SAN MARCOS – Both defenses shined in a tight matchup that saw San Diego Mesa defeating Palomar 14-10.
Back in September, Palomar opened the new football stadium which hyped up the fall semester. From the beginning, fans’ support remained strong as the bleachers were filled all season long.
“Our guys played four quarters and fought hard. It matters to them that the sideline was electric,” said Coach Joe Early.
This was a tough season. The Comets finished with a 4-6 record. This includes one victory on the home field. Plus the three away games this year.
“We’ve got a lot of winners on this team… We have a good group coming back. So I take a lot of positives out of this,” said Coach Joe Early.
In the first quarter, San Diego Mesa received the kickoff to start the game. They wasted no time as their running back Danny Davis put the first seven points on the board for the Olympians.
After Palomar started their first drive at 11:23, KJ Chatham made a complete pass to Jake Whitehead for 25 yards. This led to two other complete passes to players Skai Donnell and Chris Bausch before the Comets had a timeout with 5:48 in the first quarter.
Following three complete passes, Quincy Herron scored a touchdown after another complete pass by quarterback KJ Chatham and Joseph McKissick. This left the score tied 7-7 by the second quarter.
“The defense did their job. #2 had a good game like he usually does. But offense came up short. We needed to capitalize off the turnovers, “ said Herron.
The Olympians looked to score again until Palomar cornerback Davion Green #2 intercepted a pass thrown by Jax Leatherwood only two yards from the endzone.
“We all played our best. But we came short. On the defensive side, we left it out on the field. If offense was able to succeed a little more, we would’ve been good,” said Green.
Despite this interception and an additional turnover on downs forced by Palomar’s defense, the score remained 7-7.
For the third quarter, the Olympians started the kickoff. After the drive, Davion Green had another interception.
The score was now 10-7 after Jonathan (Jack) Meyers made a field goal from the 33 yard line.
Olympian and Comet defenses put on a show following the field goal, including a third interception by Green who became a nightmare for the San Diego Mesa quarterback. This forced Mesa to change their playstyle to a run-heavy offense for the remainder of the match.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, The Olympians gained yardage before Davis scored another touchdown with their team up 14-10.
With 13:42 remaining, there was plenty of time for the Comets to retaliate.
Palomar had costly turnovers following the lead change that prevented them from coming back, including both a fumble from running back Skai Donnell and an interception thrown by Chatham.
There was another fumble from defensive lineman Kayvion Hicks, which left the crowd in shock after he intercepted Leatherwood. In his attempt to get the Comets the best field position, it was turned back over to San Diego Mesa with 8:52 left on the clock.
“We had 4 turnovers and we didn’t turn them into points. Even if they’re field goals, that’s 12 more points that we would’ve had on the board,” said Coach Joe Early.
The Olympians took their stroke of luck and drained the remaining minutes of the game securing 14-10 over the Comets.
“I’ve said all year long that our team is better than what our record indicates. Turnovers play a big part of that…That’s the difference tonight,” said Coach Joe Early.
A couple players were asked how they would describe their football season overall in three words:
“1. God 2. Family 3. Character…Football in general builds your character,” said Davion Green.
“1. Coach always says adversity. We faced a lot of that this season. 2. Family. 3. Jiggy,” said Quincy Herron.
Isaiah Dixon was asked what he looks forward to after this football season:
“I look forward to getting to the next level. See where else I can play football. Look for the best opportunities. Finish my classes and get ready for the best offer at a university,” said Isaiah Dixon.
