Hancock College's football team was coming off a wrenching loss to Bakersfield. With a tough, hungry Pasadena squad coming in, "We knew it wasn't going to be any cakewalk," said Hancock offensive lineman James George.

The Bulldogs were right, but they subdued the Lancers 38-23 in a Northern Division game at Righetti High School's Warrior Stadium that took three hours, six minutes thanks mainly to a prolonged fourth quarter.

Hancock (2-1, 6-1) kept its title hopes alive. The Bulldogs will have their seventh consecutive winning season. Hancock has had just two losing campaigns since 1991. Pasadena is 3-4, 0-3.

The Lancers haven't won a conference game this year but, "They have some players," said Hancock coach Kris Dutra.

"Their defense is very underrated. We got our running game going when we started running away from No. 18 (6-6, 280-pound defensive end Ahkeem McKinney). He was disrupting our running game by himself.

"No. 44 (linebacker Roman Pula) is a heck of a player too." Pula was all over the field making tackles.

Hancock struggled for its 97 rushing yards on 21 first half carries. The Bulldogs snapped a 7-7 tie thanks to Scott Cathcart's catch of a Gunnar Jespersen pass deep in the end zone and Nathan Stein's 40-yard field goal as time ran out for a 17-7 halftime lead.

A muffed punt, which Hancock defensive lineman Elijah Talbert picked up at the Lancers 18 to give the Bulldogs the ball back, set up Jespersen's go-ahead touchdown pass to Cathcart.

The officials discussed the play a bit before they finally ruled Cathcart caught the ball.

"I knew it was a catch," Cathcart said afterward. "My foot was definitely inbounds."

Hancock rolled up 138 yards rushing in the second half. "At halftime, we told our tight end to start blocking out more and that opened up some running lanes," said George.

Hancock's passing game opened up, too, and Jespersen threw 10- and 19-yard touchdown passes to Marquelo Suel.

The Bulldogs led 31-7 after Thomas Sua's 10-yard scoring run with 1:02 left in the third quarter. The Lancers rallied in the fourth.

Anthony Pines scored on a 5-yard run. Favian Vargas recovered the onside kick, and the Bulldogs looked comfortable again after Suel caught a 19-yard scoring pass from Jespersen with 7:46 left.

The Bulldogs, up 38-15, went for the first down on fourth-and-one from their 32 and inside two minutes left, didn't get it and Nate Montana (yes, Joe Montana's son) threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to Rueben Thomas with 1:03 left.

Vargas recovered another onside kick, but the Bulldogs were offside. The Lancers recovered the ensuing kick, but time finally ran out on them.

"They were tough," George said afterward. "They weren't pushovers."

Hancock led at halftime because they shut out Pasadena three times after the Lancers had the ball inside the Bulldogs 15.

Lancers kicker Nick Luevano missed two field goals, and the Bulldogs stopped starting Pasadena quarterback Jonathan Troast on fourth down from the Hancock 12.

Backup Hancock wide receiver Reggie Williams partially blocked Luevano's first field goal try.

"The coaches were telling me, 'get low, get low,' Williams said. "I didn't think I'd get to block it because the ball was on the ground," after a bad snap, but Williams did.

Williams chuckled. "Anything to help the team. I know now just how low I have to get."

Hancock drove 80 yards on its first offensive series for the first score of the game. Sua scored from 13 yards out.

The Bulldogs survived four turnovers and 125 yards in penalties. Hancock's defense had three takeaways itself, including a timely interception by Brennan Locker.

Hancock plays at 6 p.m. next Saturday at Moorpark. A live webcast of the game will be available at www.santamariatimes.com, audio only. Brad Memberto and Irvin Kiger will call the action.

There was no Joe Montana sighting at Warrior Stadium Saturday night.