Rams finish perfect

By Ryan Kuhn
The Guardsman

In 2010 the Rams will play for the state championship. The question is, which Rams are going to be there? Will it be the City College of San Francisco Rams or the Fresno City College Rams?

In two weeks time, Northern California will have a champion as both schools will face each other with the winner moving on to the state title game and the loser will going home.

Not since 2004 has City’s football team gone undefeated, but in their last game of the regular season, the Rams came from behind against Santa Rosa Junior College defeating the Bear Cubs 38-28 and finishing a perfect 10-0 season.

“A lot of teams couldn’t do what we did today,” said head coach George Rush, after the game. “There is a lot of resolve on this team and there are a lot of good athletes. They know how to win.”

The win not only gives City College the 2010 NorCal Conference Championship but also home field advantage hosting Fresno City (8-2) in the 2010 San Francisco Hawaiian Punch Community College Bowl on Nov. 27.

Unlike Southern California colleges where they have an eight-team tournament to decide who plays for the state title, the Rams are one win away, but they know they cannot overlook Fresno City.

“We need to come out like we always come out and be intense all the time,” said linebacker Sua Tuala. “Every game is a test.”

Tuala was a key contributor in the victory against Santa Rosa, returning an interception for a touchdown and forcing a fumble in the fourth quarter.

The interception tied the score at 28 and the Rams never looked back.

“I was thinking interception the whole time,” Tuala said. “I just came up and made the play.”

Santa Rosa came into the game losing their last four games in a row, but kept the game close and even took a seven point lead into the locker room at halftime after blocking a field goal and running back 65 yards for a touchdown.

“At half time we had to keep our composure,” Rush said. “The reality is that the game is 7-0 and we just had to play.”

With the offense reaching over 500 yards of total offense for the fifth time this season, quarterback Steele Jantz and his offense struggled in the red zone only scoring twice all game.

“We were down in the red zone all day we just didn’t score any points,” Rush said

Jantz did however finish with 206 yards passing, 144 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

With a chance to play in the state title game in their grasp, the Rams want to focus first on the game at hand, but they are confident they will play well.

“We need to score more points in the red zone and fix our field goal team, but other than that I think we are fine,” Rush said.

City College has won nine out of the last 10 Hawaiian Punch Bowls including three that led them to state title games in 2001, 2004 and 2007.

Kickoff will be at 1 p.m.