Both Mt. San Jacinto College and College of the Desert were 6-1 going into this matchup. MSJC was looking to add to their win streak by winning the homecoming matchup against the COD Roadrunners. This was the 55th matchup between MSJC and Desert in the battle of the Palms to Pines trophy. 

The Roadrunners had the football first to start the game, and the Eagles’ defense quickly forced a three and out. The Eagles scored a touchdown on their first play of the game when Robert Coleman connected with Taliq Brown on a screen pass for a 71 yard touchdown. This quickly gave the Eagles a 7-0 lead. The Roadrunners, who looked to respond, went deep into Eagle territory, but an interception by Demond Young stopped them in their tracks. The Eagles on their offensive drive, following the interception, drove down the field and finished the drive with a 13 yard pass from Robert Coleman to Taliq for a touchdown. This gave the Eagles a 14-0 lead. Robert Coleman passed to a wide open Jaylen Magee for an 81 yard touchdown on their next offensive drive. The Eagles were then up 21-0. After being down 21-0, the Roadrunners responded with a 56 yard touchdown of their own to shorten the Eagles lead 21-7. The Eagles responded to the Roadrunners touchdown with a 28 yard run by Jaylen Magee. This gave the Eagles a 28-7 lead. The Roadrunners responded with another touchdown to keep the game from getting out of hand. The Eagles lead was shortened to 28-14. After not seeing any scoring from either team, the Eagles scored another touchdown with Robert Coleman connecting with David Vandenburg on a 2 yard pass. This gave the Eagles a 36-14 lead at the half. 

The Eagles, who were working with a 36-14 lead following the first half, increased their lead when Robert Coleman connected with Jevin Dorsey for a 28 yard touchdown. This gave the Eagles a 43-14 lead. The Roadrunners, who needed to respond, were stopped by Steven Bradshaw who caught an interception. The Eagles, on their drive that followed the interception, were forced to settle for a 39 yard field goal. The field goal gave the Eagles a 46-14 lead. The Eagles scored a touchdown on their drive with a 7 yard touchdown, run by Jaylen Magee. This increased the Eagles lead to 53-14. The next scoring play occurred in the 4th quarter when Nathaniel Peterson made a 46 yard field goal, which gave the Eagles a 56-14 lead. Later in the game, the Eagles’ defense made a scoring play when Tyrone Oloa recovered a fumble and took it back for a touchdown, giving the Eagles a 63-14 lead. 

The Eagles won the game 63-14 and kept the Palms to Pines trophy in their possession. With the win, the Eagles improved to 7-1 and have won 7 straight games. The Eagles played great on both sides of the ball. The defense forced a 2nd half shutout and got two interceptions. The offense was only forced to punt once. The MSJC Eagles will play their next game on Saturday November 5th at 1 PM at Compton. 

Stats: 

Mt. San Jacinto Offense:

Passing: Robert Coleman- 22-30, 376 Yards, 5-TD

Rushing: Jaylen Magee- 10 Attempts, 72 Yards, 2-TD

Receiving: Taliq Brown- 5 Receptions, 130 Yards, 2-TD

Desert Offense:

Passing: Cesar Vela- 19-31, 202 Yards, 1-TD, 2-INT 

Rushing: Cesar Vela- 11 Attempts, 33 Yards

Receiving: Kevin Johnson 7 Receptions, 98 Yards, 1-TD

Mt. San Jacinto Defense: 

Steven Bradshaw- 7 Solo Tackles, 7 Assists, 3 TFL, 1-INT 

Demond Young- 1 Solo Tackle, 3 Assists, 1-INT 

Miron Hazim- 4 Solo Tackles, 1 Sack 

Desert Defense:

Rae’Jon Lavender- 5 Solo Tackles, 2 Assists

Darrell Lewis- 5 Solo Tackles, 1-INT 

Doogie Harvey- 3 Solo Tackles, 1 Assists, 1 Sack, 2 TFL 

Pre-Game Interview: 

Before the game, Tyler and Derrick conducted an interview with Robert Coleman, Joseph Rapolla, and Coach Mazzotta. 

Derrick: “You guys have been playing well and clicking on both sides of the football, what has been the mindset knowing that it has led to six straight wins?”

Robert Coleman: “I mean just having the positive energy, coming out knowing what we can do and knowing what our expectations are and just going out and having the mentality of winning.” 

Tyler: “What are some things on the offensive side of the ball you feel you need to improve on?”

Robert Coleman: “Right now, I feel like we’re really clicking all around, obviously there’s definitely areas I can improve on. The offensive line up front and the receivers are doing what they need to do. The running backs are doing what they need to do. We’ve been clicking all around.”

Tyler: “One last question, what is your favorite food?” 

Robert Coleman: “My mom’s enchiladas.”

Derrick: “What are your thoughts on this defense, during this six game stretch the Eagles are giving just 13 points a game?” 

Joseph Rapolla: “I love this defense, our chemistry is just great. The feeling and the vibe within everyone is just so much better than last year. We play for each other; we play for the coaches; we play for everyone and that’s why I think our defense is so good this year.” 

Tyler: “What are some things that need to be improved on going into the playoffs?” 

Joseph Rapolla: “Honestly, just staying consistent, because I feel like when people get on win streaks, they feel on top of the world and they start to lose and they get content, and that’s something that our coach preaches everyday, don’t stay content and let’s try to get better. Improvement I’d say just stay on course, we’re doing everything right, we’re going hard at practice, we’re learning everything, we just got to execute the scheme.”

Tyler: “Favorite food?” 

Joseph Rapolla: “I’ll say sushi for sure. I’m Chamorro so I grew up with fish my whole life; my whole family put me on fish since day one.” 

Derrick: “The Eagles have won six straight games after dropping the season opener, what was the mindset in the locker room to build this momentum that has led to six straight wins?”

Coach Mazotta: “We’ve got a great group of guys. They’re focused on getting better everyday. The team’s mindset is really just about one day at a time.”

Tyler: “What are some things on both sides of the ball that need to be improved?’

Coach Mazotta: “The penalties are something that we look at all the time, eliminating penalties that kill drives for you on offense or on the other hand, give them an extra set of downs. Our offense’s third down conversion rate is something we’ve been working on pretty hard, and then of course, working on your communication and all the things that make things run smoothly and all those are what we are working on everyday.” 

Tyler: “What’s your favorite food?” 

Coach Mazotta: “Italian food, authentic Italian, not just pasta dishes.”