FOOTBALL CLOSES OUT REGULAR SEASON WITH 29-0 WIN OVER SBCC; AWAITS BOWL INVITATION

SANTA BARBARA-- The Allan Hancock College football team closed out its 2003 regular season with a solid 29-0 Western State Conference win over county-rival Santa Barbara City College.

Hancock (8-2, 6-1 WSC) completed the regular season schedule with its' sixth consecutive win. The Bulldogs, which finished second to undefeated College of the Canyons, the state's No. 1-ranked team in the WSC Northern Division, now await the decision of the California Commission on Athletics (COA) state post-season committee for a bowl-game invitation. The post-season competition will be announced tomorrow (Sunday, Nov. 16).

The win over Santa Barbara was another workman-like performance for the no-nonsense Bulldogs. Hancock amassed 411 total yards and 27 first downs to just 120 and six for the host Vaqueros. So dominate was AHC on both sides of the ball that the Bulldogs held an unheard-of 44:49-to-15:11 time of possession advantage.

Running-back Lucious Sloan opened the scoring for Hancock at the 2:55 mark of the first quarter on a 19-yard run, capping a 10-play, 77 yard drive. The Bulldogs scored again with 7:19 remaining in the second period on a 21-yard pass from Chad Nicholson to tight end Colin Vidal. Brian Schneider's 42-yard field goal at the 2:29 mark of the second quarter gave AHC a 15-0 lead at the half.

In the second half it was more of the same, with the Hancock offense controlling the ball and Santa Barbara unable to move on the Bulldog defense. After a scoreless third period, Michael Santos scored on a sensational 27-yard run at the 13:46 mark of the fourth period. Paul Jordan closed out the scoring on a one-yard plunge with 6:13 left in the game, capping a short 25-yard drive after an interception by Chris Nunez.

Sloan finished with 116 yard on 22 carries, while Santos added 98 on 19. Nicholson completed nine of 16 timely passes for 103 yards and Ryan Bugg was the Bulldogs' leading receiver with four catches for 49 yards.

Defensively, Hancock forced five SBCC turnovers, including interceptions by Ricky Perkins and Chris Dutra, in addition to the pick by Nunez. The Bulldogs also forced and recovered two Vaquero fumbles. Linebacker Trevor Shamblee finished with a team-high seven tackles, including two quarterback sacks, while David Pitts made five tackles.

Check the AHC athletic website after 2:00 p.m. on Sunday (Nov. 16) for a report on the 2003 state JC post-season invitations.