No handshakes were exchanged after Citrus College’s first loss of the season to Southwestern College, 44-28.
As the Citrus Owls lined midfield for the traditional post-game handshake, the Southwestern Panthers huddled on the east side of the field, with some players shouting obscenities in the direction of the home crowd at Citrus Stadium.
The verbal exchanges went both ways.
The awkward refusal was the culmination of a chippy, emotional game that had leading Owls receiver/kick returner Gino Mastandrea carted off the field after a rough hit fighting for extra yardage while trailing in the fourth quarter.
“Both teams were saying stuff that didn’t need to be said,” Southwestern head coach Edward Carberry said. “We did what we felt we needed to do to have a sane ending to this game. I kept trying to get the referee’s attention to tell him we were not coming to shake hands, and he would not look at me. We went on this end of the field to avoid having any problems. Citrus didn’t know, because the referee would not respond to me.”
Coming off a bye week, the Owls (3-1) aimed to defend their home field and No. 2 ranking against No. 3 Southwestern College (5-0), from Chula Vista.
The Owls appeared to have the game well in hand after the first quarter, leading 14-0 after two methodical drives down the field for touchdowns by wide receiver Gino Mastandrea and running back Devin Floyd.
Then the Panthers remembered they had Ryan Stokes.
It didn’t make a difference which of the Panther’s two quarterbacks were playing — they force-fed Stokes for 140 yards and two touchdowns in the second quarter, including a 65-yard touchdown on the first play of the quarter.
The 6’4 wide receiver from St. Louis, MO. was a matchup nightmare for the Citrus defensive backfield, finishing with 234 yards and 3 touchdowns. He was targeted 19 times for over half of the Panthers’ pass attempts.
Citrus College was only down a touchdown at halftime, 21-14, owing in large part to two takeaways by Owls defensive back Henry Pigee, one interception and one fumble recovery preventing a Southwestern touchdown on the goal line.
The Panthers scored 35 unanswered points, gashing the Owls defense passing, rushing and on special teams.
Citrus failed to capitalize on key opportunities, dropping six passes on the day.
Even when Southwestern’s Stokes dropped the ball on a third down in the third quarter, the Owls still couldn’t get the ball to bounce their way.
On fourth down the next play, the Panthers’ punt slowed up just enough to be kept in play and pinned the Owls on their own 1-yard line.
Citrus quarterback Brian Meyette was tackled in the end zone for a safety the next play.
Citrus’ normally high-powered offense could not trade scores with Southwestern, whose advantages in pass protection, speed and size in the passing game made the difference.
The Owls averaged 5.6 yards per pass and were sacked six times, while the Panthers averaged 10.6 yards per pass and were sacked only once.
The Owls look to bounce back next week on the road against Victor Valley College at 1 p.m. Oct. 8.
NO. 4 – GINO MASTANDREA – INJURY UPDATE
Gino Mastandrea will have an MRI on his injured knee, his father Ron Mastandrea said.
“Offensively, it’s going to be next man up and see who can try to see who can fill those shoes,” Citrus offensive coordinator Gary Watkins said. “Obviously they’re big shoes to fill.”
Mastandrea leads the team in all receiving categories, with 80 yards per game and four touchdowns. He also is the primary return man, with one touchdown on special teams.
“The toughest part is, Gino is a great kid,” Watkins said. “You don’t want anything to happen to any of your kids, but a kid who dedicates himself to the program the way he does and does everything you ask him to do, you hate to see an injury of that severity take him out of the game.”
