Corsairs prepare to meet LA Southwest on the gridiron this Saturday

The Santa Monica College Corsairs defeated the LA Valley College Monarchs 45-13 behind a dominating defensive performance, and another good showing from quarterback Christian Smith.

Smith totaled 231 passing yards, going 12-20 with two touchdowns and an interception.

Although Smith started the season as the team’s backup quarterback, he has finally captured the starting role. Not only can Smith throw the ball with accuracy, he can also get out of the pocket and convert first downs and scoring plays with his legs.

“Christian is our starter. He's been effective at moving the offense, scoring points, and limiting turnovers. Steven Hamm also did a very nice job with his opportunities on Saturday at LA Valley. He'll continue to see action as well,” said head coach Gifford Lindheim. “Both QB's have the ability to make plays with their arms and feet. Running is not a necessity to play QB in this offense, but it definitely opens up the entire playbook.”

Saturday’s victory is the type of win the Corsairs have gotten used to over the past three championship seasons; High scoring offense, to go with a stingy defense.

If the Corsairs are truly hitting their stride, it couldn’t have come at a better time. SMC has just one more game before a potential conference championship matchup at home against Santa Barbara City College.

“It's hard to say if we’re hitting our stride. I'd like to think so. The game on Saturday was promising. However, I think that this team has a lot of work to do to be Champions. That's the goal. That's what we're working toward with every practice.” Lindheim.

Next up for the Corsairs are the LA Southwest College Cougars. Since SMC handled LA Valley College with ease, the Corsairs should have no problem pushing around LA Southwest College. The Cougars have lost one more game than the Monarchs, and are currently on a three game losing streak.

But although it appears the Corsairs should steam roll the Cougars, they know better than to underestimate their opponent. Just a couple weeks ago, SMC had a favorable matchup at home against rival West LA College, but barely escaped 49-48 stopping West LA on a two-point conversion with 12 seconds left on the clock.

“Going on the road to LA Southwest, the day after Halloween, it's not an easy task. Traditionally, that's been a tough place for us to play,” said Lindheim. “I've talked to the team about being focused and having great preparation this week. We've got to keep improving. We want to go to LA Southwest and play well.”

The Corsairs will travel to LA Southwest College this Saturday for a 6 p.m. start.