Sophomore slot receiver Ivan Ostry etched his name in the school's record books as he did what he could to rally the Pasadena City College football team v. Grossmont on Saturday. The Griffins though scored 17 straight points in the second half and held on to beat the Lancers, 24-21, in a SCFA American Mountain League game at Robinson Stadium.
Ostry, coming off SCFA Special Teams Player of the Week honors v. College of the Desert, took a kickoff two yards deep in the end zone and found an opening along the opponent sidelines for an electrifying 100-yard return for a touchdown (NCAA statistical rules only recognizes yards between the end zones). Ostry's score with 3:28 left cut the Griffins lead to three points.
However, kicker Justin Vergara's well-done onside kick attempt was recovered by Grossmont's special teams. The Griffins ran out the clock to hand PCC its second straight close AML defeat. PCC dropped to 3-4 overall and 0-2 in the league while Grossmont improved to 3-4 and 1-1.
Ostry became just the seventh player in the college's 98-year history in the sport to return a kick 100 yards although officially the school record is held by 20th century immortal Jackie Robinson, who was credited with a then 104-yard TD for Pasadena Junior College in 1938 v. Caltech.
The last player to perform the feat was Marlon Woods nearly to the day (Oct. 23) 18 years ago when he returned a field goal attempt that went short at PCC's own goal-line and went the distance for a TD. The last return on a kickoff was done by Michael Green in 1995 v. Palomar. Green also returned the ball a few yards deep in his own end zone but only credited with 100 yards for his touchdown. (Editor's note--yes, this sports information writer witnessed both of those in person).
Ostry, who finished with 231 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, also performed a first in Lancers history. He is the first PCC player to return kickoffs for touchdowns in consecutive games (ran back an 85-yard return v. Desert). He is the first Lancer since Ike Williams in 1996 to return two kickoffs for TDs in a season.
For feats purposes, though, Greg Johnson and Marcus Anderson both are unmatched. Johnson ran back two kick return TDs of 93 and 91 yards in the same game v. LA Pierce in 1971 while Anderson returned an 88-yard kick return and 77-yard punt return TDs v. Riverside in 2007.
Ostry, from La Canada High, took a short pass from Joshua Andrade and used the same route along the opponent sideline to bolt for a 72-yard TD reception that gave PCC a 7-0 lead just 80 seconds into the game. It was the longest offensive play from scrimmage by the Lancers this season.
In the second quarter, PCC took a 14-7 lead on reserve quarterback Jakob Doolittle's 4-yard touchdown scamper. Doolittle drove the Lancers 90 yards in eight plays, including connecting on bombs of 48 yards to Daniel Schwam and 37 yards to Oscar Willis.
In the second half, Grossmont held possession 21 of the 30 minutes, dominating the line of scrimmage and ultimately taking the lead for good at 21-14 on an 8-yard TD run by second-string quarterback Trenton Giles 2:46 into the fourth quarter. The Griffins added a 27-yard field goal by Jorge Aguilar that proved large when Ostry returned the ensuing kickoff for paydirt. PCC's offense never touched the ball the final 9:35 of the game. In the final period, the Lancers totaled just six plays for 13 net yards.
Defensively, PCC had some big performances from inside linebacker Michael Prappas with a game-high 12 tackles, safety Osvaldo Raigosa on eight solo tackles, including a sack, and inside linebacker Jordan Monroe, who forced two fumbles, made two quarterback hurries and had six tackles. Outside linebacker Jaylon McGee added nine tackles and inside LB Brian Payne eight tackles.
Defensive lineman Michelangelo Loretto had a 19-yard interception return and defensive back Nathaniel Palacios also intercepted a pass.
It was really a tale of two halves as PCC amassed 249 yards in 33 plays in the first half, then were limited to just 17 offensive plays for 46 yards in the last two quarters.
Next Saturday, Oct. 29, the Lancers travel to play Compton College (3-3, 0-1) in a 6 p.m. AML kickoff. PCC is 26-26-3 in the all-time series v. Compton, winning last year's meeting, 38-12. The Tartars lost on Saturday v. Desert, 35-12.
PCC GRIDIRON NOTES: As close margins of defeat go, PCC has had its fair share this season--a 2-point loss to Cerritos, a 7-point OT loss at Desert, and Saturday's 3-point loss to Grossmont...Ostry now leads the SCFA (third in the state) in kick return average at 33 yards per 14 returns. He is ninth in the state in a total all-purpose yards with 871, 12th in average yards per game in that category at 124.4...Ostry's team-leading six touchdowns are made up of two by kick return, two by pass reception, and two by rush. Ostry leads the squad in pass receptions (22, several via forward pitches), kick and punt returns, and his 5.6 yards per carry (16 rushes, 90 yards total) tops all Lancers...Running back Isaac Glover has been steady all season with 63 carries for a team-best 293 yards (four TDs) for a 4.7 yards per carry average. He ran seven times for 46 yards v. the Griffins...Lineman Carlos Ramirez now leads the Lancers in sacks with 6.5 while Raigosa took over the team lead in tackles with 42 (27 solo)...Nate Sanchez had a 57-yard punt (team's longest of season) and made a successful 5-yard carry on a fake punt early in the third quarter...Raigosa had a remarkable behind-the-back tackle. See photo below.
