With nothing to play for but pride and scouts, the Bakersfield College football team turned a 1-4 start into a 4-1 finish.
In its final home game of the season against Allan Hancock College on Nov. 9, BC was able to force a turnover on downs in the red zone and hold on for a 17-14 win.
The Renegades took a 17-0 lead into the fourth quarter and looked as if they were going to win with ease before the Bulldogs came storming back and scored 14 unanswered points before falling on a fourth down incompletion by quarterback Troy Prober, who finished the game competing eight of 15 passes, 133 passing yards and two touchdowns.
“We played really well defensively for about three and a half quarters,” said BC head coach Jeff Chudy.
“We kind of lost the momentum; I think offensively we left a lot of points on the field, especially in the first half, but our guys played hard and competed.”
BC was able to get its first points when quarterback Cruise Adams took the ball into the end zone on a quarterback sneak.
Adams finished the game 5 of 11 on pass attempts including a 23-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brock Martin.
Kwame Johnson finished with a season high 149 rushing yards with 27 carries. Johnson and running back Preston Hodges combined for 240 yards.
On Hancock’s final drive, the Bulldogs set up for a 43-yard field goal to try to tie the score. Chudy called two of his three timeouts each time Hancock set up to kick. After the second timeout, the Bulldogs decided to go for the first down on fourth-and-2.
“I thought it would put nerves on him,” Chudy explained when asked why he called the timeouts. “The situation would be too big for him. I thought that would put enough pressure on him to where he’d have a hard time executing the kick.”
On the fourth-and-2, BC defensive back Cody Jones came away with a potential game-saving play when he broke up Prober’s pass that was intended for Henderson Shane, who had 170 receiving yards, 11 receptions and a touchdown.
In their final game of the season against Pasadena City College on Nov. 16, BC came away with their biggest win of the season when they defeated the Lancers 52-6.
With the win, the Renegades finished the season 5-5 and 3-3 in their division.
After trailing 3-0 early, BC got on the board when Hodges ran for a 46-yard touchdown and led 24-6 at the half when Adams threw a 51-yard to Kamron McKinney.
Adams finished the game completing 10 of 15 passes with 291 yards and three scores through the air.
The Renegades had 214 yards on the ground. Martin finished the game with three receptions and 108 receiving yards.