Jags seek response; Mesa needs rebound

By Ramon Scott
Updated: October 22, 2026

Mesa College sophomore Alejandro Tejada, of Monte Vista High / Nicole Noel

2026 COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOOTBALL

NATIONAL SOUTHERN LEAGUE

Southwestern visits dangerous El Camino, Mesa meets Chaffey in a matchup of ranked teams, and Palomar takes its momentum to No. 3 Saddleback

By RAMON SCOTT
EastCountySports.com

Southwestern College’s unbeaten season ended at Riverside. The opportunity to put together an exceptional season remains.

The sixth-ranked Jaguars visit No. 24 El Camino on Saturday, beginning a three-game closing stretch that will determine how well they recover from their first defeat.

No. 9 San Diego Mesa also faces a significant road assignment at No. 14 Chaffey, while Palomar travels to No. 3 Saddleback after ending its four-game losing streak.

All three games are National Southern League contests. Southwestern remains tied with Saddleback for second place at 3-1, one game behind Riverside. Mesa and Chaffey share fourth at 2-2.

NO. 6 SOUTHWESTERN AT NO. 24 EL CAMINO

Saturday, Oct. 24, 6 p.m. — Murdock Stadium, Torrance
Southwestern: 6-1, 3-1; El Camino: 3-4, 1-3

Southwestern’s next challenge comes against a team whose record offers an incomplete picture of its ability.

El Camino has suffered three one-possession losses, including last Saturday’s 24-21 overtime defeat at Palomar. The Warriors remain ranked in the state’s top 25 and possess a passing attack capable of testing the Jaguars.

Southwestern enters after a 38-28 loss at Riverside in which the Jaguars outgained the state’s top-ranked team 405-341, but could not overcome two costly first-quarter mistakes.

A blocked punt and a sack-fumble gave Riverside possession at the Southwestern 26 and 6. Both became touchdowns.

The Jaguars also finished 0-for-4 on fourth down, preventing productive stretches of offense from becoming enough points.

Cleaning up those possessions is an immediate priority for coach Oscar Rodriguez’s team, which remains No. 8 nationally following its 6-0 start.

Quarterback Dominic Duran threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns without an interception at Riverside. He enters Saturday averaging 242.4 passing yards per game, second among the National Southern League’s listed leaders.

Duran’s opening-series 60-yard touchdown pass to Ahmad “AJ” Perry II demonstrated Southwestern’s ability to strike quickly. Titus White added a 52-yard scoring reception, and Malachi Bean-Seay finished with six catches for 69 yards and a touchdown.

White averages 56.1 receiving yards per game, while Bean-Seay has five touchdown catches.

Southwestern can also lean on a running game led by Caleb Blocker, whose 70.6 rushing yards per game lead the league’s listed rushers. Elias Johnson and Jamar Johnson each average approximately 40 yards per game.

That balance could be important against an El Camino defense that held Palomar to 59 rushing yards last week.

The Jaguars’ defense, meanwhile, must build on its second-half response at Riverside. After allowing five first-half touchdowns, Southwestern surrendered only three points after intermission.

Niko Ta’a led the Jaguars with 13 tackles, Valentino Wedderburn added 10, and former Christian High standout Brady Eads had nine. Eads averages 6.3 tackles per game, while Carson Curtis has 4½ sacks this season.

El Camino quarterback Maika Eugenio presents another demanding assignment. He averages 239.1 passing yards per game and has thrown 17 touchdown passes.

His primary target, Alec Saunders, caught 10 passes for 159 yards against Palomar and enters Saturday averaging 94.1 receiving yards per game, with seven touchdown catches.

The Warriors generated 325 passing yards in that loss, but three turnovers and a scoreless second half left them vulnerable.

Southwestern’s task is to make El Camino earn its opportunities while finishing more of its own.

A victory would keep the Jaguars close to Riverside and set up their Oct. 31 home meeting with Saddleback, the team alongside them in second place.

The available computer projection underscores the danger, narrowly favoring El Camino, 33-31.

NO. 9 SAN DIEGO MESA AT NO. 14 CHAFFEY

Saturday, Oct. 24, 6 p.m. — Chaffey College, Rancho Cucamonga
Both teams: 5-2, 2-2

Mesa’s two defeats have required overtime and have come by a combined five points.

The narrow margins explain how close the Olympians have been to an unbeaten season. Their league position explains the importance of Saturday’s response.

Mesa visits a Chaffey team with identical overall and conference records, giving the winner a chance to separate from the other in the National Southern standings.

The Olympians dropped from fourth to ninth in the state coaches poll following their 30-27 overtime loss to Saddleback.

They twice led by 10 points and regained the advantage in the fourth quarter, but Saddleback tied the game late and won after Mesa missed its overtime field-goal attempt.

Freshman quarterback Diesel Taylor continues to direct one of the league’s most productive passing offenses. Taylor has thrown for 1,804 yards and 20 touchdowns, leading the league’s listed passers in both yards per game, at 257.7, and touchdown passes.

Colin McCann caught eight passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns against Saddleback. He now has 40 receptions for 628 yards and seven scores.

Jayden Chanel adds another downfield option with 353 receiving yards and four touchdowns, while Braxton Sherley has six scoring catches.

The ground game faces a particularly important test.

Former Monte Vista High standout Alexander Villanueva leads Mesa with 461 rushing yards, but Chaffey’s season statistics show opponents averaging only 66.6 rushing yards per game and 2.5 per carry.

Mesa managed 99 rushing yards against Saddleback. Finding more consistent gains would help keep the Olympians from placing too much of the offense on Taylor’s passing.

Chaffey enters after a 30-24 victory at Mt. San Jacinto, receiving contributions from its offense, defense and return game.

Quarterback Frankie Villabazo passed for 202 yards and a touchdown and rushed for two scores. Jeremy Lenore added 77 rushing yards, Eric Bell intercepted two passes, and Theodore Edquilang returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown.

Villabazo has 10 rushing touchdowns this season, making his ability to finish drives with his legs a major concern for Mesa.

Receivers Nathan Enriquez and Julian Lofton-Lundy have combined for 868 receiving yards and 10 touchdown catches.

Mesa’s defensive front will need to pressure Villabazo without allowing him easy escape lanes. Tobiah Araujo has 5½ sacks, and Jack Metzler has four.

The Panthers allowed 329 passing yards last week, suggesting opportunities for Taylor and McCann if Mesa protects its quarterback and the football.

The computer projection favors Mesa, 37-27.

PALOMAR AT NO. 3 SADDLEBACK

Saturday, Oct. 24, 1 p.m. — Saddleback College, Mission Viejo
Palomar: 3-4, 1-3; Saddleback: 6-1, 3-1

Palomar regained its footing with an overtime victory. Keeping it will require beating one of the state’s leading teams on the road.

The Comets visit a Saddleback program that climbed to No. 3 in California after its overtime victory at Mesa. Saturday is the Bobcats’ Military Appreciation Day and final regular-season home game.

Palomar’s 24-21 win over El Camino featured the kind of defensive and special-teams contributions it will need again.

Tanner Doyle’s overtime fumble recovery ended the Warriors’ possession, setting up Carson Beard’s winning 43-yard field goal.

Santiago Singh-Kim intercepted two passes, and Dominic Hawk returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown.

The Comets held El Camino scoreless after halftime and allowed only 37 rushing yards. Jonathan Class led Palomar with eight tackles and 2½ tackles for loss, while punter Taylor McCall placed five of six kicks inside the 20.

Offensively, Noah Schuback passed for 230 yards and ran for the touchdown that helped erase an eight-point halftime deficit. Spencer Hoang caught 11 passes for 109 yards and the tying two-point conversion.

Saddleback offers a substantial test of that defensive progress. The Bobcats rushed for 198 yards at Mesa, led by Elijah Ayala’s 94, while quarterback Timmy Herr passed for 196.

Kicker Manuel Maganda made three field goals, including the late tying kick and overtime winner.

Palomar must sustain more offense after rushing for only 59 yards against El Camino. Repeated short possessions would give Saddleback opportunities to establish the running game and control field position.

The computer projection favors Saddleback, 35-17.

Rankings are from the Oct. 20 state coaches poll.