Chaffey College Loses 34-31 in Double Overtime to Mt. San Jacinto College
By Aaron Rogers
Rancho Cucamonga, CA - Oct. 18
Coming off a brutal loss to Riverside City College, Chaffey College looked to bounce back in Saturday's matchup. Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) entered the game with a 2-4 overall record and 0-3 in conference games.
The Panthers went into this matchup needing a win to keep their playoff aspirations alive.
Team Captains from Chaffey and Mt. San Jacinto meet for the coin toss. (Photo by Eliam Carrion)
Chaffey’s offense was led by starting quarterback Evan Powell and quarterback Frankie Vilalbazo. They totaled for a combined 434 yards with 296 passing yards and 138 rushing yards.
Powell finished the game going 11-16 with 174 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception. He rushed for 82 yards and two touchdowns.
Chaffey’s sideline celebrating after a scoring drive. (Photo by Eliam Carrion)
Vilalbazo went 11-18 with 122 passing yards and a touchdown.
Nathan Enriquez led the receiving core with 6 receptions and 113 yards. Wide receivers Nemiah Harrison and Jordan Woods both scored a touchdown as well.
With seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, MSJC decided to forgo the field goal at the goal line to go for the game winning touchdown. The Panthers defense stood strong as they stopped the quarterback sneak, forcing the game to overtime with the score tied at 28.
In the first period of overtime, the teams traded field goals to force a second overtime period. Chaffey held MSJC's offense to a field goal to start the second overtime putting the game into the Panthers' hands.
Head Coach Ben Buys motivating the team before the first overtime period. (Photo by Eliam Carrion)
Trailing 34-31, the Panthers needed a touchdown to win or a field goal to force a third overtime. Powell, who had led the team back into the game with his arm, threw an interception to give MSJC the victory.
In this back-and-forth game, a recurring issue for the Panthers this season continued with self-inflicted penalties and turnovers. Chaffey had a total of 14 penalties for 144 yards. This was highlighted by the ejection of assistant coach Toure Boyd for an unsportsmanlike penalty.
“Gotta remain composed, we can’t control what calls are made and we have to continue to play.” said Head Coach Ben Buys regarding the costly penalties.
Furthermore, the Panthers lost the turnover battle 3-1, giving up two fumbles and an interception.
“Tough game tonight, felt like the kids played hard in four quarters and overtime, we fell short...” Defensive Coordinator Terance Denton said after the game. “We as a staff knew this season would have growing pains but we have to stay the course. We haven’t got the results we are looking for yet but if we stay together we are going to be in a special place.”
“My heart hurts because they work their butts off and I feel like they deserve a win at some point. We fought back when things didn’t look great.” Buys said after the game. “I know what the future looks here and I’m excited about that.”
On Saturday Oct. 25, Chaffey heads down to San Diego as they face San Diego Mesa. They are coming off a 59-41 loss to Saddleback. Mesa is 2-5 overall and 1-3 in conference play.