FOOTBALL: KEY TO THE COUNTY GAME PREVIEW

Fullerton College and Santa Ana College will play for the 93rd time this Saturday in one of California's oldest rivalry games. To honor the game representatives from both schools met for the annual Key to the County breakfast.

About the Breakfast

The 22nd annual Key to the County Breakfast was held on Friday morning on the Fullerton College campus with representatives, players, and fans of Santa Ana and Fullerton colleges joining forces to celebrate one of California's oldest rivalry games. The event was emceed by legendary sportscaster Ed Arnold. Speakers included FC Interim President Greg Shulz, Chris Norby, Tony Bushala, Santa Ana Athletic Director Avie Bridges, and FC Athletic Director Scott Giles.

Hornet Head Coach Tim Byrnes and Associate Head Coach Adam Nyssen spoke about their players and mentioned the importance of the game.

"I'm very proud to be a part of this great rivalry between two of California's oldest community colleges. This is a game that we all look forward to playing every year, and it's important that we carry the torch in honor of those old ghosts that coached and played the game before us", Coach Tim Byrnes.

About the Game

For nearly one hundred years, the football teams from Fullerton College and Santa Ana College have done battle on the gridiron once a year in what is believed by many to be California community college's longest-running football rivalry. Since their first meeting in 1916, a most-fitting scoreless tie, the two teams have played 92 times including 70 consecutive years from 1945 to the present. Fullerton has won 47 of the previous 90 meetings and holds a 47-41-4 series advantage over Santa Ana. The Hornets have kept the key on the Fullerton campus (13 out of the last 14 years) with a 49-14 victory at Santa Ana's Eddie West Stadium last season.

The Hornets and Dons will be playing for the 93rd time on Saturday, October 17th at 6:00 pm when Santa Ana College visits Fullerton at Yorba Linda High's Shapell Stadium. In addition, the 1965 National Championship team will be honored at halftime to celebrate the 50th anniversary of winning the 20th Junior Rose Bowl. On December 11, 1965 the Hornet football team defeated the Cardinals of Henderson, Texas 20-15 before a crowd of 50,00 people brining home the first of three national titles.

Early on, the Santa Ana / Fullerton rivalry captured the attention of Orange County, when the two teams began meeting on Thanksgiving Day. The "Turkey Bowl," as it was known, lasted from 1925 until 1958 and reportedly drew crowds of 15,000 and more.

Several times in the series, the stakes have gone beyond local bragging rights. In 1968, both teams entered the contest with identical records of 6-0 and the game had to be played at the newly constructed Anaheim Stadium to accommodate the large crowd of around 30,000.

Santa Ana dominated the early years of the series holding an 18-7-4 edge through 1951, but then Fullerton Coach Hal Sherbeck came along.

"They told me not to unpack my bags until I beat them," said Sherbeck, who lost to the Dons, 47-16, in 1961, his first season.

Sherbeck and the Hornets would lose again in 1962 (The Dons won the national title at the Junior Rose Bowl), but proceeded to win eight straight and 14 of 15.

In 1997, former Fullerton mayor and State Assemblyman Chris Norby, a longtime Hornet fan, introduced the "Key to the County," a perennial trophy to be turned over to the winner of each year's game. The key was unveiled at the 75th meeting at Titan Stadium on November 15, 1997. The large iron key originally hung outside of former Hornet running back Tony Bushala's restaurant on the corner of Harbor and Orangethorpe.

The key features Santa Ana's colors (red and black) on one side and lists the score of every Dons' victory in the series. The flip side displays the Hornets' colors (blue and gold) with the scores of all the Fullerton wins.

*Photo by Ricardo Zapata

Key to the County Year-by-Year Results

Year Result

1916 Santa Ana 0, Fullerton 0

1917 Did not play

1918 Did not play

1919 Did not play

1920 Did not play

1921 Fullerton 13, Santa Ana 0 (1st of two in 1921)

1921 Fullerton 35, Santa Ana 0 (2nd of two in 1921)

1922 Santa Ana 25, Fullerton 0

1923 Did not play

1924 Did not play

1925 Santa Ana 13, Fullerton 0

1926 Santa Ana 13, Fullerton 0

1927 Santa Ana 6, Fullerton 0

1928 Fullerton 20, Santa Ana 6

1929 Santa Ana 19, Fullerton 13

1930 Santa Ana 13, Fullerton 13

1931 Fullerton 19, Santa Ana 12

1932 Fullerton 14, Santa Ana 13

1933 Santa Ana 6, Fullerton 3

1934 Santa Ana 6, Fullerton 0

1935 Fullerton 7, Santa Ana 0

1936 Santa Ana 13, Fullerton 0

1937 Santa Ana 20, Fullerton 0

1938 Santa Ana 13, Fullerton 13

1939 Santa Ana 14, Fullerton 7

1940 Santa Ana 14, Fullerton 7

1941 Santa Ana 6, Fullerton 0

1942 Santa Ana 13, Fullerton 12

1943 Did not play (WW II)

1944 Did not play (WW II)

1945 Santa Ana 7, Fullerton 0

1946 Santa Ana 19, Fullerton 14

1947 Fullerton 20, Santa Ana 6

1948 Santa Ana 22, Fullerton 6

1949 Santa Ana 34, Fullerton 6

1950 Santa Ana 18, Fullerton 18

1951 Santa Ana 14, Fullerton 0

1952 Fullerton 7, Santa Ana 6

1953 Fullerton 20, Santa Ana 0

1954 Fullerton 29, Santa Ana 26

1955 Fullerton 55, Santa Ana 7

1956 Fullerton 42, Santa Ana 7

1957 Santa Ana 6, Fullerton 0

1958 Santa Ana 16, Fullerton 13

1959 Santa Ana 33, Fullerton 21

1960 Santa Ana 19, Fullerton 6

1961 Santa Ana 47, Fullerton 16

1962 Santa Ana 36, Fullerton 12

1963 Fullerton 27, Santa Ana 0

1964 Fullerton 39, Santa Ana 0

1965 Fullerton 14, Santa Ana 13

1966 Fullerton 35, Santa Ana 21

1967 Fullerton 34, Santa Ana 7

1968 Fullerton 28, Santa Ana 7

1969 Fullerton 34, Santa Ana 9

1970 Fullerton 21, Santa Ana 13

1971 Santa Ana 9, Fullerton 7

1972 Fullerton 24, Santa Ana 14

1973 Fullerton 19, Santa Ana 0

1974 Fullerton 36, Santa Ana 7

1975 Fullerton 13, Santa Ana 7

1976 Fullerton 33, Santa Ana 0

1977 Fullerton 42, Santa Ana 7

1978 Santa Ana 42, Fullerton 21

1979 Santa Ana 21, Fullerton 19

1980 Santa Ana 15, Fullerton 10

1981 Fullerton 19, Santa Ana 12

1982 Fullerton 37, Santa Ana 0

1983 Fullerton 33, Santa Ana 7

1984 Fullerton 43, Santa Ana 33

1985 Santa Ana 27, Fullerton 24

1986 Santa Ana 26, Fullerton 23

1987 Santa Ana 27, Fullerton 17

1988 Fullerton 24, Santa Ana 17

1989 Santa Ana 35, Fullerton 10

1990 Fullerton 44, Santa Ana 22

1991 Fullerton 34, Santa Ana 7

1992 Santa Ana 29, Fullerton 28

1993 Santa Ana 41, Fullerton 35

1994 Santa Ana 34, Fullerton 7

1995 Fullerton 24, Santa Ana 17

1996 Santa Ana 24, Fullerton 3

1997 Santa Ana 38, Fullerton 16

1998 Santa Ana 38, Fullerton 7

1999 Santa Ana 31, Fullerton 17

2000 Santa Ana 35, Fullerton 23

2001 Fullerton 24, Santa Ana 7

2002 Fullerton 24, Santa Ana 21

2003 Fullerton 56, Santa Ana 24

2004 Fullerton 36, Santa Ana 28

2005 Fullerton 31, Santa Ana 24

2006 Santa Ana 45, Fullerton 35

2007 Fullerton 20, Santa Ana 18

2008 Fullerton 35, Santa Ana 7

2009 Fullerton 41, Santa Ana 7

2010 Fullerton 41, Santa Ana 10

2011 Fullerton 21, Santa Ana 13

2012 Fullerton 57, Santa Ana 23

2013 Fullerton 56, Santa Ana 35

2014 Fullerton 49, Santa Ana14

CONSECUTIVE GAMES PLAYED IN SERIES

69 (1945-present)

LAST MEETING
Fullerton 49, Santa Ana 14 (October 18, 2014 at Santa Ana's Eddie West Stadium)

SERIES WON-LOSS RECORD

Fullerton leads 47-41-4

POINTS SCORED IN SERIES

Fullerton: 1,931 (20.98 avg.)

Santa Ana: 1,528 (16.60 avg.)

LONGEST WINNING STREAK

Fullerton: 8 (1963-70 and 2007-2014)

Santa Ana: 6 (1957-62)

SHUTOUTS (Last Shutout, Score)

Fullerton: 10 (1982, 37-0)

Santa Ana: 13 (1957, 6-0)

MOST POINTS SCORED, ONE TEAM (Year, Result)

Fullerton: 57 (2012, W, 57-23)

MOST POINTS SCORED, TWO TEAMS (Year)

91 (2013: Fullerton 56, Santa Ana 35)

FEWEST POINTS SCORED, TWO TEAMS (Year)

0 (1916: Santa Ana 0, Fullerton 0)

FEWEST POINTS SCORED IN WIN, TWO TEAMS (Years)

6 (4 times (1927, 1934, 1941, 1957) Santa Ana won 6-0 in all four)

LARGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY

48 (1955: Fullerton 55, Santa Ana 7)

NARROWEST MARGIN OF VICTORY

1 (5 times – 1932: Fullerton 13, Santa Ana 12; 1942: Santa Ana 13, Fullerton 12; 1952: Fullerton 7, Santa Ana 6; 1965: Fullerton 14, Santa Ana 13; 1992: Santa Ana 29, Fullerton 28)

CONFERENCE TITLES (Last Title)

Fullerton: 24 (2014)

Santa Ana: 17 (1999)

NATIONAL TITLES

Fullerton: 3 (1965, 10-0; 1967, 12-0; 1983, 10-0-1)

Santa Ana: 3 (1940, 11-0; 1942, 9-0; 1962, 10-0)

WINS-LOSSES-TIES BY DECADE (Leader)

Decade W-L-T

1910s 0-0-1 (Santa Ana and Fullerton played to a scoreless tie in their first-ever meeting in 1916)

1920s 5-3-0 (Santa Ana)

1930s 5-3-2 (Santa Ana)

1940s 7-1-0 (Santa Ana, no games played in 1943 and 1944 due to World War II)

1950s 5-4-1 (Fullerton)

1960s 7-3-0 (Fullerton)

1970s 7-3-0 (Fullerton)

1980s 5-5-0 (Tied)

1990s 7-3-0 (Santa Ana)

2000s 8-2-0 (Fullerton)

2010s 5-0-0 (Fullerton)