SRJC football players will have to step up and play at a higher level for the remaining schedule, or winning games could prove elusive this season. Bear Cubs defensive leaders Austin Shull and Mike Tuaua suffered season-ending injuries in the first game of the year against College of the Siskiyous on Sept. 10.
“I doubt that there are too many teams in the state that lost their two best defensive players in the first quarter of their first game,” head coach Keith Simons said.
Tuaua, a 6-foot, 3-inch,  255-pound freshman defensive lineman from Rancho Cotati High School has a fractured fibula while Shull sustained a knee injury. The loss of Shull will be particularly challenging because he is one of two team captains for the defense, the other being sophomore linebacker Jack Goodwin.
In the game against Siskiyous the defense struggled without Shull and Tuaua, as back-ups had difficulty playing to their opponent’s level.
“Back-ups are going to have to step up and play, and that kind of hurt us in our first game because the guys that went in for our guys who got hurt did not do a very good job,” Simons said.
When asked about prospects for replacing Shull and Tuaua, Simons said, “That’s why you have second and third teams so, back-ups can go in and play and we need guys to step up.”
On the offensive side of the ball, the Bear Cubs are led by center and team captain Cameron Matusik, a 6 foot, 2-inch, 280-pound sophomore from Flint, Mich. Sophomore running back Orion Kamins has experienced success in the red zone scoring a touchdown against Siskiyous and Shasta from two yards out while Ronald Burt and Sandro Jean-Baptist look to continue to contribute from the backfield. The Bear Cubs running backs are an asset to the offense because they play as a group.
“They work hard as a group and so because of it I think it will help us all persevere, by them doing their job and pushing one another which they do everyday in practice makes them all better.” running backs coach Jerald Demery said.
The next home game will be at 1 p.m. on Oct. 1 against Diablo Valley.