Coach and Players Eager for Season Opener Against Santa Rosa Bear Cubs

September 6, 2023September 12, 2023 The Guardsman

By Gene Thompson

offstage@earthlink.net

There must be more pleasant places than George Rush Stadium, but it’s hard to imagine where. In the most glorious weather of the year – warm, sunny, with just a zephyr to keep folks cool – a happy crowd of about 200 watched as their Rams football team faced an opponent for the first time: the Modesto Junior College Pirates, in the only exhibition game of the season, on Aug. 23.

Rams receiver is knocked out of bounds after a successful approximately 15-yard drive at George Rush Stadium at Ocean Campus. August 23, 2023. Photo by Franchon Smith, The Guardsman

No roster was available for the exhibition scrimmage, so it is impossible to identify players, and time was not separated into quarters. Plays that might result in injury were stopped when the action got risky.

Overall, both teams played well. The Rams in particular played with efficiency and accuracy. The passing game was on the mark with no interceptions. The running game consistently moved the ball forward with no fumbles, except a bad center-quarterback exchange that was immediately pounced on by the Rams.

The Rams’ defense also played well, holding the Pirates to 13 points and featuring a sterling interception by #17, who ran full speed midfield, stretched his entire body and long arms to grab a deflected pass in his finger tips and blazed into the end zone. The defense caused another turnover touchdown when a Pirate runner was tackled and fumbled near their goal line and the Rams ran it in.

The score could only be approximated because so many potential scoring plays were stopped by the referees before they were completed, but it was probably Rams 35, Pirates 13. Those numbers have no importance in any standings but they accurately reflect the dominance of City College on the field Wednesday afternoon and throughout the history of the team, season after season.

CCSF player successfully breaks away from the pack and makes a touchdown during the 1st half of the scrimmage against Modesto Junior College Pirates at George Rush Stadium at Ocean Campus on Wednesday August 23, 2023. Photo by Franchon Smith, The Guardsman.

Coach Collins said he was happy with what he saw and continues to feel confident about the season. Quarterback Teddy Booras and wide receiver Jake Calcagno shared Collins’ take on the scrimmage and the upcoming season. “Yeah, I thought it went well,” Calcagno said, and Booras added, “I’m looking forward to our first game against Santa Rosa.”

That game will be at 5 p.m. on Sept. 2 at Santa Rosa Junior College, just an hour drive or a 3-hour bus ride from San Francisco.