GROSSMONT COLLEGE — It could be argued that the turning point in Grossmont’s 2010 football season happened way back in March.
That was when the Southern California Football Association (SCFA) organized its 37 teams into into three new divisions — National, Central, and American — each with two conferences. Grossmont found itself in the Southern Conference of the National Division — the most competitive of the three.
How competetive was it? National Division teams had a 17-2 record against Central Division teams, and an even more dominant record against the American Division, according to Grossmont coach Mike Jordan.
The result for Grossmont? A 5-0 start while playing nonconference foes, and a 1-4 record against conference rivals.
In the first half of the season Grossmont caught a wave a scoring from its high-powered offense starring quarterback Ryan Woods and what receivers’ coach Anuyell Goodwin called the best group of players he had coached in a long long time. Take away the El Camino game (which Grossmont won in a forfeit), and the Griffins averaged almost 49 points a game while beating San Diego Mesa College, Southwestern College, College of the Canyons, and Orange Coast College. Ryan tied a school record with six TD passes in the Southwestern Game. Grossmont finished the nonconference part of the season undefeated and ranked No. 5 among Southern California junior college teams in the California Community College Regional State Football Poll.
However, two of the four teams ranked ahead of Grossmont were in Grossmont’s new conference. Grossmont began a three-game losing streak against Saddleback College (No. 2 in the final regular season CCCRSF rankings), defending state champion Mt. San Antonio College (No. 1 in the final poll), and Fullerton (No. 6). Grossmont’s scoring average for those three games fell to under nineteen points. In addition to the tough competition, quarterback Ryan Woods was bothered by nagging leg injuries that knocked him out of most of the Fullerton game.
The Griffins bounced back scoring 69 points against Pasadena College, then lost a tough game to Palomar to finish out the regular season. Despite the 1-4 conference record, Grossmont finished tenth in the final regular season rankings among Southern California teams, and earned a trip to the Beach Bowl.
The tough conference also may have left deserving players off the all-conference team, according to Coach Jordan. Named to the Second Team were Woods, wide receiver Alex McLeland, offensive tackls Deryck Beveridge, running back Darrin Alix, lineback Kevin Woods, and defensive lineman Shane Pennix. Linebacker Pat Kelly, the El Cajon star who sat out last season with a shoulder injury, was unanimously voted on the all-conference First Team.
Other standout players included defensive backs Ivan May, Caleb Farrel and Joshua Udeh, wide receivers Roland Brooks and Tommy Alexander, receiver and returner Dontae Ingraham, offensive lineman Blake Bullard, defensive lineman Henry Simon, long snapper Matt Poulin, and kicker Connor Derby.
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Dudley is a student in Media Comm 132
