One Losing Streak Ends, But Pierce’s Continues

At last, the losing streak is over . . . for San Diego Mesa College.

Unfortunately for Pierce, the losing continues.

The Brahmas began the season with consecutive loss No. 29 on Saturday, and in pitiful fashion, squandered an 18-point second-half lead in losing to Mesa, 21-18, at Pierce. Mesa ended a 30-game losing streak.

Pierce now lays claim to the longest losing streak in the state, thanks to the Olympians, who trailed, 12-0, at halftime and 18-0 with seven minutes to play in the third quarter.

Mesa closed to 18-13 on touchdown runs of 16 and one yards by Adrian Rascon, both capping lengthy drives.

The back-breaker for the Brahmas came with 6:50 to play when a snap sailed over punter Johnny Palomino at the Pierce 15-yard line and into the end zone. Mesa’s Ray Stevens recovered for a touchdown.

A two-point conversion added insult to injury and Pierce offered little fight in its final two drives.

All that was left for the Brahmas was seething after the game.

“They’re crushed right now,” Coach Bill Norton said of his players. “We thought we could win that game, but we couldn’t hold on for 60 minutes.”

Pierce quarterback Calvin Zinck, who transferred from Moorpark in March in search of a passing attack to direct, threw his only interception on the final play of the game, a short, desperation pass at the Mesa 45.

Zinck, who completed 24 of 40 for 248 yards, led the Brahmas on an eight-minute opening drive that carried inside the Olympians’ five-yard line before coming up empty because of penalties.

In the second quarter, Zinck connected with Bruce Johnson for a 52-yard touchdown bomb, despite being buried by the rush after his release.

Zinck’s 15-yard pass to a diving Johnson gave the Brahmas a 12-0 lead late in the half. In the third quarter, Raymar Adams ran 19 yards for a touchdown to extend the lead to 18-0.

The rest, one might say, was catastrophe.

“We did some positive things,” Zinck said. “We just have a few weak links. Our kicking game is not where it needs to be right now. I think we can turn things around, I hope.”

After the game, Norton gave yet another impassioned speech to his disappointed 36-man squad.

“We don’t have much depth,” Norton said. “That’s one of the reasons we couldn’t hold on.”

Mesa players gave most of their coaching staff the ice-bucket treatment during the final seconds. A voice from the sidelines boomed eloquently: “It’s been oh, so long!”

“It’s been frustrating,” Mesa Coach Martin Moss said. “The program has felt it more than the players. But we definitely needed to get that monkey off our back.”

For Pierce, the monkey remains and is likely to hang around. With 29 losses and counting, the Brahmas next week host rival Valley.