2021 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY FINALISTS UNVEILED

November 18, 2021

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (FWAA) – Three finalists for the 2021 Bronko Nagurski Trophy representing the top three teams in the current College Football Playoff rankings and two conferences were named Wednesday by the Football Writers Association of America and the Charlotte Touchdown Club as candidates for the award honoring the nation’s top defensive player. One finalist’s team has already clinched a spot in a conference championship game and the two others can clinch spots with wins on Saturday.

In alphabetical order, the finalists are Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr., Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis and Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux.

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy recipient will be chosen from these three finalists. The FWAA All-America Committee, after voting input from the association’s entire membership, selects the defensive player of the year who is part of the 2021 FWAA All-America Team and presented with the trophy at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet presented by LendingTree on Mon., Dec. 6 at the Charlotte Convention Center.

Here is a look at the 2021 finalists:

Will Anderson Jr., LB, Alabama (#31, 6-4, 243, So., Hampton, Ga.): Last season’s FWAA Freshman Player of the Year is the cog in an Alabama (9-1) defense that is fourth nationally in rushing defense giving up just 83.5 yards per game. Anderson is versatile in “affecting the quarterback,” a non-statistical term but a favorite of head coach Nick Saban when talking with the media. A beast in the backfield, he leads the nation in sacks (12.5) and tackles for loss (23.0) and has been credited by the Alabama coaching staff with a team-high 34 quarterback pressures. Only Derrick Thomas (1987-88) and Wallace Gilberry (2007) have better single-season sack and TFL numbers in Crimson Tide history. Anderson was the Bronko Nagurski National Player of the Week on Oct. 16 following a 4.0-sack game at Mississippi State, the most since Thomas did it in 1988, and has had at least one sack in 7 of 10 games. His 67 tackles (36 solo), second on the team, include and at least 1.0 TFL in nine of 10 games. Alabama’s previous Bronko Nagurski winner was defensive end Jonathan Allen in 2016, and the Crimson Tide have had finalists now in nine of the last 11 seasons, most recently nose guard Quinnen Williams in 2018.

Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia (#99, 6-6, 340, Sr., Charlotte, N.C.): Davis is credited with being the most dominant defensive tackle in college football for top-ranked Georgia (10-0). The Bulldogs own the nation’s second-best total defense, giving up 247.0 yards per game and, with Davis anchoring the interior line, own the nation’s second-best rushing defense (78.1 ypg). Georgia is the national scoring defense leader (7.6 ppg) by more than a touchdown and has not given up more than 17 points in any game. Davis first garnered attention in Week 1 when he earned the Bronko Nagurski National Player of the Week honor with three tackles and a sack as Georgia held Clemson to two rushing yards in a 10-3 win. Double-teamed and avoided in the middle, Davis’ 23 tackles and 3.5 sacks don’t pop off the stat sheet. But nobody has been able to run past Davis and the attention he commands opens opportunities for other players, as linebackers Nakobe Dean and Channing Tindall and safety Lewis Cine are each having All-America caliber seasons. Georgia is well represented in Bronko Nagurski Trophy history. The Bulldogs have now had a finalist in three of the last five seasons (safety J.R. Reed in 2019 and linebacker Roquan Smith in 2017), seven finalists overall, and one previous winner in Champ Bailey from 1998.

Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon (#5, 6-5, 258, Soph., Los Angeles, Calif.): Thibodeaux is perhaps the hottest defender in the nation and the first Bronko Nagurski finalist for Oregon (9-1) since defensive tackle Haloti Ngata in 2005. The pass rush specialist lists as a linebacker but usually plays standing up on the defensive front. Thibodeaux had 26 quarterback pressures in the four games leading into last weekend and owns a 91.2 pass-rush grade from PFF, ninth-best among FBS edge defenders. He added two sacks last week against Washington State, and despite losing two early-season games to injury, leads Oregon with 6.0 sacks and has 35 total tackles, fifth-best on the Ducks. Thibodeaux was the Bronko Nagurski National Player of the Week for Oct. 23 when he had a career-high nine tackles, 4.5 TFL’s and two sacks in a win over UCLA. Oregon has never had a Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner.

The FWAA has chosen a National Defensive Player of the Year since 1993. In 1995, the FWAA named the award in honor of the legendary two-way player from the University of Minnesota. Nagurski dominated college football then became a star for professional football’s Chicago Bears in the 1930s. Bronislaw “Bronko” Nagurski is a charter member of both the College Football and Pro Football Halls of Fame.

The Bronko Nagurski Trophy is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA), which encompasses the most prestigious awards in college football. Founded in 1997, the NCFAA and its 25 awards now boast over 800 recipients, dating to 1935. Visit ncfaa.org and @NCFAA on Twitter to learn more about the association.

Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of journalists, broadcasters, publicists, photographers and key executives in all areas of college football. The FWAA works to govern media access and gameday operations while presenting awards and honors, including an annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its programs and initiatives, contact Executive Director Steve Richardson at 214-870-6516 or tiger@fwaa.com.

About the Charlotte Touchdown Club
The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a non-profit organization founded in 1990 for the purpose of promoting high school, collegiate, and professional football in the Charlotte, N.C., region. The club’s activities and services focus community attention on the outstanding citizenship, scholarship, sportsmanship, and leadership of area athletes and coaches. Since 1990, the club has raised and donated nearly $3 million to benefit area high school and collegiate athletics. For more information, contact John Rocco (704-347-2918 or jrocco@touchdownclub.com). The official website of the Charlotte Touchdown Club is touchdownclub.com.

About LendingTree, Inc.
LendingTree is the nation’s leading online marketplace that connects consumers with the choices they need to be confident in their financial decisions. LendingTree empowers consumers to shop for financial services the same way they would shop for airline tickets or hotel stays, by comparing multiple offers from a nationwide network of over 500 partners in one simple search and choosing the option that best fits their financial needs. Services include mortgage loans, mortgage refinances, auto loans, personal loans, business loans, student refinances, credit cards, insurance and more. Through the My LendingTree platform, consumers receive free credit scores, credit monitoring and recommendations to improve credit health. My LendingTree proactively compares consumers’ credit accounts against offers on their network and notifies consumers when there is an opportunity to save money. LendingTree’s purpose is to help simplify financial decisions for life’s meaningful moments through choice, education and support.

Kraken comeback falls short in 4-2 loss to Blackhawks

Charles Hamaker

November 17, 2021

Seattle Kraken vs Minnesota Wild 4-2 11/13/2021 — Photo by Maddy Grassy / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – The Seattle Kraken fell to the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 4-2 on Wednesday contest. The Kraken would battle another member of the NHL’s “original six” in the Chicago Blackhawks, a team that has been surrounded by controversy this season. With that being said, Chicago has been playing better after a poor start, and that trend would continue in Seattle. The Blackhawks held a three-goal lead late into the third period, putting the nail in the coffin with 26 seconds left to play via open net goal.

Centers Yanni Gourde and Jared McCann were credited with the goals from tonight’s loss, both coming within the final six minutes of the game. The McCann goal was a product of chaos in front of the net, disrupting Chicago goaltender Marc Andre Fleury and creating a distraction big enough to give McCann a great look. Seattle would carry that momentum into the Gourde goal, but it would all came far too late for Seattle.

Some of the worrying trends for this team were showcased once again in this game, including starting slow and not being able to score in outside of power play situations. Yanni Gourde, Jared McCann, and HC Dave Hakstol spoke on those issues in the post-game press conference.

“We can’t hope that we’re going to get back in games in the last minute,” a frustrated Gourde stated. “I thought we looked good on the six on five, but we have to start figuring out how to score goals five on five.”

“Obviously we need to have better starts, we can’t be chasing the game the whole time. For some reason we start to play better when we’re behind,” remarked McCann. “It’s definitely frustrating. We know it, we see it on the video, there’s no other way to put it. It’s frustrating and we need to clean it up.”

“Tonight, really wasn’t a slow start, we gave up one outnumbered in the period, it was an elite play. I think they skated better in the first, I don’t think it was a poor period by us, but the end result was that we were down by one,” Hakstol said. Hakstol took a different viewpoint to the teams start then both McCann and Gourde did, citing the shots on goal that the team was able to generate as compared to Chicagos.

Defensive breakdowns, inability to finish, and slow starts are three main things that you can see in all of the Kraken losses this season. Seattle must figure out how to take advantage of the barrage of shots they put on opposing goaltenders’ night in and night out. Getting off to better starts is another crucial point, as it is hard to play every game down by a few goals and effectively being in catch-up mode.

With the loss, the Kraken drop to a record of 4-11-1 and remain at eighth in the Pacific division. On a five-game losing streak, their next contest takes place against the Colorado Avalanche on November 19th with a 7PM PST puck drop at Climate Pledge Arena.

UCLA Breezes by North Florida for Fourth Straight Win

Brianne Ingram

November 17, 2021

Westwood, CA – The No.2 UCLA Bruins (4-0) breezed by the North Florida Ospreys (0-5) with a commanding 96-63 victory on Wednesday night.

The Bruins led by 22 points at the half 55-33. From there, it was all downhill for North Florida.

UCLA held North Florida to 37.1% shooting and 30.8% from 3-point range.

In the previous game against Long Beach State, UCLA wasn’t as successful on the defensive end.

Long Beach State was able to shoot 58.2% from the field and 63.3% from distance against UCLA.

UCLA Head Coach Mike Cronin shared his thoughts on the defense against North Florida compared to Long Beach State.

“I think we still got a long way to go. I think some of the kids from Long Beach, in truth, deserve a lot of credit. It’s — what is it? November 17th? So, it’s still early. But we’re not to a point yet where we’re making multiple rotations defensively. I’m never happy. So, let’s just get that out on the table. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re getting there. They pass and they don’t jack shots up, so they tried to force us to play half-court defense which was great practice for us. So, I thought tonight was great practice for us.”

The UCLA starters controlled this game from start to finish.

Johnny Juzang, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Jules Bernard, and Tyger Campbell all scored in double figures.

Myles Johnson imposed his presence defensively.

“Coach Cronin always emphasizes how I’m always the biggest person out there, and I think today I made that really well-known and definitely helped the team out getting offensive rebounds and kicking it out. I’m surrounded by amazing shooters. On defense it’s getting the rebound and pushing it out to start the offense. But definitely it just felt like I was on a mission, vibing a little more with the team, getting my presence down there. It felt good,” said Johnson.

This is the first time these teams have played each other within the last six years.

The UCLA Bruins take a trip to Las Vegas to compete in the Good Sam Empire Classic tournament and battle against Bellarmine on Monday, November 22^nd at 5 pm, followed by No.1 ranked Gonzaga on Tuesday, November 23^rd at 7 pm.

UCLA Defeats Long Beach State to Start Season 3-0

Brianne Ingram

November 15, 2021

Westwood, CA – The Long Beach State 49ers hung with the No. 2 UCLA Bruins in the first half, but the Bruins were able to pull away in the second half to win 100-79 on Monday night and remain unbeaten to start the season.

The 49ers were aggressive inside with 40 paint points and refused to back down to the number two team in the nation.

Colin Slater and Joel Murray combined for 57 points for Long Beach State.

“First of all, I’ve got to give congratulations to Murray and Slater,” said UCLA head coach Mike Cronin. “Those guys played great. Give them a lot of credit. I’ve been doing this long enough, you’ve got to give other people credit. So good for those kids. That’s not going to ease my pain of [our] horrendous defense. You’ve got to give those guys credit well.”

Despite UCLA’s 21-point victory, Coach Cronin was disappointed in his team’s defensive effort.

The 49ers shot 58.2% (32-55 FGs) from the field and 63.6% (7-11 FGs) from the three.

He commented on what worked for his team defensively in the second half.

“Not a whole lot. I would say they ran out of a bit of gas. Right now, my opinion defensively – I don’t know one thing we’re good at. On the ball, off the ball, our talk in transition. That’s my opinion,” said Cronin.

The Bruins are currently averaging 93.7 points per game.

“We better. We better. If I had a pair of sneakers, I think I could have scored on some of our guys tonight. I turn 50 this summer, just to remind you,” said Cronin.

Cronin expressed his frustration to his team after the game.

“They know I’m extremely upset. There’s three options. You try to teach and coach. When that don’t work, you go to option two and scream and yell. Then option three: run in practice or sit in the game. So, we’re on option three. … I’ve got a lot of issues, but being convicted to what I believe in is not a problem for me. So right now, I’m just trying to search for somebody who can guard the ball, help when they’re supposed to help and follow the scoring report.”

UCLA’s Johnny Juzang explained the disconnect of winning the game and having a coach upset.

“We have a team where everyone is returning, so we know the level that we’re capable of playing at, so just winning a game isn’t always [going to] satisfy us. It’s how you performed, how you won the game or lost the game. You know when you’ve made too many mistakes,” said Juzang.

The UCLA Bruins host North Florida on Wednesday, November 17^th at 7:30 pm.

Sun Devils Topple Huskies 35-30 with Fourth Quarter Comeback

Aaron Nelson

November 13, 2021

NelsonAaron_ArizonaState_Washington_11_13_2021-12 — Photo by Aaron Nelson / fi360 News

Seattle, WA – The Washington Huskies (4-6, 3-4 Pac-12) fell to the Arizona State Sun Devils (7-3, 5-2) 35-30 at home Saturday despite opening the game with a 14-0 advantage, capping perhaps the most tumultuous week thus far in a disappointing 2021 campaign.

Playing without head coach Jimmy Lake due to a one-game suspension resulting from a sideline incident in last week’s matchup with Oregon, the Huskies looked poised to control the Sun Devils early.

After taking the opening kickoff, Washington marched down the field on eight plays for 60 yards and punched in another opening-drive touchdown with a three-yard rushing score from running back Cameron Davis.

The Huskies defense forced a quick stop on Arizona State’s first possession. Then the offense went marching again, this time on an eight-play 67-yard drive finished off with a rushing touchdown from quarterback Dylan Morris to put Washington up 14 with just over five minutes left in the first.

Morris tallied 67 yards through the air on 7-of-9 attempts on the first two drives.

But Washington elected to replace Morris with Sam Huard on their 3rd offensive possession and quickly lost all momentum offensively, punting on the next three drives.

After the game, interim head coach Bob Gregory made it clear that the Huskies had planned to mix in the two quarterbacks throughout the game coming into the day.

“We wanted to give Sam some touches, which we did, which he deserves,” he said. “I am not an offensive genius all of a sudden with this interim deal. All it was, was ‘Hey, let’s try and get Sam in there, and that could give us a spark.”

Both defenses held firm through most of the second quarter, but the Sun Devils put themselves on the scoreboard with an 18-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jayden Daniels to Curtis Hodges with 46 seconds remaining. Washington managed a field goal as time expired to make it 17-7 at the half.

The teams traded punts to start the second half before the Huskies coughed up a fumble on an errant pitch, leading to a Rachaad White rushing touchdown on the ensuing drive for Arizona State, putting them within three points.

With a Jayden Daniels interception, snatched by Alex Cook, the Huskies finally found a spark and leveraged it on the way to a 9-play scoring drive capped by a 1-yard rush from Kamari Pleasant to extend their lead to 24-14.

In the fourth quarter, the Sun Devils found a way to show that they were the better team overall.

They decimated most of the quarter with a 20-play, 9-minute scoring drive to get within three again, trailing 21-24. Then Sun Devils defense held the Huskies to a three-and-out, giving the offense a chance to drive again for the lead.

With eight plays and another Rachaad White rushing touchdown, this time from 10 yards out, Arizona State took control 28-24.

The dagger would come on the drive for the Huskies with a pick-six from Morris to Sun Devils linebacker Merlin Robertson, who returned the interception 37 yards to extend the lead to 35-24.

To their credit, the Huskies rallied and found a way to score off of three passes from Morris on the next drive, two of them for 20 or more yards, including a 2-yard passing touchdown to tight end Devin Culp with three seconds remaining in the game, but the final burst came too late.

Morris finished the game with 151 yards and the lone touchdown on 16-of-28 passing along with 12 yards rushing and a score on the ground, while Daniels gave the Sun Devils a balanced performance with 90 yards passing and a touchdown on 10-of-16 attempts plus another 83 yards rushing and a score on 15 carries.

Rachaad White dominated the game on the ground, leading both teams with 190 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 32 carries.

“Honestly, that’s probably the best win in my life,” White said after the game. “When we hit adversity, we attack it better.”

Arizona State travels to Corvallis next week to take on the Oregon State Beavers (6-4, 4-3) as they look to remain in contention for the Pac-12 South title.

Washington, meanwhile, heads to Boulder to face the Colorado Buffaloes (3-7, 2-5) in a must-win contest as they’ll need victories in both of their remaining games to achieve bowl eligibility.

Two Words Bruins Fans Haven’t Heard In Some Time: Bowl Eligible

Manny Nunez

November 13, 2021

B19W2909 — UCLA Wide Receiver Kyle Phillips returns a punt for a touchdown. Photo by Jevone Moore / Full Image 360

Pasadena, CA – After the Bruins missed a field goal late in the second quarter against Colorado, those that were at the Rose Bowl felt a weird hum in the air. Down 17-7, the Buffaloes had UCLA’s number. While things were practically even keel on the stat sheet, Colorado managed a 20-10 lead at halftime and felt quite comfortable.

UCLA quarterback following his blocking. Photo by Jevone Moore / Full Image 360

Something changed in the air as the Pasadena breeze suddenly kicked in that gave UCLA its mojo. A 20 point third quarter that was accelerated by the UCLA running game propelled the Bruins into a dominant 44-20 victory that has finally tied two words to this program they have been waiting for in so long: bowl-eligible.

“This is a special group of guys that have really bonded with each other,” Bruins head coach Chip Kelly said. “They have worked real hard to get here. This has taken some time to get to where we are today, but this is a true attest to what these guys can do and what they have learned throughout the years with our program.”

The third quarter for UCLA saw what the Bruins had done to their opponents in each win, mixing a solid pass game with a very effective run game. UCLA managed 219 total yards, where two thirds of them came on the ground. The offensive imbalance didn’t seem that way when Dorian Thompson Robinson set up a lot of their offense that allowed the run game to develop in a big way. In their three scoring drives, Thompson Robinson had three key plays, both in the air and on the ground, putting UCLA back in control.

“Dorian is an awfully confident young man,” Kelly said. “I don’t know if I have been around a tougher kid than him, what he’s been through so far this year. He was critical with his legs today, and he was very critical throwing the ball when he adjusted in the second half.”

UCLA’s defense also managed to fill up a lot of its holes. A shut out third quarter was capitalized by taking away the Colorado running game that controlled the tempo for much of the first half. After rushing for over 150 yards on the ground in the first half, the Buffaloes only racked up 22 in the third quarter. Their lone chance at points came on a missed field goal that eventually led to a Bruin score on the ensuing drive.

UCLA’s adjustments in the third quarter showed this team has gelled in the right way. A loss to Colorado would have raised a lot of questions as to how the Bruins program would end up to close out the season, especially with two winnable games to close out the season. Instead, a 6-4 record and being bowl eligible before their final two games can change a program for the better.

“If you think you can kick your feet up because we had a really good second half against Colorado, that’s not what its about,” Kelly said. “The challenge is always ahead of you, and that’s the fun part about it.” This team loves to compete. We were not happy we had a bye the last week, and we are fortunate to have a big game next week. You have to earn your opportunity to play ahead, and this group certainly has.”

Oregon’s win at home over Washington State keeps their 2021 College Football Playoff hopes alive

Bryce Viglione

November 13, 2021

EUGENE, OR – The No. 3 Oregon Ducks are only one win away from appearing in their third straight Pac-12 Conference Championship and seem to control their own destiny at making the 2021 College Football Playoff after defeating Washington State 38-24 in.

Duck fans were nervous in Autzen Stadium early as Washington State quarterback Jayden de Laurea found Calvin Jackson Jr. for what appeared to be a 77-yard touchdown on only the second play from scrimmage, but after review Jackson Jr. was called out at the 7-yard line setting the Cougars up with a quick first and goal. Oregon caught a huge break on the next play and was able to get the ball back without giving up any points after Oregon safety Jamal Hill forced de Laura to fumble out of the end zone while scrambling, resulting in a touchback.

The Ducks jumped out to a 14-0 lead early but let Washington State back into the game after a Travis Dye fumble and turnover on downs in the second quarter both led to quick scores for the Cougars tying the game 14-14 at half.

Oregon got back on track at the start of the second half as Mykael Wright returned the opening kickoff 56 yards to the Washington State 43-yard line, and Anthony Brown ran in an impressive 17-yard touchdown run.

The effort!

ORE 21, WSU 14 (Q3 | 12:52)

📺 ESPN
📱 https://t.co/63ZQlNUM1u #GoDucks | @anthonybrown_2 pic.twitter.com/v6jzjo2TXp
— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) November 14, 2021

Brown had a great day on the ground, rushing for 123 yards, but gave the Cougars another chance as he fumbled on the 1-yard line looking to extend their lead. Washington State drove down and brought the game within one score at 24-17 after Dean Janikowski kicked a 34-yard field goal.

A somewhat unlikely hero in freshman running back Byron Cardwell put the game away for the Ducks in the 4^th quarter where he scored two touchdowns and finished with 98 rushing yards on just 9 carries. With star running back CJ Verdell sidelined due to an undisclosed injury, head coach Mario Cristobal has looked to his strong freshman class in search of depth and must be pleased with how Cardwell has responded. After the game Cristobal stated, “Byron has stepped up and played a significant role and has made some really big runs, some explosive runs and has made people miss on contact plus two.”

"There goes Cardwell!"

📺 ESPN
📱 https://t.co/63ZQlNUM1u #GoDucks | @ByronCardwell2 pic.twitter.com/bPqhShPS5r
— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) November 14, 2021

The Ducks have big goals this season but know they can’t look ahead yet. Kayvon Thibodeaux explain that “Every game is a playoff game.” Oregon will face another ranked opponent next week as they head to Utah to face the Utes at 4:30 pm PST (ABC).

Inglewood holds on to defeat Edison in second round of playoffs

Eric Ramos

November 13, 2021

B19W0710 — Photo by Jevone Moore / Full Image 360

Inglewood, CA – Edison trailed by six points with just under two minutes left in the game when quarterback Tyler Gioia’s pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage on fourth and goal.

The Chargers comeback bid fell short and Inglewood’s defense finished with eight sacks to help the Sentinels defeat Edison 22-16 in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 2 playoffs on Friday at Coleman Field.

“We didn’t leave anything left in the tank,” Edison head coach Jeff Grady said. “Kids battled from start to finish. I’m really proud of how we played and competed for four quarters. We just came up short.”

After a scoreless first quarter, Inglewood got on the board with a 36-yard touchdown run by running back Tariq Al Ugdah. A successful 2-point conversion gave Inglewood an 8-0 lead in the second quarter.

Edison was driving down the field when Justin Johnson intercepted Gioia in the red zone. Inglewood had the ball at their own 4-yard line when running back Damon Williams was tackled in the end zone by Austin Grbic. Edison avoided a first-half shutout with the safety and trailed 8-2 at halftime.

Inglewood’s stifling defense held the Edison offense in check with constant pressure from it’s front seven. The Sentinels had five sacks in the first half. Edison broke through in the fourth quarter with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Gioia to Tyler Hampton. The Chargers took a 9-8 lead.

“That’s a stout defense,” Grady said. “They are really good up front. Obviously they gave us some trouble and they are good in coverage.”

On the ensuing drive, Edison sacked Inglewood quarterback Justyn Martin on fourth and five. Troy Fletcher scored on a 12-yard run to give Edison a 16-8 lead with 10:30 left in the fourth quarter. Fletcher put the team on his back and finished with 30 carries for 186 yards.

“That’s what he has been all year,” Grady said of Fletcher’s performance. “He’s a heck of a football player.”

After forcing a turnover on downs, Martin hit L.B. Brown in stride for a 50-yard touchdown and a 22-16 lead with 4:56 remaining in the game.

“It’s one of the more enjoyable teams I’ve ever been around,” Grady said. “They are competitors and you know what you’re going to get from every single day.”

Banning Rolls Past Garfield to Advance to Semi-finals

Brianne Ingram

November 13, 2021

Wilmington, CA – It was open season for the Banning Pilots (8-1) in their quarterfinal matchup against the Garfield Bulldogs (8-3) on Friday night resulting in Banning taking home the 37-6 win and advancing to the LA City Section Division I playoff semi-finals.

Banning’s receivers delivered in the endzone, and Garfield failed to have an answer.

“Nothing but hard work and dedication,” said Banning head coach Raymond Grajeda. “The boys executed their assignment today. They’ve been waiting two weeks to play a game. We had a big break and I felt like they did a good job.”

On the defensive end, Banning shut down Garfield at the halftime break 21-0.

“It just comes down to dominance. I felt like we were the stronger team and I think our game plan was better than theirs. They kind of ran into our game plan and we executed exactly what we wanted to do,” said Coach Grajeda.

Garfield’s receivers just couldn’t hold on to the ball resulting in some stagnation in their offense.

The Bulldogs were simply outmatched.

Banning put an exclamation point on their lead with a 40-yard touchdown reception with 3:42 remaining in the fourth quarter to finish 37-6.

Coach Grajeda is looking forward to his team’s rematch against Birmingham in next week’s semi-final.

“The semi-final game is going to be a rematch of the 2019 championships. It’s going to be Banning vs Birmingham. Birmingham beat us by seven points, and they beat us in the ship. So now it’s a chance for us to redeem ourselves and go to work and play somebody that we wanted to beat. The semi-finals for all four teams is going to be a championship game, and whoever gets to the ship is going to have to earn it.”

The semi-finals matchup between Banning and Birmingham is scheduled to kick off next Friday, November 19^th at 4 pm.

Pitt defense helps Panthers get overtime win against North Carolina

Isabel Gonzalez

November 11, 2021

Pittsburgh, PA – No. 21 Pitt can breathe easy after an overtime win against North Carolina helped the Panthers keep their first place in the ACC Coastal Division.

The 30-23 home victory in Heinz Field put them at an 8-2 overall record. With two games left in the regular season, the Panthers are still on their way to potentially getting the team’s first 10-win season since 2009.

Redshirt senior quarterback Kenny Pickett completed 25 out of 43 passes, recorded 346 yards and three touchdowns. Pickett became Pitt’s career leader in passing yards on Thursday night. Meanwhile, sophomore wide receiver Jordan Addison became the first Panther to register a 1,000-yard receiving season since Tyler Boyd in 2014.

Pitt dominated the first half of the night, particularly in the first period when the Panthers outscored the Tar Heels 17-0. The home team entered halftime with a 23-7 advantage.

Seemed like the Panthers had it under control, but North Carolina shut out Ptit 26-0 in the next two quarters.

“It’s just the kind of game it is,” said Pickett when asked about the second half offensive struggles. “It is what it is. We want to perform better, we want to put a lot more points up on the board. But at the end of the day, our defense did a great job… Huge shout out to the defense.”

During the extra period, Pickett completed an 11-yard pass to redshirt senior tight end Lucas Krull for what would become the winning touchdown. When it was North Carolina’s turn, redshirt sophomore cornerback M.J. Devonshire had the interception that allowed the Panthers to end the night with a win. This also happened to be the first interception of his career.

“What a ball game, huh?” said Pat Narduzzi at the beginning of the press conference.

The head coach said he had a 30-minute meeting with his defense that day, which certainly seemed to help

“I said, ‘Listen everybody is talking about offense, but you win championships with defense.’ And that was a championship effort today by our defense,” Narduzzi said.

Up next, Pitt hosts the Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday Nov. 21.

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2021 BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY FINALISTS UNVEILED

Kraken comeback falls short in 4-2 loss to Blackhawks

UCLA Breezes by North Florida for Fourth Straight Win

UCLA Defeats Long Beach State to Start Season 3-0

Sun Devils Topple Huskies 35-30 with Fourth Quarter Comeback

Two Words Bruins Fans Haven’t Heard In Some Time: Bowl Eligible

Oregon’s win at home over Washington State keeps their 2021 College Football Playoff hopes alive

Inglewood holds on to defeat Edison in second round of playoffs

Banning Rolls Past Garfield to Advance to Semi-finals

Pitt defense helps Panthers get overtime win against North Carolina

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MEET THE BLACKS – LA Premiere

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