Pirates Log

Issue date: 11/30/06 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Kyle Hampton Reciever Roman Penirian attempts to catch a Chad Draper pass at MJC during the 14th annual Grafitti Bowl.

Quarterback Chad Draper handles the snap.

Media Credit: Kyle Hampton Jamie January drags the pile of Laney defenders.

Media Credit: Kyle Hampton Roman Penirian (87) is tackled after an incomplete pass.

All season long the Modesto Junior College Pirates' football team had scratched and clawed its way to improbable victories.

The 2006 Graffiti Bowl, however, would not be one of those cases as MJC saw its hopes of securing its first Graffiti Bowl win since 2002 vanquish in the fourth quarter to Laney College of Oakland.

The final score of the epic match up was 34-28 in favor of Laney. Despite throwing for 228 yards and three touchdowns, Modesto quarterback Chad Draper was unable to guide his team to the victory.

With just about under five minutes left in the fourth quarter, MJC held a slender 28-26 lead. However, Laney's defense stepped up and forced a controversial fumble, which was later reversed to being ruled an incomplete pass. Consequently, the Pirates were forced to punt the ball instead of recovering the fumble for a first down.

On the final drive of the game, Laney quarterback Matt Dardenne put up MVP type numbers and led his squad to the come-from-behind triumph over Modesto 34-28. Dardenne outplayed fellow quarterback Draper, but not by much, throwing for 341 yards and the game's winning touchdown.

The Pirates finished the 2006 season on a sour note, but overall they accomplished a great amount of success by recording a 7-4 overall record.

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