Palomar Battles in Close Loss to Mt. San Jacinto, Falls 36-29

MURRIETA, CA (11/2/2024) -- Palomar College showed resilience and big-play potential in a hard-fought 36-29 loss to Mt. San Jacinto College on Saturday night. The Comets, now 3-5, rallied late and displayed offensive firepower that kept the game within reach, despite falling short in the final minutes.

The Comets set the tone early, with quarterback Andrew Tapley launching a 75-yard touchdown pass to Skai Donnell on the first play from scrimmage. The explosive start gave Palomar a quick 7-0 lead and underscored their readiness to compete.

After trailing 33-14 in the third quarter, Palomar's offense came alive. KJ Chatham found Quincy Herron for an 18-yard touchdown late in the third quarter, trimming the deficit to 33-14. Chatham continued his strong play in the fourth quarter, engineering an 8-play, 56-yard drive capped by a 2-yard rushing touchdown from Chris Bausch. With under two minutes remaining, Chatham connected with Elijah Hudson on a 16-yard touchdown pass, and then successfully ran for a two-point conversion to close the gap to 36-29.

Chatham was sharp in relief, completing 18 of 23 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns, while Tapley added 120 passing yards and a touchdown of his own. The receiving corps delivered standout performances, with Tate Reid hauling in 7 catches for 104 yards and Donnell recording 94 yards on three catches. Palomar's offense finished with 373 total yards, with 333 coming through the air.

Defensively, Palomar's players fought hard against a well-coordinated Mt. San Jacinto offense. Jacob Sisson led the defensive effort with eight tackles, including a sack, while Andy Devine added nine total tackles. Davion Green and Tucker Murphy contributed multiple stops, helping to keep the Comets within striking distance.

Despite four interceptions and struggles on third down, Palomar remained competitive and continued to generate big plays on both sides of the ball. The team will look to build on their offensive momentum as they head into next week's matchup against Southwestern College, with a 1 p.m. kickoff on the road.