Football: Long Beach falls in conference opener 34-27 to L.A. Harbor

Sophomore quarterback Tyler Tuiasosopo threw for 424 yards and tossed four touchdown passes, but it wasn't enough as the Long Beach City College football team suffered a 34-27 SCFA Central Division West Conference loss to visiting Los Angeles Harbor College on Saturday at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The loss dropped Long Beach to 3-3 overall and 0-1 in the West Conference, while Harbor improved to 4-2 and 1-0.

Saturday's contest was a wild one that went from a defensive battle in the first half to an offensive show in the fourth quarter.

Both Harbor and Long Beach were stingy on defense in the first half as both teams were kept off the scoreboard. The Vikings were shutout in the opening half for the first time since October 21, 2006 when Riverside blanked them over the first two quarters.

Harbor finally broke the scoreless deadlock late in the third quarter. Running back Wesley Nichols' five-yard touchdown run capped an 11-play, 94-yard scoring drive for the Seahawks to put them up 7-0 with 3:41 left in the third.

But Long Beach immediately came right back to tie the game. On LBCC's first offensive play, Tuiasosopo connected with freshman wide receiver Sean Morris for a 69-yard touchdown pass at the 3:25 mark to set the tone for a crazy fourth quarter.

The Seahawks answered the score with another long drive. Harbor went 85 yards over nine plays and scored on a nine-yard TD pass from quarterback Mike Ponce to Andre Hill to make the score 14-7 with 14:58 left in the game.

Tuiasosopo tossed his second TD pass, an eight-yard strike to sophomore Gabriel Thomas at 11:35 to tie the game before Harbor running back John White broke free for a 53-yard touchdown run at 10:21 to put the Seahawks back in front.

Harbor finally got some separation on the scoreboard from LBCC after DB Byron Moore Jr.'s 29-yard interception return for a touchdown. Harbor led 28-14 with 10:07 to go and never looked back.

Tuiasosopo added a five-yard TD pass to freshman Alex Marshall (5:35) and closed the game with a 35-yard touchdown toss to Morris.

Tuiasosopo, playing in his first game back since an injury earlier the season, completed 32 of 50 passes but had two interceptions. Morris caught four passes for 140 yards with two TDs. Sophomore linebacker Moses Tili led the LBCC defense with 11 tackles (7 solo).

The Vikings had no answer for White as he led the Seahawks with 218 yards rushing on 32 carries with one touchdown.

Long Beach returns to action next Saturday (Oct. 23) when it travels to Moorpark College for a 6 pm West Conference game.