Eagles Win Double OT Thriller

The MSJC football team won in dramatic fashion on Saturday night as they outlasted Chaffey on the road in double overtime 34-31.

The Eagles and Panthers were locked in a close battle throughout the night with MSJC putting the first points of the game on the board late in the opening quarter. Wide out James Trevino took a handoff from quarterback Cole Vasquez and then threw it to a wide-open Dante Sams for a 15-yard touchdown to get the scoring started. Chaffey would answer just a minute forty-two later to even the score at the end of one period.

William Ford paid off a 9-play 47-yard touchdown drive when he scored from a yard out to give the Eagles the lead once again midway through the second. The ensuing extra point was blocked to keep the MSJC lead at 13-7. Chaffey took their first lead of the night with 3:26 to go before halftime on a 37-yard TD pass. The Eagles rallied to reclaim the lead just before halftime when Julian Silva found Keon Gantt on an 8-yard scoring strike. MSJC added a two-point conversion and led at the half 21-14.

The third quarter was scoreless for both teams, but a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns by the Panthers gave them a 28-21 lead setting up a dramatic finish. The Eagles tied the game with just 1:49 left when Silva and Gantt hooked up again on the game tying touchdown this time from 15 yards out. The game seemed destined for overtime, but the Eagles Tyson Roberts intercepted a Chaffey pass giving MSJC a chance to win in regulation. The Eagles drove the ball to the Panther one yard line but were stopped short of the goal line as the clock ran out.

In the first overtime Chaffey got the ball first and the MSJC defense forced them into a field goal which gave the Panthers a 31-28 lead. The Eagles would answer with a field goal of their own by Bailey LeBrun to send the game into a second extra period. This time MSJC had the ball first but were once again held to a LeBrun field goal to make the score 34-31. The Eagle defense came up with the game winning play when Drew-Sene Amisone stepped in front of a Chaffey pass and picked it off in the end zone to close out the victory.

Silva finished the night with 249 passing yards, his favorite target was Sams who had a team best five receptions. On defense Ifeanyi Onye was dominant as he made eight total tackles and had a pair of sacks. Eddie Smith recorded seven tackles for the Eagles and Giovanny Monge and Carlos Gallegos each had a sack.

The win stopped a three-game losing streak for the Eagles and earned them their first National Southern League victory of the season. MSJC now 3-4 overall and 1-3 in conference play will be on the road again next week when the travel to Riverside. Kickoff at Riverside next Saturday is set for noon.