The Blinn College football team fell just short in a heartbreaking 20-19 road loss to Cisco College in Southwest Junior College Football Conference action Saturday in Cisco, Texas.
A failed fourth-and-three conversion in the game’s final minute ended the Buccaneers’ hopes of a 2-0 start, as the Wranglers took a knee with 40 seconds remaining to seal the game. Blinn dropped to 1-1 overall and 0-1 in conference play. Cisco jumped to 2-0 and 1-0 in the SWJCFC.
“I thought our defense played well but they did give up some plays when they shouldn’t have,” Buccaneer head coach Ryan Mahon said. “And then our offense didn’t execute when we should’ve. What it comes down to is that in all three phases of the game, we made mistakes. We did some good things, too, that we can hang our hat on, but we have to make plays in crucial situations.”
A punt and a Blinn fumble helped Cisco jump out to a 14-0 lead just seven minutes into the game, but the Bucs’ defense stiffened and their offense found life in the second quarter.
(Pictured: Blinn College freshman quarterback Khalib Johnson splits two Cisco College defenders for a touchdown Saturday, Sept. 9, 2020)
After a Cisco punt near the end of the first stanza, the Bucs cut into the Wranglers’ lead with an 11-play, 78-yard drive that drained 8 minutes, 30 seconds of game clock. The long possession ended with a 2-yard touchdown scamper from freshman quarterback Khalib Johnson with 11:50 left in the second period. A missed PAT made it a 14-6 ballgame.
The Bucs got going again later in the quarter and pulled within 14-12 when freshman wide receiver Jordan Heyward scored on a 9-yard end-around. Blinn was unable to convert a two-point conversion attempt.
The half ended with a bit of tough luck and good luck for the Bucs, who appeared to have the lead late in the first half when freshman defensive back Darein Hargrove picked off a Cisco pass in the Blinn end zone and returned it for a touchdown. The turnover was negated by a pair of offsetting penalties, and the Wranglers maintained possession in the Buccaneer red zone. Cisco’s drive ended, however, when its field goal attempt was blocked by the Blinn defense.
The score remained 14-12 at halftime.
“The defense played hard all night,” Mahon said. “They bent but they didn’t break. They were put in some bad situations and dug themselves out. I was really impressed with them.”
Blinn took its final lead of the game on its second series of the second half. Following a 57-yard punt that pinned the Bucs at their own 8-yard line, the Bucs marched down to the Wrangler 16. It was there that Johnson would find sophomore wide receiver Brooks Rigney for a TD in the back of the end zone. The touchdown was the second of the season between the passer and receiver. A successful point-after attempts made it 19-14 Blinn with 1:40 to go in the third quarter.
“The offense did some good things tonight but there’s a bunch of room for improvement,” Mahon said.
Cisco’s next drive ended when Blinn sophomore linebacker Caden Holt tipped a pass into the hands of his teammate and defensive back Ashton Miller. It was the Bucs’ second interception of the game following a pick by Courage Ugochukwu early in the third quarter.
The interception set up a field goal for the Bucs, but a 30-yard attempt smacked the right upright and was no good.
The Wranglers seized the lead for good when quarterback Christian Kaopua tossed a 41-yard touchdown pass with 6:51 to go.
Blinn’s defense forced a Cisco punt with 2:51 remaining, and the Bucs marched to the Wrangler 37-yard line, but a run up the middle on fourth-and-three was stopped at the line of scrimmage. Cisco took a knee with 40 seconds to go to end the game.
“This is a game that’s going to hurt,” Mahon added. “You never want to lose, but when you do lose you want to make sure it’s one you learn from. We have an opportunity now to do that.”
Up next, Blinn returns home for a non-conference ballgame against Transformation With Athletics College. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15, at Cub Stadium in Brenham, Texas.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 44 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
