The Fresno City College football team came up short against Diablo Valley at the Ratcliffe Stadium on Sept. 3.

After the game began in 103 degree heat, the Rams struck first, getting a quick three-and-out from the defense, which set up a good punt return, putting the Rams in a prime position just past midfield. They took no time taking advantage of that, as quarterback Isaiah Robles connected with wide receiver Timothy Conerly for a 41-yard touchdown on the first play, getting the crowd onto their feet early.

After the first series of plays, it was all Diablo Valley, as they were getting anything they wanted on both sides of the ball. Diablo Valley dominated in the first three quarters, putting up 28 points on the Rams.

With the struggles on offense, the Rams tried anything to get something going, trying out different combinations at the quarterback position. In the fourth quarter, Isaiah Robles came back in the game with 5:41 remaining following an interception from freshman linebacker Tyler Mackulin, setting the Rams up in opposing territory at the 43-yard line. 

Robles made an impact as he hit his favorite target of the day, Timothy Conerly, on a deep slant that went for 32 yards and set up a Robles 2-yard touchdown run, giving the Rams their first points since the first drive of the game.

With a touchdown on the last drive, it was now time for the defense to step up, and they did, forcing a three-and-out and putting the offense back on the field. Similar to the start of the game, Robles connected with Connerly deep on the first play of the drive for a 57-yard touchdown pass, making it 28-21 following the extra point. 

After making it a one-possession game, the Rams’ defense came through again with another three-and-out, giving the offense the ball one last time. With a well-executed punt from Diablo Valley, the Rams’ offense went out on the field near their own end zone with 1:39 left and no timeouts. Still needing to go the length of the field, Robles made a couple of throws that set them up near midfield, putting the offense in a good spot with less than a minute to play. 

A couple of plays later, the late game magic came to an end as one last Robles throw was intercepted by Diablo Valley to seal the game. 

Isaiah Robles said, “It was a good team, they came out and punched us in the mouth, they brought a lot of pressure.” 

Referring to the late game comeback, Robles added that “It gave us a lot of confidence, it showed us that we can definitely play with anybody we just got to come out and execute, I think if we execute we can beat anyone in the state.” 

The Rams showed a lot of grit with a late game comeback, but fell short putting the team at a 0-1 record to start the season. They look to bounce back, searching for their first win on Sept. 10, at Sierra College. 

FCC’s Rams next home game is Sept. 17 against American River. Ticket prices can be found here.