Unfortunately, Mesa College’s football team’s Homecoming Night did not go too well. This past Saturday, the Olympians took their first loss of their promising season to the East Los Angeles Huskies. A strong fourth quarter comeback, led by Huskies quarterback Paul Herrera, seemed too much to handle for the team.
Overall, the game itself was a defensive battle, with both teams holding each other to 0-0 going into halftime. Offensively, nothing was clicking for either team in the first two quarters. The Huskies defensive line was giving the offense trouble. Whether it stopping the run in its tracks, or rushing the quarterback as he drops back to throw a pass, the Huskies defense was not planning to give the Olympians an inch. With sack after sack, it was looking like it was going to be a rough game for QB Jeremiah Henderson. On the other side of the ball, the defense held up nicely in the first half. They gave the Huskies no hope to score, play after play, down after down.
The Olympians however, came alive offensively in the third quarter, finishing a lengthy, 50-yard drive with a 2-yard rushing touchdown by running back Mi’Kel Jackson. Defensive back Jordan Gochenour also assisted in putting up some points on the board, by picking up a fumble and running it back 37 yards before being tackled at the 1-yard line. Henderson quickly took advantage of that turn over, running in a touchdown to put the Olympians up 13-0 going into the fourth.
Sadly, the momentum the team came into the third with quickly dwindled. The offense failed to put any more points on the board and the Huskies took full advantage of that. The Huskies started the fourth quarter off with two back-to-back scoring drives, tying the game up at 13-13 with a bunch of time left. Unfortunately, Mesa had nothing to respond with and the Huskies scored once more with four minutes left, putting them ahead 20-13, the game’s final score.
Hopefully the football team can bounce back from this tough loss and get back on the winning track, starting with LA Pierce College on Sept. 30.
