Comets face Olympians to make playoffs

2018 COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOOTBALL

 

By Tom Saxe

Special to EastCountySports.com

 

SAN DIEGO (11-09-2018) – Palomar will try to lock up the Central League championship and receive an automatic top-three seed in the four-team Southern California Community College playoffs on Saturday when the Comets travel to Merrill Douglas Stadium to face San Diego Mesa College.

Kickoff will be at 6 p.m. With two-time state and national champion Fullerton forfeiting its 2018 schedule due to using ineligible players, the Comets (6-3 on the season, 3-1 in conference) enter the last game of the regular season with the best power ranking in the Central Conference.

A victory by the Comets, coupled with a victory by favored Cerritos over El Camino College, will guarantee Palomar a top-three playoff seed with champions of the Southern League and Northern League.

The Olympians enter the game with a 5-4 record, but a 1-3 mark in the conference.

The game will feature two of the best quarterbacks in community college football in Palomar’s Connor Curry, last week’s Southern California National (Playoff-Eligible) Division Offensive Player of the Week after accounting for six touchdowns (five passing) as the Comets upset Cerritos 35-25, and Mesa’s Jake Dunninway, a transfer from UC Davis.

Both are redshirt freshmen. Curry originally was offered by Clemson out of high school.

“It’s definitely a ‘trap’ game for us,” Palomar coach Joe Early said. “Despite its league record, Mesa is a very good team, which is pretty obvious on film. They’ve played everyone (on their league schedule) tough, with the exception of Fullerton, which used ineligible players. We’d better be ready to play.”

 

PROBABLE PALOMAR LINE-UPS

OFFENSE

Quarterback

Connor Curry (6-2, 200, Fr., Evangel Christian HS, Shreveport, LA / Ouachita Baptist University)

Running Back

Shevell Sterling (5-10, 190, Fr., Grossmont HS)

Fullback

Arnold Yoder (6-1, 260, So., Toledo HS, Toledo, WA / USMC)

Receivers

Logan Gamble (6-6, 200, Fr., St. Anthony HS, Long Beach / Cal)

Malachi Russell (6-0, 160, Fr., El Camino HS)

Mikel Barkley (5-11, 165, Fr., Temecula Great Oak HS)

Bryce Walker (6-0, 180, So., Bartram Trail HS, Jacksonville, FL)

Zack Morel (6-2, 193, So, Vista HS)

Slot Receivers

Devin Nilson (6-0, 187, So., Carlsbad HS)

Johnny Armentrout (5-10, 175, Fr., El Camino HS)

Johnny Arzola (6-0, 195, So., Oceanside HS, Dixie State)

Tight End

William Gonzalez (6-4, 230, Fr., Murrieta Valley HS)

Left Tackle 

Quinton Maxwell (6-3, 340, Fr., King HS, Detroit, MI)

Left Guard

Francisco Rodriguez (6-4, 300, Fr., Sicks HS, Tampa, FL)

Center

Anthony Escalante (6-2, 240, Fr., Rancho Buena Vista HS)

Right Guard

Braydon Lindholm (6-6, 290, Fr., Moses Lake HS, Moses Lake, WA)

Right Tackle

Will Eoff (6-6, 290, Fr., Vista Murrieta HS)

DEFENSE

End

Isaac Tuia (6-1, 295, Fr., Bishop Gorman HS, Las Vegas, NV)

End

Jordan Duson (6-1, 240, Fr., Oceanside HS)

Tackle

Koa Evalu-Robinson (6-3, 275, Fr., Lahainaluna HS, Maui, HI)

Tackle 

Nick So’oto (6-2, 300, Fr., Parkway HS, Bossier, LA / Northeastern State)

Linebacker

Spencer Kaoanga (6-1, 220, Fr., Oceanside HS / Air Force Prep)

Linebacker

Chris Calhoun (6-1, 210, Fr. Mission Hills HS)

Cornerback

Jihad Hightower (5-9, 171, Fr., Creekside HS, St. Johns, FL)

Cornerback

Louie Flores (5-10, 180, Fr., Mission Hills HS)

Safety

Jay Craft (5-11, 180, Fr., Cherry Creek HS, Cherry Creek, CO / Kansas State University)

Safety

Orion Diaz (6-0, 160, So., Escondido HS)

Safety

Josh Bernard (5-11, 205, So., Oceanside HS)

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kickoffs, PAT’s, FG’s)

Mark Meador (5-8, 147, Fr., Del Norte HS)

Punter

Jacob Stepanek (6-3, 205, Fr., Temescal Canyon HS, Lake Elsinore)

Holder

Jacob Stepanek

Long Snapper

Edwin Vorachack (5-10, 175, Fr., Escondido HS

Kickoff Returners

Lamar Raboteau (5-8, 165, Fr., Mira Mesa HS)

Damon Wigand (5-10, 180, Fr., Mission Hills HS)

Punt Returners

Devin Nilson

Johnny Arzola

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