ANALYSIS: PAYBACK TIME FOR COUGARS? COC LOOKS FORWARD TO HOSTING ANTELOPES.Byline: Scott Magoloff Staff Writer Seventeen years of dormancy were shaken out of the College of the Canyons College of the Canyons is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the state. According to the National Junior College Research Association, College of the Canyons consistently ranks in the top 50 community colleges in the nation. football program in a resounding re·sound v. re·sound·ed, re·sound·ing, re·sounds v.intr. 1. To be filled with sound; reverberate: The schoolyard resounded with the laughter of children. 2. 42-41 victory against Allan Hancock last year. The Cougars, 1-1 at the time, were at best a first-year program searching for an identity. They found it in the game's final 1 minute, 8 seconds. ``We scored two touchdowns in the final 1:08,'' coach Chuck Lyon recalled. ``We just stayed loose, recovered an onside kick onside kick n. Football A kickoff in which the ball carries just far enough, at least ten yards, to be recovered legally by the kicking team. and won the game. That was the defining moment of the season. It just told me that this group is different.'' Canyons reeled off five straight wins following the game against Hancock, whose tradition as a powerhouse - when placed against COC's newness - heightened the glory of the accomplishment. Canyons went on to the McDonald's Bowl, where it lost its third straight game to end the season 7-4. But the magic created during the year entered COC See chip on chip. into the realm of historic achievements. Lyon said Canyons is the first junior college in California to reach a bowl game in its inaugural season. ``I think it's very special,'' sophomore running back George Garcia said. ``Not too many people get a chance to be part of that. ``Whatever (Lyon's) doing, the players believe in it. If you don't believe in something, it can't work.'' For Lyon, belief in his program stems from the surrounding environment the college provides. ``The program will only go as far as the the college as a whole will let it go,'' said Lyon, who scored the first touchdown in the new on-campus stadium as a Cougars option quarterback in 1974, before football was eliminated from the college in 1981. ``The administration and community have all backed this program. Because of that, this program is farther along than I thought it would be.'' Ever since that dreamlike season last year, COC has been forced back into reality and is fighting to protect its young reputation. Allegations by Antelope Valley College Antelope Valley College is a comprehensive community college located in Lancaster, California, USA. It is operated by the Antelope Valley Community College District, with a primary service area of 1,945 square miles covering portions of Los Angeles and Kern counties. coaches that COC coaches illegally recruited players on AVC's campus have besmirched Canyons' program since summer. A request for an investigation was filed by AVC (1) (Advanced Video Coding) The video compression techniques used in the H.264 standard, jointly developed by ISO and the ITU-T. See H.264. (2) (Audio Visual C , but the complaint was recently referred from state commissioner on athletics Joanne Fortunato back to the commissioners of the Western State and Foothill conferences. ``The allegations are not true,'' Lyon said. ``I won't say it hasn't bothered me, but human nature tells you when you get attacked wrongfully wrong·ful adj. 1. Wrong; unjust: wrongful criticism. 2. Unlawful: wrongful death. , it's going to bother you. I'm accused of doing something that's totally untrue and I think they realize that now. ``I think there were some mistakes made and they're not for me to correct. I'd hope some day that (AVC coach) Brent Carder calls me and says `Chuck, I made a mistake.' '' The teams already have a forum in which to settle their differences. At 7 p.m. on Saturday, the Maurauders (1-0) bring their No. 15 ranking in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, to No. 9 COC (1-0). And while both coaches are trying to concentrate on the game, the players have their own opinions. ``It's a pretty big game - I'm already getting psyched,'' COC linebacker Kevin Giberson said. ``Whatever they were trying to do with our coaches, plus coming off that loss last year . . . I want a little revenge on AV.'' Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley beat COC 21-14 last season. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) COC starting quarterback Travis Wren wren, small, plump perching songbird of the family Troglodytidae. There are about 60 wren species, and all except one are restricted to the New World. The plumage is usually brown or reddish above and white, gray, or buff, often streaked, below. is geared up to face rival AVC at 7 p.m. on Saturday. David Crane/Staff Photographer |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion