ROUNDUP: Jaguars slip, Mesa rocks

By Ramon Scott
Updated: November 2, 2026

2026 COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOOTBALL

NO. 3 SADDLEBACK 28, NO. 6 SOUTHWESTERN 27

By Ramon Scott
EastCountySports.com

CHULA VISTA — Southwestern had six takeaways, two touchdown runs from Caleb Blocker and a 50-yard field goal from former Christian High kicker Steven Benson.

What the Jaguars needed was one more stop.

Timmy Herr threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Parker Burckhardt with five seconds remaining, and Manuel Maganda’s extra point gave Saddleback a stunning 28-27 victory Saturday at DeVore Stadium.

The Bobcats drove 74 yards in the final 1:06 without a timeout, overcoming a six-point deficit to take their first lead since the opening quarter.

For Southwestern, the finish turned an afternoon of defensive takeaways and explosive running into a painful setback in a matchup with substantial postseason implications.

The Jaguars fell to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the National Southern League, while Saddleback improved to 8-1 and 5-1, strengthening its playoff position with its fifth consecutive victory.

Southwestern led 17-7 entering the fourth quarter and 24-14 with 5:56 remaining, but Herr accounted for three fourth-quarter touchdowns to pull the Bobcats through.

Even then, Blocker nearly supplied the play that secured the victory.

With Southwestern protecting a 24-21 lead, the sophomore took a third-and-7 handoff, cut back through the defense and broke tackles on a 68-yard run to the Saddleback 4-yard line.

Blocker accelerated into the secondary, lifting his knees through attempted tackles before the Bobcats finally caught him near the goal line.

The Jaguars were four yards from a touchdown that would have put the game firmly in their favor. Saddleback’s defense held, however, forcing Southwestern to settle for Benson’s 24-yard field goal with 1:12 remaining.

That made it 27-21 and required the Bobcats to score a touchdown.

They did.

After two incompletions to open the final possession, Herr connected with Jake Cella to set up fourth-and-4. He then found Burckhardt in open space for a first down, with Chris Snyder making the tackle to prevent an even longer gain.

Another completion to Cella moved Saddleback to the Southwestern 17. Omero Inda brought him down in the open field, keeping the Bobcats out of the end zone.

The Jaguars defended two more passes before Herr returned to Burckhardt on third down.

The left-handed quarterback placed a back-shoulder throw near the pylon, and Burckhardt secured the ball just inside the end zone. The touchdown stood after review, tying the game at 27.

Following a Southwestern timeout, Maganda converted the deciding extra point. The Jaguars’ final kickoff return, which included a lateral, ended without a score.

Herr finished 33-of-48 for 305 yards and two touchdown passes, both to Burckhardt. He also rushed for two fourth-quarter touchdowns.

Burckhardt caught 11 passes for 113 yards, giving Saddleback a reliable target throughout an afternoon in which turnovers repeatedly threatened to undo its offensive production.

Southwestern intercepted Herr twice and recovered four fumbles, finishing with a 6-1 advantage in takeaways.

Niko Ta’a led the Jaguars with 15 tackles and an interception. Brady Eads, another Christian High graduate, added six tackles, including 1.5 for loss, and an interception.

Valentino Wedderburn forced and recovered a fumble while making seven tackles. Kylan Studebaker also forced and recovered a fumble, and Damarrion White finished with six tackles, 2.5 for loss and a sack. Exodus Ayers supplied Southwestern’s other sack.

Those plays kept the Jaguars in control on the scoreboard despite lengthy stretches in which the offense struggled to sustain possession.

Southwestern converted one of 13 third downs, punted 10 times and finished with 10 first downs to Saddleback’s 27. The Bobcats ran 89 offensive plays, compared with 53 for the Jaguars, and held a 458-277 advantage in total offense.

Blocker rushed for 165 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, averaging 10.3 yards per attempt against a defense that otherwise allowed little room.

After Herr’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Burckhardt opened the scoring with 5:23 remaining in the first quarter, Blocker answered almost immediately.

He broke loose for a 63-yard touchdown run just 15 seconds later, tying the game at 7 and giving the Jaguars their first major offensive spark.

Southwestern began the afternoon with Dickie Engel at quarterback while Dominic Duran dealt with a shoulder injury suffered the previous week at El Camino. Duran entered during the second quarter and helped move the Jaguars into position for the final scoring opportunity of the half.

Benson made it count.

With the ball set for a 50-yard attempt, the Christian High product drove his kick through as time expired, sending Southwestern into halftime with a 10-7 lead.

The operation began with a high snap, but the holder brought it down and Benson delivered a powerful kick with distance to spare.

Duran found more room through the air in the third quarter, connecting with Titus White for 32 yards and Malachi Bean-Seay for 19 during a scoring march.

Blocker finished it with a 14-yard touchdown run, driving through the middle and extending into the end zone for a 17-7 advantage with 4:40 remaining in the quarter.

Saddleback finally answered early in the fourth when Herr scored on an 11-yard run, cutting the margin to 17-14 with 10:37 left.

The Jaguars responded after another defensive takeaway. Following a series of runs, Duran used a play fake and found Elias Johnson uncovered for a 7-yard touchdown, restoring the 10-point lead with 5:56 remaining.

Herr brought Saddleback back again, finishing the next touchdown drive with a 4-yard scoring run at the 3:18 mark.

That set up Blocker’s long third-down run, Benson’s second field goal and the final possession that decided the game.

Duran completed 11 of 19 passes for 99 yards and a touchdown without an interception. White led Southwestern’s receivers with three catches for 42 yards, while Bean-Seay had three receptions for 37.

Saddleback linebacker Vai Manutai helped limit the Jaguars’ sustained offense, recording nine tackles, 2.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks. The Bobcats finished with nine tackles for loss.

Southwestern closes the regular season Saturday, Nov. 7, at Chaffey, seeking an eighth victory and a stronger case for postseason selection after a game that remained within its grasp until the final seconds.

NO. 9 SAN DIEGO MESA 48, MT. SAN JACINTO 17

SAN DIEGO — Isaiah “Pablo” Jackson scored three touchdowns and San Diego Mesa’s defense intercepted four passes as the Olympians defeated Mt. San Jacinto, 48-17, Saturday night at Merrill Douglas Stadium.

Jackson, a Helix High graduate, rushed for 90 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries and caught three passes for 66 yards and another score, helping Mesa improve to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the National Southern League.

The Olympians led 21-10 at halftime before scoring the next 20 points to pull away.

Diesel Taylor opened the scoring with a 27-yard touchdown pass to Colin McCann. After the Eagles answered with a 78-yard touchdown pass from Cole Vasquez to Kee-Esoul Pitchford, Taylor found Jayden Chanel for a 9-yard score to put Mesa ahead for good.

Jackson added a 6-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and scored from 2 yards out just 49 seconds into the second half, extending the advantage to 28-10.

Early in the fourth quarter, Tyson Line, a Mira Mesa High graduate, connected with Jackson for a 52-yard touchdown, then added a 3-yard scoring run.

Former Helix quarterback Ryland Jesee completed Mesa’s scoring with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Wade.

Mesa finished with 422 yards of offense, including 205 rushing. Marcello Rossi contributed 42 yards on four carries, while Monte Vista graduate Alexander Villanueva added 41 yards on seven attempts.

Taylor threw for 119 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted three times. Mesa’s defense countered with five sacks and four interceptions, holding the Eagles to 88 rushing yards and stopping all three of their fourth-down attempts.

Carter Ross, another Helix graduate, joined Preston Bowles, Matthew Bresko and Alijah Simmons with interceptions. Bresko also recorded a sack, while Elijah Peau led the pass rush with two.

Hunter Wiggins paced Mesa with eight tackles, and Dameian Watkins Jr. broke up four passes.

Mt. San Jacinto fell to 2-7 and 0-6.

The Olympians close the regular season Saturday, Nov. 7, at home against state No. 1 Riverside, with an opportunity to strengthen their postseason case.

NO. 17 CHAFFEY 22, PALOMAR 21

SAN MARCOS — Four interceptions and a two-touchdown lead were not enough for Palomar College to escape a heartbreaking finish Saturday.

Chaffey scored with 10 seconds remaining, then converted a two-point pass to defeat the Comets, 22-21, in a National Southern League game.

Frankie Villabazo’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Theodore Edquilang capped an 80-yard drive, and the conversion to Nathan Enriquez gave the Panthers their first lead.

Palomar fell to 3-6 overall and 1-5 in league, while Chaffey improved to 6-3 and 3-3.

Bubba Garcia supplied the opening score with a 40-yard interception return midway through the first quarter. Garcia intercepted two passes, while Tresean Ellis and Robbin Anzodru each added one.

After Chaffey tied the game, Noah Schuback directed a 10-play, 54-yard drive and found Princeton Anderson for a 7-yard touchdown with 23 seconds left before halftime.

Schuback’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Lyle Deloney extended the lead to 21-7 with 10:39 remaining in the third quarter.

The Panthers answered with a 14-play, 85-yard touchdown drive, pulling within seven on Villabazo’s 1-yard pass to Julian Lofton-Lundy with four seconds left in the quarter. Their final touchdown and conversion completed a run of 15 unanswered points.

Schuback finished 19-of-32 for 198 yards and two touchdowns. Anderson caught six passes for 56 yards, and Maurice Howard led Palomar’s rushing attack with 43 yards.

Tanner Doyle made nine tackles, including 1.5 for loss. Anzodru and Dallas Kealohanui each recorded a sack.

Despite its takeaways, Palomar was penalized 19 times for 164 yards and was outgained 346-276.

The Comets close the season Saturday, Nov. 7, at Mt. San Jacinto, with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m.