Riverside edges Mesa in ‘Instant Classic’

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: December 6, 2024

2024 COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOOTBALL
3C2A State Playoffs – South Regional Semifinals

ECS staff report

RIVERSIDE – Fourth-seeded San Diego Mesa College moved into position to reach the Southern California championship for the first time since 1981. But top-seeded Riverside had other plans.

Trailing 27-0 at haftime, then 30-14 through three periods, the host Tigers out-scored the Olympian by a 23-0 county over the final 15 minutes to secure a stunning 37-30 victory at RCC Stadium on Saturday (*Nov. 30). BOXSCORE

The game-winning score came with 24 seconds left on the clock.

Riverside (10-1 overall), which suffered its only game by one point to Golden West, will host No. 2 Mt. San Anotnio in the Southland final. The Mounties advance by easily doubling-up El Camino, 48-24.

For San Diego Mesa (8-3), quarterback Jax Leatherwood passed for 327 yards and a pair of touchdowns. But in the fourth quarter, the Riverside defense took over.

The rally started on a 31-yard field goal by Luis Marin to trim the leas to 40-17. Mesa then missed a mid-range field goal, allowing RCC to Then the Tigers closd with three unanswered touchdowns ovrt yh final 8 minutes/

Riverside’s Brady Jones then fired a 49-yard TD pass, followed bya Tigers stop on a 3-and-out.

Jones then passed on 8 of the nexct 9 plays, capped by a 13-yard to pull even with 2:40 remaining.

Mesa’s last chance saw a third-down sack and a punt, with RCC winning late.

Marquis Monroe busted loose for a 61-yard rush, followed by the deciding score on a 3-yard run by Devyne Pearson with 24 seconds to play.

Flashback

This Mesa loss was just as frustrating for the Olympians as was its Pony Bowl setback to Saddleback in ’81, falling 13-12 in the fog at Cerritos College’s Falcon Stadium in Norwalk.

Mesa held the ball inside the Gauchos (now Bobcats) 10-yard line with under a minute to play, but a fourth-down pass into the end zons was intercepted.

READ MORE HERE

Sat., Nov. 30 – Semifinals
(1) Riverside 37, (4) San Diego Mesa 30
(2) Mt. San Antonio 48, (3) El Camino 25

Bowl Games

Sat., Nov. 23
So. California Bowl
At Huntington Beach
Golden West 28, Allan Hancock 7
RECAP

Sun., Nov. 24
Valencia Bowl
At Santa Clarita
College of the Canyons 26, Mt. San Jacinto 21
RECAP

Mon., Nov. 25
Western State Bowl
At Santa Ana Bowl
Santa Ana 35, L.A. Southwest 21
RECAP

Tue., Nov. 26
Patriotic Bowl
At Mission Viejo
Saddleback 48, Bakersfield 45
RECAP
https://saddleback.prestosports.com/sports/fball/2024-25/releases/20241126vi721z

Wed., Nov. 27
Beach Bowl
At Ventura
Ventura 39, Long Beach 33
RECAP

Sat., Nov. 30
American Bowl
At Jackie Robinson Stadium
Pasadena 23, Chaffey 14
RECAP