The Santa Rosa Junior College Bear Cubs football team has fallen to 1-4 in the preseason with this past weekend’s 29-21 loss to the Reedley Tigers.
The Bear Cubs started off hot, with a pick-six by cornerback David Demenezes and a pair of touchdown passes. The lead peaked at 21-6. The Tigers would rally and score three unanswered touchdowns and a safety to win the game.
Bear Cubs second-string quarterback Dominic Feliciano came in to finish the game. He threw for 137 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 36 yards. Near the end of the third quarter, Feliciano stepped out of bounds in the back of the endzone committing a safety, which gave Reedley two points and possession of the ball.
Bear Cubs wide receiver Cody Davidson was the top target of the day with 78 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Joavan Johnson notched 38 receiving yards on five receptions as well as 103 total yards on kick returns.
The Bear Cubs had a chance to tie the game on their second-to-last possession, but the drive ended on a dropped pass on fourth down in the red zone. Though they got the ball back one more time, it was with 14 seconds on the clock on their own 30-yard line, and they were not able to score again before time expired.
This territory isn’t new for the Bear Cubs, according to Head Coach Lenny Wagner. “We have been in four of our last five games until the final drive of the game and have not been getting it done in the end,” he said.
Coach Wagner is confident in his team though. “Players are working their tails off and bring a great attitude each day,” he said. “Although we are not happy with our current record, we are happy with the progress we have made as a team and program.”
Bear Cubs quarterback Jacob Porteous went out with a knee injury late in the first quarter. The medical team of SRJC sports medicine students tended to him. Team physician Ty Affleck declined to comment on the status of his injury. Porteous exited the locker room with crutches and ice on his knee. He did not return to the field for the second half. Porteous had over a thousand yards passing through the first 5 games, throwing for 8 touchdowns and 8 interceptions and touting a 60% completion rate in his starts.
A crowd of approximately 130 attended Saturday’s game, made up mostly parents with a handful of students in attendance. The crowd did come alive in the fourth quarter after a controversial penalty against the Bear Cubs.
Wagner encourages fans to attend the Bear Cubs’ next game at home against Butte Junior College at 5 p.m. on Oct. 14.
