Eagles Fall in Opener to #7 Golden West

The MSJC football team opened their 2025 season on Saturday night with a 31-13 loss to #7 ranked Golden West in a home game at HCN Bank Stadium.

The Eagles had an explosive start to the night when Dante Sams took the opening kick-off back eighty-one yards to the Rustlers nineteen-yard line. Four plays later quarterback Cole Vasquez found Abbas Clark on a five-yard touchdown pass to put MSJC ahead 7-0.

The MSJC defense was solid on the first two Golden West possessions of the game forcing a pair of three and outs. The first big momentum swing came midway through the opening period when GWC's Taeden Rodgers intercepted a Vasquez pass and returned it sixty-three yards for a touchdown to even the score at 7-7.

The Rustlers took the lead on the first play of the second quarter at 14-7 on a twenty-three-yard TD pass. MSJC answered when they forced a fumble near midfield that was recovered by the Eagles' Giovanny Monge. Six plays later Vasquez threw his second touchdown pass of the night, this time to William Ford from fifteen yards out to make the score 14-13. On the extra point attempt MSJC muffed the snap attempting to go for two and the Eagles remained down one. Golden West added a forty-three-yard field goal with just over a minute left in the half to head into the break with a 17-13 lead.

The MSJC offense struggled to get going in the second half and the Rustlers pulled away by adding touchdowns midway through both the third and fourth quarters to make the final score 31-13.

Vasquez finished the night 15 of 32 passing for 103 yards and two touchdowns, he was intercepted three times. He also led the ground game with thirty-one yards on seven carries. Mykai Skinner had four receptions in the loss while Jackson Weng and Ford had three catches each.

On defense Eddie Smith made a team high ten tackles while Ifeanyi Onye had six and a sack. Myles Hudson also recorded a sack for MSJC.

The Eagles now 0-1 on the season will travel to Long Beach City on Saturday for a 4 pm game against the Vikings.