Golden Eagles break Comets’ undefeated streak

The Contra Costa College football team stayed undefeated until last weekend

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Head Coach Otis Yelverton addresses his Comets football team after a victory against Foothill College, as their team saunters to the locker room, In San Pablo, Calif., at Contra Costa College on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021. (Photo/Joseph Porrello)

By Joseph Porrello , Staff Writer

The Contra Costa College football team is having an amazing season, staying undefeated with a win on Oct. 23 against the formidable Foothill College in San Pablo for the Comet’s homecoming game before losing their first game of the season on the road at top-seeded Feather River College this past weekend.

Starting off the season off with six wins in a row, and coming off a 30-6 victory against San Jose College, a 49-6 win at De Anza College, and a 43-13 win against Foothill College in their previous three games before the matchup with Feather River College, it’s safe to say the

Comet’s football team is riding high.

“I couldn’t be more proud of these guys and where we are as a program,” said head coach Otis Yelverton shortly after the Oct. 23 game concluded.

Although playing against arguably their toughest opponent up to the season’s point, the upward trend for the Comets continued at home as they thumped previously undefeated Foothill College.

Foothill kept it close in the first half, a respectable 23-13 score, but as freshman lineman Jaxson West said after the game, “The way we came out there in the second half, there was no competition.”

Freshman wide receiver Demari Davis tracks down a long pass on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021 (Photo/Joseph Porrello) (Joseph Porrello)

The Comets used a balanced offensive attack to run up the score against the Foothill College team, gaining almost identical yardage totals on the ground and through the air, with 186 yards passing and 187 yards rushing.

The yardage totals illustrate how consistently effective the offense has been, with each yardage total from the game falling within single digits of their season averages up to that point in the season.

The defense has also had stats near the top of their conference in most categories, and they didn’t disappoint against Foothill. The Comets were able to swipe an interception and cause three fumbles. They gave the Foothill quarterback a day he’ll soon want to forget with six total sacks on the day – one coming in the endzone accounting for a safety.

Before the game even began, a line was drawn in the sand, so to speak, by the Foothill College head coach, according to the Comets players and coach.

“They came in and didn’t want to shake our coach’s hand, so we knew what was up from the jump,” said West of the Foothill coaching staff.

When asked how he felt after such a big win, coach Yelverton said, “I feel good, but I felt very disrespected by them. … He (Foothill head coach) didn’t want to shake my hand, and they wore red.”

Customarily in football, the visiting team always wears white-based jerseys, and doing otherwise is considered bad sportsmanship unless approved beforehand.

“I totally disagree, but at the end of the day, we’re just going to play good, hard-nosed, clean football and let the chips lay where they be,” Yelverton said in regards to the opposing coach.

The Foothill College coach, Kelly Edwards, did not respond to a request for comment about the allegations of poor sportsmanship.

Moving forward, the Comets football team has two regular season games left before a hopeful playoff push.

Although the Comets football team ending their undefeated season last weekend wasn’t ideal, their opponent was very tough.

Going into the game, the Comets and Feather River College were tied atop the American-Pacific 7 Conference, an elite match-up, with both teams being in the group of four out of 65 teams in their league without a loss yet in the season.

Before traveling to play their last regular season game against Los Medanos College on Nov 13, the Comets football team will have their last home game, sophomore day, on Nov 6 at 1p.m. facing off against Yuba College.