Griffins’ chances disappear quickly

2026 COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOOTBALL

No. 15 Southwestern turns Grossmont’s blocked FG into a 21-point burst over the final 1:41 of the first half

SOUTHWESTERN 52, GROSSMONT 10

By Ramon Scott
EastCountySports.com

CHULA VISTA — For most of the first half, Grossmont remained close enough to believe its renewed rivalry with Southwestern might become the measuring-stick game the Griffins wanted.

Then the Jaguars blocked a field goal.

What followed required only 86 seconds to transform a 10-point game into a Southwestern coronation.

No. 15 Southwestern scored 21 points over the final 1:41 of the first half, finished with 603 yards of offense and overwhelmed Grossmont, 52-10, Saturday afternoon at DeVore Stadium.

Quarterback Dominic Duran completed 19 of 24 passes for 434 yards and five touchdowns without an interception, repeatedly placing deep throws in stride as Southwestern improved to 2-0 and recorded its seventh consecutive victory over Grossmont.

The Jaguars averaged 10.2 yards per offensive play, passed for 447 yards and held the Griffins’ offense without a touchdown.

Southwestern’s defense intercepted Melvin Spicer IV twice, returned one for a score, sacked him six times and limited Grossmont to 186 total yards and 2.9 yards per play.

The final margin was comprehensive.

The path to it was far more sudden than the score suggests.

Grossmont trailed only 10-0 and had driven inside the Southwestern 10 with less than two minutes remaining in the first half. A touchdown could have sent the Griffins into halftime within one possession. Even a short field goal would have represented progress against a defense that had not allowed a point through nearly two complete games.

Instead, Southwestern blocked the attempt by Lucas Mora, recovered the ball and added 15 yards when Grossmont was penalized for a face mask.

On the next play, Duran found Bobby Cameron racing through the middle of Grossmont’s zone coverage for a 55-yard touchdown.

The afternoon changed in one snap.

The Jaguars turned a blocked field goal into a 55-yard touchdown on the very next play from scrimmage, which turned out to be the decisive swing.

Cameron split the cornerback and safety up the seam. Duran drove the ball between them and hit his receiver in stride.

What might have become a 10-3 game instead became 17-0 with 1:41 remaining before halftime.

Southwestern was only beginning.

JAGUARS SCORE 21 IN 86 SECONDS

On Grossmont’s next possession, Kylan Studebaker stepped in front of Spicer’s pass and returned the interception 29 yards for a touchdown.

The penalty flag thrown during the return was waved off, allowing the score to stand and extending Southwestern’s lead to 24-0 with 1:14 remaining.

Studebaker’s interception was Spicer’s second of the half. Jamil Kassab, a former Ramona High standout, collected the first after a Grossmont pass was deflected at the line of scrimmage. That turnover led to Southwestern’s opening points, a 36-yard field goal by Daniel Meadows.

Grossmont finally produced its first consequential answer immediately after the pick-six.

Myles Norman found a lane on the ensuing kickoff and outran the Jaguars for a 90-yard touchdown return, reducing the deficit to 24-7 with 1:03 remaining.

Norman’s return could have restored a measure of momentum going into the locker room.

Southwestern took it right back.

Duran drove the Jaguars down the field and connected with Malachi Bean-Seay for a 49-yard touchdown with 15 seconds remaining, sending Southwestern into halftime with a 31-7 lead.

The Jaguars had scored three touchdowns in the final 1:41, including two defensive or offensive scores separated by only 27 seconds. Grossmont’s kickoff return was the only interruption.

Southwestern had needed more than 22 minutes to score its first 10 points.

It required only 86 seconds to score its next 21.

GROSSMONT KEPT IT CLOSE—UNTIL IT DIDN’T

The scoreless first quarter was not an indication that Grossmont controlled the game.

Southwestern repeatedly hurt itself with penalties, committed a turnover and failed to convert two early scoring opportunities. The Jaguars reached the Grossmont red zone on consecutive possessions but initially came away without points.

Grossmont’s defense produced stops when it had little margin for error. The Griffins pressured Duran on a fourth-down attempt and prevented Southwestern from immediately converting its advantageous field position.

The Griffins’ offense, however, struggled from the opening possession against a defense capable of creating pressure without sending additional rushers.

Spicer rarely had time to establish a rhythm. Southwestern’s front closed running lanes, collapsed the pocket and forced Grossmont to operate behind the chains.

Even before the score became lopsided, the Jaguars appeared to be controlling the terms of the game.

Kassab’s interception finally converted that control into points. Meadows followed with his 36-yard field goal at the 10:31 mark of the second quarter.

Duran then hit Ahmad “AJ” Perry II on a bubble screen, and Perry followed his blockers for a 39-yard touchdown that made it 10-0 with 7:16 remaining.

Grossmont responded with its best offensive possession of the first half.

The Griffins moved inside the Southwestern 10 and reached third-and-goal before the Jaguars forced an incompletion. Mora came on for what the broadcast described as a 23-yard attempt.

The block—and Cameron’s touchdown on the following play—turned Grossmont’s best opportunity into its most damaging sequence.

DURAN ATTACKS DOWNFIELD

Southwestern entered the game having demonstrated a deep and physical rushing rotation in its 27-0 victory at College of the Canyons.

Duran made the running game almost secondary Saturday.

The sophomore completed touchdown passes covering 39, 55, 49, 80 and 25 yards. His 19 completions produced an average of 22.8 yards each.

Duran consistently threw beyond Grossmont’s coverage rather than relying entirely on short completions and yards after the catch.

His pass to Cameron traveled through the seam. His strike to Bean-Seay arrived before halftime at the end of a rapid drive. His fourth touchdown exploited a free play after Grossmont jumped offside.

The receiver, Jeremiah Colbert, is a bounceback from Jacksonville State, and was credited the 80-yard touchdown reception.

Duran recognized the offside penalty, attacked the one-on-one coverage and hit Colbert in stride near midfield. Colbert completed the 80-yard touchdown to extend the lead to 45-10 late in the third quarter.

Titus White caught Duran’s final touchdown pass, scoring from 25 yards with 10:23 remaining in the fourth.

White finished with three receptions for 73 yards. Bean-Seay led Southwestern with five catches for 84 yards, while Cameron caught two passes for 64 yards and Perry finished with two receptions for 51 yards.

Lawrence Taylor added two catches for 43 yards, and Kiram Dallas caught three passes for 21.

Nine Southwestern receiving entries were credited with at least one reception.

Duran has completed 35 of 46 passes for 642 yards through two games, a 76.1-percent completion rate. He has not thrown an interception.

RODRIGUEZ’S DEPTH SHOWS

Southwestern head coach Oscar Rodriguez used his roster aggressively once the Jaguars established control.

Rodriguez rotated defensive personnel in waves, at one point replacing nearly the entire unit during a Grossmont possession.

The substitutions did not reduce the pressure.

Southwestern continued to attack Spicer with different combinations along the front and at linebacker. The Jaguars frequently generated pressure with four rushers, allowing seven defenders to remain in coverage.

That depth was one of the clearest differences between the programs.

Grossmont possessed the ball longer and ran five more offensive plays, but Southwestern remained substantially fresher and more explosive. The Jaguars needed only 59 plays to produce their 603 yards.

Rodriguez also remained aggressive offensively after halftime. Southwestern opened the third quarter with a physical touchdown drive capped by Elias Johnson’s 4-yard run.

Johnson followed his blockers off the left side, ran through contact near the goal line and finished the drive to make it 38-7.

Johnson gained 28 yards on eight carries and scored his third rushing touchdown of the season.

Caleb Blocker led Southwestern with 69 yards on nine carries, averaging 7.7 yards per attempt. Elijah Dennis added 19 yards on two attempts, and Jamar Johnson contributed 17 yards on six carries.

The Jaguars finished with 156 rushing yards, giving them enough balance to prevent Grossmont from committing entirely to the passing game.

EADS HELPS LEAD RELENTLESS DEFENSE

Former Christian High standout Brady Eads remained central to Southwestern’s defensive success.

Eads recorded five solo tackles, a 10-yard sack and a tackle for loss, continuing his emergence within a unit that has allowed only 10 points through two games.

Grossmont’s Norman scored on special teams. The Jaguars’ defense did not allow an offensive touchdown.

In fact, Mora’s 41-yard field goal with 3:25 remaining in the third quarter represented the first points scored against Southwestern’s defense this season.

Grossmont reached first-and-goal at the Southwestern 7 before the Jaguars again drove the Griffins backward.

Charlie Sullivan dropped Norman for a 5-yard loss. Blake Lauritzen then sacked Spicer, and a delay-of-game penalty followed. What began as first-and-goal from the 7 became third-and-goal from the 24.

Mora salvaged three points, but Southwestern’s defense had again prevented a touchdown after Grossmont reached scoring position.

That sequence represented the Jaguars’ afternoon.

Whenever Grossmont generated momentum, Southwestern answered with a negative play.

Eads, Niko Ta’a and Haneef Bilal each recorded five solo tackles.

Lauritzen, Carson Curtis and David Peevy recorded sacks. Damarrion White and Malik Brooks shared another, while the team was credited with the sixth.

Southwestern finished with 10 tackles for loss totaling 54 yards.

Studebaker and Kassab intercepted passes, while Bilal, Joseph Stephens and Chris Snyder broke up throws. Max Gonzales was credited with the blocked kick that initiated the decisive late-first-half sequence.

NORMAN PROVIDES GROSSMONT’S SPARK

Norman produced nearly all of Grossmont’s explosiveness.

His 90-yard kickoff return accounted for the Griffins’ only touchdown. He finished with 128 all-purpose yards, including 106 yards on two kickoff returns.

Norman also caught four passes for 22 yards and carried five times for six yards.

The official rushing numbers do not fully capture some of his better second-half work because penalties erased or reduced several plays. The Bishop Gorman player was Grossmont’s bright spot as he continued competing with the game out of reach.

Spicer completed 14 of 27 passes for 103 yards and threw two interceptions. He was sacked six times for 42 yards in losses.

His longest completion gained only 16 yards.

Trenice Woods caught four passes for 29 yards, Demann Beverly added four receptions for 26 yards and Norman caught four for 22.

Chris Williams led Grossmont’s rushing attack with 24 yards on four carries. Ladarrione Perkins gained 19 yards on his only attempt, while Spicer finished with 16 net rushing yards after the sacks were applied.

Grossmont averaged 2.3 yards per rushing attempt and converted five of 15 third downs.

Mora made his second opportunity from 41 yards and averaged 38.1 yards on seven punts.

EAST COUNTY DEFENDERS KEEP WORKING

Former Helix defender Jirah Savaiinaea Jr. led Grossmont with seven tackles, including five solo stops and a tackle for loss.

Former Mount Miguel standout Avery Morris recorded five tackles, a 12-yard sack and a forced fumble.

Morris supplied Grossmont’s only sack and forced Southwestern’s only turnover.

Gatchang Gatchang added five solo tackles. Jonathan Smith, James Tivao, Zane Willis, Alejandro Martinez-Rodriguez, Hector Armenta and Easton Filetti recorded three tackles apiece.

Grossmont limited Southwestern to 156 rushing yards, but the Jaguars’ passing game rendered that relative success largely meaningless.

Southwestern averaged 16.6 net yards per pass play. Seven Jaguars recorded a reception of at least 18 yards, and four produced gains covering at least 39.

FLAGS CANNOT SLOW SOUTHWESTERN

The game’s only genuine common weakness was discipline.

Grossmont committed 12 penalties for 114 yards. Southwestern was penalized 18 times for 194 yards.

The teams combined for 30 penalties and 308 yards, contributing to a broadcast lasting more than three hours.

Southwestern’s total would ordinarily make winning difficult against a capable opponent.

The Jaguars overcame it because their explosive plays repeatedly erased lost yardage. They scored 52 points despite moving backward by nearly two football fields through penalties.

Grossmont could not survive its mistakes as easily.

Penalties repeatedly disrupted the Griffins’ tempo, created long-yardage situations and compounded the pressure already being generated by Southwestern’s front.

The Jaguars were far from flawless.

They were dominant anyway.

COLBERT ARRIVES WITH FBS BACKGROUND

Jeremiah Colbert’s first recorded reception for Southwestern became the longest offensive play of the Jaguars’ 52-10 victory.

Colbert, a transfer with previous stops at Jacksonville State and Bethel University in Tennessee, caught an 80-yard touchdown pass from Dominic Duran during the third quarter.

Colbert provides another example of the reach head coach Oscar Rodriguez and his staff have developed in constructing the Jaguars’ roster.

Colbert is a native of Suwanee, Georgia, and played his senior season at state power Buford High. Jacksonville State signed him in its 2024 recruiting class after he received three-star recognition from 247Sports and two-star status from Rivals.

A receiver and kick returner, Colbert also brought considerable track speed. His recruiting profile listed recorded times of 10.53 seconds in the 100 meters and 21.28 in the 200.

Colbert appeared in three games for Jacksonville State during the 2024 season but did not record a reception. He was listed at Bethel University in 2025 before making the cross-country move to Southwestern.

His first listed reception as a Jaguar demonstrated why Rodriguez’s staff brought him to Chula Vista.

Grossmont jumped offside late in the third quarter, giving Duran a free play. The quarterback immediately attacked the one-on-one coverage and delivered another deep pass in stride.

Colbert made the catch near midfield and completed the 80-yard touchdown, extending Southwestern’s lead to 45-10.

The official game statistics initially credited the reception only to “Team” because Colbert had not been properly entered into the active statistical roster. The 5-foot-9¼, 174-pound sophomore was easy to spot after reaching the end zone.

Colbert’s arrival also adds another dimension to an already-deep receiving group. Eight individually identified Jaguars caught passes against Grossmont, and five different receivers scored touchdowns.

For a player whose identity was briefly a mystery, Colbert introduced himself emphatically.

RIVALRY GAP WIDENS

Grossmont entered the game hoping to prove its progress under head coach Mason Mitchell extended beyond last season’s 7-4 finish and SCFA Beach Bowl victory.

The Griffins also wanted to show that their 57-6 opening victory over Compton represented more than the expected result against an undermanned opponent.

Southwestern supplied the answer.

Grossmont has improved, but the Griffins were not prepared to match one of the state’s ranked National Division programs.

Southwestern has now won seven consecutive meetings in the series. The Jaguars won in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 before the teams did not meet last season.

Grossmont’s most recent victory remains a 27-24 decision in 2017.

The Jaguars won 45-31 in 2023 and 28-7 in 2024. Saturday’s 42-point margin was the most emphatic of the three most recent meetings.

Southwestern has defeated Canyons and Grossmont by a combined score of 79-10. The Jaguars have accumulated 1,012 yards, recorded 11 sacks and forced six turnovers.

The opener demonstrated Southwestern could physically dominate a National Division opponent.

The second game showed the Jaguars could strike from almost anywhere on the field.

Grossmont stayed within 10 points for nearly the entire first half.

Then Southwestern required less than two minutes to put the Griffins—and the rivalry—firmly back in their place.

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THE 86-SECOND EXPLOSION

Grossmont trailed 10-0 and lined up for a short field goal with 1:49 remaining in the first half.

The next 86 seconds decided the game.

Time	Play	Score
1:49	Max Gonzales blocks Grossmont field goal	SWC 10-0
1:41	Duran to Bobby Cameron, 55-yard TD	SWC 17-0
1:14	Kylan Studebaker, 29-yard interception TD	SWC 24-0
1:03	Myles Norman, 90-yard kickoff-return TD	SWC 24-7
0:15	Duran to Malachi Bean-Seay, 49-yard TD	SWC 31-7

The teams combined for four touchdowns over the final 101 seconds, with Southwestern scoring three.

The Jaguars turned Grossmont’s possible scoring opportunity into a 21-7 closing burst and carried a 24-point advantage into halftime.

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DURAN’S NEAR-PERFECT START

Southwestern quarterback Dominic Duran has opened the season by completing more than three-quarters of his passes without committing a turnover.

Category	At Canyons	vs. Grossmont	Season
Completions-attempts	16-22	19-24	35-46
Passing yards	208	434	642
Touchdown passes	0	5	5
Interceptions	0	0	0
Completion percentage	72.7	79.2	76.1

His five touchdown passes against Grossmont covered 39, 55, 49, 80 and 25 yards.

Duran completed passes to nine receiving entries and averaged 22.8 yards per completion.

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EAST COUNTY IMPACT

Several former East County high school standouts played prominent defensive roles.

Brady Eads, Southwestern (Christian High)
Five solo tackles, one 10-yard sack and one tackle for loss.

Jamil Kassab, Southwestern (Ramona)
Intercepted a deflected pass, producing the turnover that led to the game’s opening field goal.

Jirah Savaiinaea Jr., Grossmont (Helix)
Team-leading seven tackles, including five solo stops and one tackle for loss.

Avery Morris, Grossmont (Mount Miguel)
Five tackles, one 12-yard sack and a forced fumble.

Eads helped Southwestern hold Grossmont’s offense without a touchdown. Savaiinaea and Morris supplied two of Grossmont’s strongest individual defensive performances despite Southwestern’s 603-yard afternoon.

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SERIES SNAPSHOT

Season	Result
2017	Grossmont 27, Southwestern 24
2018	Southwestern victory
2019	Southwestern victory
2021	Southwestern victory
2022	Southwestern victory
2023	Southwestern victory
2024	Southwestern victory
2025	Did not meet
2026	Southwestern victory

Current streak: Southwestern, seven consecutive victories

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HOT PERFORMERS

• Dominic Duran, Southwestern: 19-of-24, 434 yards, five touchdowns, no interceptions.
• Malachi Bean-Seay, Southwestern: Five receptions, 84 yards, 49-yard touchdown.
• Titus White, Southwestern: Three receptions, 73 yards, 25-yard touchdown.
• Caleb Blocker, Southwestern: Nine carries, 69 yards.
• Bobby Cameron, Southwestern: Two receptions, 64 yards, 55-yard touchdown.
• Ahmad “AJ” Perry II, Southwestern: Two receptions, 51 yards, 39-yard touchdown.
• Kylan Studebaker, Southwestern: 29-yard interception return for a touchdown.
• Brady Eads, Southwestern: Five solo tackles and a 10-yard sack.
• Daniel Meadows, Southwestern: 36-yard field goal, seven extra points.
• Jeremiah Colbert, Southwestern: 80-yard touchdown reception.
• Myles Norman, Grossmont: 90-yard kickoff-return touchdown, 128 all-purpose yards.
• Jirah Savaiinaea Jr., Grossmont: Team-high seven tackles.
• Avery Morris, Grossmont: Five tackles, 12-yard sack and forced fumble.
• Lucas Mora, Grossmont: 41-yard field goal and seven punts for 267 yards.

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