teams put up a new combined record of 105 points with Fullerton College gaining the right to bring the key back to campus.

The 2016 National Champs did not waste any time getting on the scoreboard as they put up the first six points at the 10:59 mark on a 15-yard strike from Kane Wilson to Robert Johnson. The touchdown set the tone for the game as Johnson caught the ball on the Don seven, tossed a Don defender to the ground, and then jumped over another defender landing on his feet untouched in the end zone. Kicker Antonio Estrada hit the extra point.

Santa Ana came back firing on the next series as they drove down 85-yards in six plays to equal the score on a 9-yard slant from Efrem Douglas to Conner Miller.

With the score tied at 7 apiece, went on to score three unanswered touchdowns. With 5:53 left in the first quarter, Kane and Johnson once again connected on a 21-yard TD. QB Ladarius Skelton came into the game and hit RB Joshua Jeffrey on a 36-yard pass (3:35 1Q). After a ten-play 76-yard drive led by Skelton FC scored again on a 1-yard run by Gerald Hulett (12:30 2Q).

With Fullerton up 27-7, the Dons fought back with an impressive 93-yard drive that took 11 plays to hit paydirt when RB Devon Boston scored from two yards out (8:45 2Q).

On the ensuing kickoff, Justin Manyweather dazzled the home crowd with a 96-yard touchdown return. FC went for two and nailed it when Kane Wilson tossed an underhand pass three yards to Markus Grossman, who squeezed it in with a man on his back (8:32 2Q).

The Hornets crushed any hopes of a Don victory scoring another TD before the half on a two-yard run by Hulett going up 42-14.

The second half was all Hornets as they went on to score a Key to the County Game record 77 points, only two short of their overall scoring record of 79 against Grossmont in 2013. The previous points-high against Santa Ana was 57 in 2012. 

KEY TO THE COUNTY AWARDS

Game MVP - Robert Johnson

Fullerton College Player of the Game - Montre Bonner

Santa Ana College Player of the Game - Devon Jackson

Up Next: The Hornets (1-0 overall) will host Cerritos College on Saturday, September 9th. Game time will be at 1:00 pm. Come on out to Yorba Linda High's Nathan Shapell Stadium and support your Hornets!

GAME TIME VIDEO

*Photo by Ricardo Zapata

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