Vaqueros force six turnovers in 48-16 triumph

SBCC was efficient in a lot of areas on Saturday afternoon as the Vaqueros overpowered Compton 48-16 in a nonconference football game at La Playa Stadium.

It was the third straight win for the Vaqueros (3-1), who are averaging 51.7 points the last three weeks and have outscored those opponents 155-35.

Emmanuel Nwosu had another big rushing game, racking up 173 yards on 28 attempts for a 6.2-yard average. He sprinted 34 yards for a TD and a 35-7 lead with 10:10 to go in the third quarter. Noah Gibbons had recovered a Tartar fumble on the previous play.

Nwosu's TD came just 25 seconds after Gerald Hickson hooked up with Donald Lambert on a 27-yard slant pass for a touchdown.

Nwosu has 372 yards rushing and two TDs in the last two games. He's No. 3 on the state rushing chart, averaging 140.5 yards, and the Vaqueros lead the state with 13 rushing TDs.

The Vaqueros wasted little time in scoring, taking the opening kickoff and going 83 yards in three plays. Hickson threw to Lambert on a wide receiver screen at his own 31 and the sophomore from Oahu, Hawaii found wide-open territory up the left sideline for a 69-yard touchdown.

Santa Barbara rushed for 186 yards and three TDs, passed for 247 yards and two scores and the defense held Compton to 31 rushing yards on 30 tries. SBCC won the yardage battle, 433 to 341.

Russell Enholm, a sophomore defensive back from Santa Barbara High, paced the defense with seven tackles (four solo) and an interception. Joseph Kurung had six tackles and a second-quarter interception.

The Vaqueros forced six turnovers (four interceptions, two fumbles) and returned two interceptions for touchdowns. Linebacker Lucas Olgiati ended Compton's first series with a pick at the Tartar 40 and raced into the end zone for a 14-0 lead. Terrell Jennings turned an interception at his own 9 into a 91-yard pick-6 on the last play of the game.

"I was happy we made some big plays today," said 11th-year coach Craig Moropoulos. "We have to watch our down times though, we had them on both offense and defense. It's a win and we're happy about that."

SBCC needed just three plays to cover 61 yards, capped by an 11-yard TD run from Joshua Evans with 5:38 to go in the opening quarter. Two plays earlier, Evans and Seth Fletscher connected on a 49-yard pass.

Bobby Simon scored Compton's only touchdown on a 4-yard run with 6:01 left in the second period. The Vaqueros led 21-7 at intermission.

Hickson completed 6-of-10 passes for 150 yards and two TDs. Lambert caught four balls for 132 yards and two touchdowns.

"Today was a pretty good day but we may have lost (receiver/kick returner) Jeremiah Wright for the year," said Moropoulos. "We've got to cut down on our penalties."

The Vaqueros were flagged 15 times for 153 yards. In last week's 51-12 win at L.A. Southwest, they had 14 penalties for 167 yards.

The Vaqueros will make the long trek to College of the Desert in Palm Desert for their final nonconference game on Saturday at 6 p.m. Desert (2-2) outlasted Antelope Valley 56-50 in a 4-overtime game on Saturday.