By Damin Esper

Special to Chabot Athletics

 The Chabot football team made a huge defensive stop on the first series of the game, but the Gladiators couldn't sustain the momentum in a 40-7 loss to  visiting City College of San Francisco on Saturday in Bay 6 Conference play.

During the toughest stretch of the schedule, Chabot (4-3, 1-1) saw its three-game winning streak snapped. The Gladiators will look to win one of their final two regular-season games to have a shot at a playoff berth.

Demonte Aleem rushed for 153 yards and one touchdown and Ethan Bullock threw for two more scores to lead CCSF. The Rams (6-2, 2-1) piled up 506 yards.

In an awkward scenario, the Gladiators hadn't played in two weeks because their scheduled game against Santa Rosa on Oct. 26 was canceled due to the wildfires in the Bay Area.

The Rams proved tough to stop at Gladiator Stadium, rushing for 299 yards on 50 carries. Aleem carried the ball 17 times and was tough to bring down.

Chabot sophomore quarterback Chayce Akaka of Maui was 6-of-23 passing for 149 yards and one touchdown, with four interceptions. Akaka also rushed for a team-high 46 yards on six carries.

On the game's first series, Chabot rose up and stopped the Rams on a fourth-and-8 at the Chabot 25. However, the Gladiators went three-and-out and San Francisco responded by marching 74 yards on eight plays with Jamar Julien Jr. scoring a touchdown on a 5-yard run. Julien finished with 65 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries.

Early in the second quarter, Ronald Hardge III intercepted an Akaka pass, setting the Rams up at the Chabot 21. Three plays later, Aleem took the ball in from 7 yards out and it was 14-0. A 24-yard Dominik Soos made it 17-0. A 10-yard pass from Bullock to Roderick Gaskins Jr. made it 24-0 midway through the second quarter.

The Gladiators offense started clicking after that, with Akaka connecting with Tanner Wright on a 72-yard bomb to set up a 4-yard touchdown pass to Khyri Harris with 4:08 to go in the half.

However, Julien scored on a 27-yard run late in the half to up the margin.

BOWL HOPES ALIVE: Chabot could still earn a bowl berth in their final two games of conference play. This week's assignment will be difficult – at College of San Mateo on Nov. 9 at 1 p.m. The Bulldogs are 8-0 on the season. The following week, the Gladiators will host arch-rival Laney in the season finale on Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. Laney is the defending state champion, but is currently 3-4.