After a nail-biting 12-9 victory over Cerritos College at Merrill Douglas Stadium, the Olympian football team is now 2-0 for the season. Head coach Gary Watkins aptly summed up the game, saying, "If you like defense, that was a game you wanted to watch." The contest was a defensive standoff, with the outcome hanging in the balance until the final play.
In stark contrast to their previous week's 65-0 offensive rout of San Bernardino Valley College, the Olympians found themselves in a defensive battle. The first points didn't come until 11:06 in the third quarter, courtesy of a Danny Valencia field goal. Valencia's performance was arguably worthy of a game ball, as he punted seven times for 312 yards. Even more crucially, five of his punts landed inside the 20-yard line, including a 47-yard punt downed on the 1-yard line, followed by an impressive 69-yard punt downed on the 1-yard line. These two pivotal plays significantly shifted the field position in favor of Mesa College.
The Olympian defense held firm despite Cerritos' star quarterback Evan Tomich passing for 305 yards and one touchdown. They only surrendered Cerritos' sole score in the fourth quarter when Tomich connected with Isaiah Blair for a 33-yard touchdown, followed by a successful two-point conversion by Chase Grosfeld.
Cooper Mau led the Olympians with eight total tackles, seven solo tackles, and one tackle for loss. Brandon Worsley and Jaydin Jackson also contributed with four solo tackles each. The Olympians' defense played cohesively, embodying a "bend but don't break" mentality. Just when momentum seemed to be shifting towards Cerritos, the defense would rise to the occasion, making big plays during critical moments in the game.
Early in the fourth quarter, after a quick three-and-out by Mesa and a great 47-yard punt by Danny Valencia pinning Cerritos on their 1-yard line, Cooper Mau tackled Michael Hayes in the end zone for a safety, giving the Olympians a 5-0 lead.
Cerritos finally got on the scoreboard with a seven-play, 89-yard touchdown drive, culminating in Evan Tomich's 33-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Blair. This gave Cerritos an 8-5 lead.
With the momentum shifting towards Cerritos and only eight minutes left in the game, Mesa College found themselves down by three points and needing a crucial score.
Starting at their 42-yard line, the Olympians faced an inspired Cerritos defense that managed to push them into a 3rd and 6 situation. This moment could arguably be considered the turning point of the game. On 3rd and 6, Leatherwood's pass intended for Troy Bassler fell incomplete, which would have forced Mesa to punt and allow Cerritos to run the clock. However, a Cerritos Falcons player was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct after the play, giving the Olympians an automatic first down on the Cerritos 39-yard line. Capitalizing on this break, Leatherwood immediately connected with Santiago Salas for a 39-yard touchdown, putting Mesa College back in the lead at 12-8.
Cerritos had another chance late in the fourth quarter after an erred punt gave them possession with only 15 yards needed for a go-ahead touchdown. However, the Mesa defense once again stepped up to save the day. With just 10 seconds left, Cerritos' Evan Tomich attempted a pass to Isaiah Blair across the middle for the potential winning score. But, positioned perfectly, Jayden Cortell managed to knock the ball down for an incomplete pass. With only a few seconds remaining, Evan Tomich scrambled out of the pocket, but Cooper Mau stopped him for a 5-yard gain, securing the game for San Diego Mesa College.