Giants' football hosts Sac City at 1 p.m. Oct. 29

By Nick Giannandrea

COS ATHLETICS

The challenge is clear for College of the Sequoias' football team.

"We have to focus on finishing," Giants coach Travis Burkett said.

That's because Burkett's team has given up leads in the final minute of the fourth quarter twice during a three-game losing streak Sequoias will be out to snap Oct. 29 when it hosts Sacramento City.

Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. from the Giants' campus field. General admission is $8, while seniors and students are $5.

Both teams enter 3-4 overall, 0-2 in Valley Conference play and ranked outside JC Athletic Bureau's state Top 25. Sacramento has 10 points in the current poll, while Sequoias received seven.

The Giants are coming off a 25-22 loss against No. 25 Reedley during a game they appeared to have won after going on an 11-play, 72-yard, 6-minute and 34-second drive punctuated by an Aidan Galvan (Monache High-Porterville) 10-yard touchdown run with 49 seconds remaining for a 22-18 lead.

Reedley, however, responded two plays later with a 65-yard touchdown pass from Joshua Magana (Dinuba) to Antwan Ficklen.

Sequoias would get a 27-yard kickoff return from William James (Tulare Union), an 18-yard pass completion from Nathan Lamb (Tulare Union) to James, and a 6-yard Lamb run to set up a 42-yard field goal attempt that went wide left as time expired.

"In order to finish better, we need to improve the imprecise moments that are in our control," Burkett said. "We need to take the imprecise moments and make the corrections and apply them with vigor against Sacramento City. That's what we've been preaching in practice this week."

The heartbreaking loss comes after the Giants gave up a tie breaking touchdown during the fourth quarter of a 21-13 loss to No. 16 Fresno City on Oct. 15, and let a 43-40 lead slip away in the final 35 seconds of a 50-43 overtime loss to No. 9 Diablo Valley on Sept. 30.

"We've got a salty group," Burkett said. "To be upset, to be salty, that's a good sign. What we have to do now is to understand how to channel that energy. Our singular focus is on beating Sacramento City on Saturday."

After opening the season with wins in three of its first four games, including a 39-33 victory at No. 14 Butte, Sequoias needs wins in two of its final three regular season games in order to be eligible to participate in a postseason bowl. 

The Giants also play at Modesto at 5 p.m. Nov. 5, and host Contra Costa at 1 p.m. Nov. 12 as they look to secure a bowl bid for the third straight championship season.

Sequoias hasn't played in three consecutive bowls since 1996-1998.

The Giants beat Merced 40-39 in overtime during last season's Valley Center Bowl. It was the program's first postseason win since the 1991 Pepsi/Sequoias Bowl.

"We're encouraging our guys to stay focused on the process," Burkett said. "And that means, in reality, we are the same ball club that was (once) 3-1 and playing good football against some very good opponents."