The Long Beach City College football team bounced back from its loss last week to defeat visiting Citrus College 49-28 in the Vikings final regular-season home game at Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday night. The win improved Long Beach to 8-1 overall and moved the Vikings one step closer to wrapping up at least a share of the National Central League championship.
The Vikings' offense totaled 533 yards with wide receiver Mike Wilson (Washington Prep HS) and quarterback Jack Lowary posting big nights. Wilson tied the LBCC single-season receiving touchdown record with his third TD catch in the fourth quarter. Lowary totaled six touchdown passes on the night and completed 23 of 40 attempts for 373 yards with no interceptions.
Citrus took an early 6-0 lead at the 10:42 mark before the Vikings went on to outscore the Owls 21-6 over the rest of the first half. LBCC got a 14-yard touchdown run from Deonte Dixon, a 63-yard TD reception by Jacob Welch from Lowary, and a 15-yard TD catch by Ikenna Ohaeri to lift Long Beach to a 21-12 halftime advantage.
But in the second half, the Wilson to Lowary connection took over. Wilson, who was held to just one catch in the first half, added six in the second with three of them for scores. Wilson had touchdown receptions of 21, 30, and 29 yards - his last one tying the program record of 13 set by former Viking All-American Travon Payne in 2011.
With 62 catches on the season, Wilson is just 11 back of Payne's single-season reception record of 73, also set in 2011. Payne also holds the receiving yardage record with 1,254. Wilson sits at 927 yards heading into next Saturday's (Nov. 14) regular-season finale against El Camino College. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. at Redondo Union High School.
With a 4-1 Central League record, the Vikings need a win next week to ensure at least a share of the league title. Mt. San Antonio College closed out its regular-season schedule with a win to end at 5-1 in league play. Riverside, at 4-1 with a win tonight, plays at Citrus next Saturday.
