In a thrilling Thursday night football clash, the #12 SD Mesa College Olympians showed their maturity and grit, securing a hard-fought 20-13 victory against the #12 Fullerton College Hornets. The win gives Mesa an overall record of 5-1 and 2-1 in the National Southern League, placing them third behind Riverside City College and Saddleback College. If you like defense, this was definitely the game to watch, with each side effectively neutralizing the other's offense. However, the Olympians' ability to remain composed under pressure proved to be the deciding factor.
Mesa struck first with a well-planned 12-play, 71-yard drive with Jax Leatherwood finding Jalil Tucker on a drag route and Tucker racing to the corner beating both the linebacker and safeties giving Mesa the 7-0 lead.
Fullerton got on the board before halftime after Fred Adams Jr. intercepted a Jake Leatherwood pass. The Mesa defense held strong, limiting the damage to a 45-yard field goal by Charles Viorel, bringing the score to 7-3.
With both defenses playing well, the Hornets aggresive defense jarred the ball from Danny Davis, which Jeremy Naborne scooped up and returned 40 yards for a touchdown, giving the Hornets a 10-7 lead midway through the third quarter.
The Olympians answered back on their next possession. Leatherwood led the Olympians on a 15-play, 75-yard drive, culminating in a 1-yard touchdown run by Leatherwood himself, to retake the lead at 13-10. The long drive also consumed 6:30 off the clock, tiring the Fullerton defense, which had been playing with their ears pinned back, consistently penetrating the backfield.
Just as momentum seemed to shift in Mesa's favor, the Olympians once again forced the Hornets to punt, but a personal foul, roughing the snapper, gave Fullerton a first down. The Mesa defense held once again, forcing Fullerton to attempt a 50-yard field goal, which Charles Viorel converted, evening the score at 13-13 with 5:10 left in the game.
The Olympian defense was stout, allowing Fullerton's offense only 182 total yards and a net passing of 76 yards. The defense was led by Cameron Sanderlin, who had a team-high 7 total tackles, and Brandon Worsley, who contributed 6 tackles. Christian Mota was a disruptive force in the backfield, recording 2 sacks and 5 total tackles, while Jaydin Jackson also added a sack and 5 tackles.
Often, football games are determined by which team adjusts better or devises a superior game plan at halftime. Watkins and his staff executed late in the 4th quarter. The Watkins offense sliced and diced the overly aggressive Fullerton defense with short passes, shallow crosses, and drag routes, which moved the ball downfield effectively. In short, get the ball out early and quick. The Olympians had an impressive 62% conversion rate on 3rd down, converting 10 out of 16.
With less than five minutes in regulation time, backed up on their own seven-yard line, the Olympians had the ball in hand. As he had done throughout the game, Leatherwood's calm and confident demeanor settled the offense, and he methodically drove 97 yards for the go-ahead score of 20-13. Despite being flushed out of the pocket, Leatherwood maneuvered away from pressure and improvised his throwing angles to connect with Dazure Paggett twice on crucial third downs. Even with the time ticking away, the offense didn't abandon the run. Danny Davis had an impressive 12-yard run, bowling over two Fullerton defenders. After a 13-yard pass to Troy Bessler, followed by a 3-yard pass to Danny Davis, Leatherwood found Lawlor running a post pattern for a 19-yard touchdown, sealing the victory for Mesa College.
Leatherwood finished with 229 passing yards, completing 26 of 47 attempts, with two interceptions.
This win shows the growth and maturity of the team. Their ability to maintain composure, execute under pressure, and learn from past experiences has been key to their success. This was a game in which Mesa would have lost in previous years. The veteran leadership of second-year players has fostered a focused and disciplined environment. There is less dancing and less pumping of the chest. They have adopted a blue collar mentality. Make the play and prepare for the next snap.
The team will take a trip up north on Interstate 15 to face the Eagles of Mt. San Jacinto College on Saturday, October 26. Kickoff is scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. start.