By Henry Severson
Wilmington, CA -- The Long Beach City College Vikings battled the LA Harbor Seahawks to open the highly anticipated gridiron season. On a bright and sunny day in front of grateful spectators, the Vikings dominated the game, winning 32-0 to start their year on a positive note.
The standout of the game was sophomore running back Saeed Galloway. He was responsible for a trio of rushing touchdowns that garnered the Vikings a 24-0 lead by the middle of third quarter. Galloway stunned the Harbor defense with two first quarter touchdowns, then punctuated his fine day with a 25-yard gallop up the middle into the endzone in the 3rd quarter.
The quarterbacks, sophomore Derrach West and freshman Blaze McKibbin, led the way on offense, rotating between series. All four touchdowns scored by the Vikings were with West at the helm.
The defense provided constant pressure on the opposing quarterback. The star of the defense was freshman linebacker Daylen Pedroza. He recorded two sacks and added a safety for good measure in the second half. A second half interception by Jalen Duncan sealed the deal for the ambitious Vikings.
Freshman kicker Ryder Padilla nailed 3 of 4 PATs and knocked down a 40-yard field goal with room to spare.
The Vikings scored 18 points in the 3rd quarter, making the score 32-0, effectively putting the game out of reach for the Seahawks. A scoreless fourth quarter left Coach Peabody's defense celebrating a shutout to open the 2021 campaign.
Long Beach hosts Riverside next week on September 11th at 6 PM.