There have been games where a single play can have an impact on the outcome of a game. For the Cerritos College football team, a decision to go for it on fourth down late in the second quarter was not only denied, but it opened the door for #2-ranked Golden West College (8-0, 5-0) to score right before halftime, as the Falcons dropped a 27-19 Central Conference game on Saturday afternoon. The setback snapped a six-game winning streak for the #9-ranked Falcons (6-2, 4-1) and knocked them out of a tie for first place. The team will have another tough battle next Saturday at 6:00 p.m. when they host Fullerton College, who also entered the day without a loss in conference play.

Trailing, 13-6 in the second quarter, the Falcons had moved the ball to the Rustlers 44-yard line with 1:08 remaining and facing a fourth-and-two situation. Coming out of a timeout, Cerritos decided to go for the first down, and saw sophomore running back Josh Cason (Long Beach Poly HS) stuffed after a one-yard gain. Golden West took over possession of the ball and scored in four plays with 28 seconds remaining. The big play was a 37-yard completion by Rustlers quarterback Kauna'oa Kamakawiwo'ole to Tanner Schmidt that put the ball at the four-yard line. Golden West scored two plays later and took a 20-6 advantage into halftime.

Coming out in the second half, the Falcons saw their successful drive stopped at the Golden West 12-yard line and settled for a 28-yard field goal from freshman kicker Jonathan Arreola (Mayfair HS) to make it a 20-9 game. Freshman quarterback Jeremiah Calvin (Mayfair HS) picked up 32 yards on one play when he connected with sophomore wide receiver Rocco Caldarella (Valley Christian HS).

Golden West put themselves up, 27-9 late in the third quarter with a touchdown, while the Falcons responded with another Arreola field goal, this time from 37 yards away. Cerritos converted a pair of third downs, as well as another fourth down on the dive, as Calvin scampered for seven yards on fourth-and-two at the Rustlers 34-yard line. An incomplete pass on third down led to the field goal attempt.

The Cerritos defense stepped up on the next drive and forced a three-and-out for just the second time on the day. Taking over at their own 25-yard line with 8:11 left on the clock, the Falcons manufactured a 13-play, 75-yard drive that took 5:29 to result in a four-yard scoring pass to sophomore wide receiver Saxon Va'a (Banning HS), his second of the day. That drive also included an 15-yard completion to sophomore running back Romeo Clark (Warren HS/Simpson, CA University). After Arreola knocked down the extra point, the Falcons were a touchdown and two-point conversion away from tying the game.

However, the Rustlers were able to maintain possession of the ball the remainder of the and run out the clock. The big play during that drive was an 18-yard completion to Schmidt by Kamakawiwo'ole on third-and-eight at the Golden West 16-yard line.

Calvin finished the day going 27-for-36 for 279 yards and a pair of touchdown strikes to Va'a, who caught five passes on the day. Cason rushed for 56 yards, while the Falcons were limited to 107 yards on the ground.

Playing his best game of the season, sophomore linebacker Rocky Jack (Summer Creek, TX HS/Orange Coast College) recorded 14 tackles (nine solo), to go along with two tackles for loss, a pass break-up and a quarterback hurry. Also posting double-digit tackles was sophomore linebacker Clarence Chaney, (JSerra HS/Southwest Baptist University) who had 10 stops