Comets fall 31-3 to Rustlers

ESCONDIDO, CA (9/11/2021) -- On Saturday, the Palomar Comets took on Golden West in their second game of the season, this time being on the wrong end of a 31-3 final score.

Golden West ran out of the gates early via quarterback Jake Retzlaff punching the ball into the goal line from a yard out. Golden West tacked on two more scores with Retzlaff connecting on a touchdown to wide receiver Torrance Wiseman as well as kicker Jake Cipres tacked on a 39-yard field goal to end the first half with a score of 17-0.

In the 4^th quarter, the Comets found momentum thanks to a 29-yard field goal from Landon Ogles (Rancho Bernardo) to avoid the shutout. That momentum vanished when the very next play, kick returner Eman Lawoye, of Golden West, took a kickoff all the way to the house, breaking tackle after tackle. Retzlaff would score on a quarterback sneak from a yard out to finish the game 31-3.

Comets quarterback Zeke Payne (Rancho Bernardo) went 18-34 for 143 passing yards. Running back Tawee Walker (Centennial, AZ) led the team in rushing, with 55 yards on the ground of 19 carries. Wide receiver Tyler Pye (Amos P. Godby, FL) led the team in receiving, snagging five receptions for 41 yards. Linebacker Vavega Sialoi (Vista) led the way on defense, racking up eight tackles while defensive back Kris Sanchez recorded a 30-yard interception. Landon Ogles punted seven times on the night, with an average of 36 yards per punt.

The Comets had 208 offensive yards as a team on 72 snaps. 161 yards came from the air, while 47 yards came from the ground. The defense gave up 362 yards on 61 snaps; 144 yards came from the air and 218 came from the ground. The Comets as a team committed 10 penalties for 195 yards.

The Comets fall to 1-1 on the season and will face Southwestern on the road on Sept. 18^th at 6 p.m.

Story by Mac Pham