Cougars Knock Off L.A. Harbor, 53-15.

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – Freshman running back Fred Winborn scored three touchdowns on Saturday night to help the College of the Canyons Cougars stay undefeated in conference play as they knocked off L.A. Harbor, 53-15.

Winborn recorded his sixth consecutive 100+ yard rushing game and broke the COC school record for most yards gained in a season with 1,164 yards. The former record holder, Jason Parks of the 1998 team, had 970 yards and Winborn becomes the first Cougar to gain 1,000 yards in a year since the 1998 return of the COC football program. The freshman running back also broke the record for longest touchdown run with a 92-yard return in the second quarter. Parks also held that record with an 84-yard touchdown run in 1998.

Harbor scored on its first possession of the game on a 36-yard field goal attempt, with just 10:09 left in the first quarter, and the Seahawks took the early 3-0 lead.

That would be the only lead that Harbor would bask in before Canyons scored with 4:55 left in the first, from a Joey Frias 21-yard touchdown run. The score put the Cougars on top, 6-3, after a missed extra point attempt.

On the ensuing Harbor possession, COC sophomore defensive back Chris Black intercepted the Seahawk's Andrew Trudnowski's pass and returned the ball 21 yards to Harbor's 21-yard line. The pick set up Winborn for his first score of the night, which occurred on the next snap as the running back carried the ball 30 yards to the end zone with 4:00 left in the first quarter. The two-point conversion from quarterback Bradford McClellan failed, but the Cougars increased their lead, 12-3.

Winborn started the scoring frenzy in the second quarter with a 31-yard TD run and ended the period with his final touchdown of the night, a school record 92-yard carry with 2:23 left in the half. Sophomore running back Raphael Reynolds also got in on the action, posting his seventh touchdown of the season on a five-yard run between Winborn's two scores.

The Cougars came out of the halftime break with a 32-3 lead and were held scoreless in the third as Harbor recorded its own six points and cut into the COC lead, 32-9.

Canyons ended the drought in the fourth quarter when McClellan found wide receiver Hayo Carpenter for a six-yard touchdown reception to put College of the Canyons up, 40-9, with 13:58 left in the game.

Harbor scored one more time on its next possession, but the Cougars Cedrick Hall blocked the kick, holding the Seahawks to only six points.

The evening ended with two more interceptions that were returned for touchdowns – a 10-yard score from Jerrid Byers and an 88-yarder from Fred Anderson – to help COC win its seventh consecutive game.

Canyons improved to 8-1 and 6-0 in Western State Conference Mountain Division play. Harbor drops to 4-5 overall and 2-4 in conference.

Winborn finished the night with 13 carries for 205 yards and three touchdowns and Reynolds had 12 runs for 107 yards and one touchdown. McClellan completed the night going 8-of-13 for 78 yards and one touchdown, while Carpenter caught seven passes for 56 yards and one touchdown.

The Cougar defense recorded four interceptions in the game from Tyler Roby (who now has a team-high five picks on the season), Anderson, Byers and Black. Matt Brown tallied six tackles: five solo, and half a tackle for a loss of three yards and Jason Pierre-Paul had six tackles: four solo, one tackle for a loss, three pass break ups and two sacks.

The Cougars will travel to undefeated Bakersfield for the conference title on Saturday, Nov. 10. Both teams are currently tied for first place with a perfect conference record. Kick off is scheduled for 4 p.m.