Two of the best junior college football programs in the country are set to square off tonight in Long Beach, as LBCC hosts Riverside College at Veterans Memorial Stadium for a 6 p.m. kickoff. Riverside enters the game ranked No. 2 in California and No. 6 in the nation, while the Vikings are ranked 12th in CA and No. 27 in the country.
LBCC enters the game 1-0 after a 32-0 shutout at LA Harbor last week. It was the first defensive shutout for the Vikings since November 12, 2005.
Riverside, meanwhile, has yet to play a game after its week one opponent had to cancel their game due to positive COVID tests within their program.
The Tigers have won the past three meetings with LBCC, including a 31-28 win during the 2019 season out in Riverside. The Vikings last defeated RCC back in 2016 with a thrilling 38-31 overtime victory at Vets.
“I’m definitely glad we’re not going out there again, it’s great to get them coming to our house,” said LBCC head coach Brett Peabody of the matchup. “I’ve got tons of respect for their program, their head coach is a man that in some ways I’ve looked up to, just with his legendary career he’s had with four state titles. It’s gonna be tough. They’re monstrous up front, they’re going to present a stiffer test than Harbor. That’s why it was great to get this game under our belt so we know where we are and what we need to fix. Now we’ve just got to go out there and go toe-to-toe and we’ll see what happens.”
Fans are able to attend tonight’s game, though attendance is capped at 25 percent. Still, with full capacity at Vets pushing 12,000, that should leave ample room for fans to attend and socially distance from one another.
Prior to entry, all spectators are asked to fill out this online health screening.
If you’re unable to attend the game, it will be streamed live on the LBCC YouTube channel.
The562 will be there with live score updates and full coverage after the game.
