Comets Push No. 5 Southwestern in Physical Battle

SAN MARCOS, CA (10/9/2025) -- Palomar returned home Thursday night to face one of the state's elite in No. 5 Southwestern College and went toe-to-toe with the undefeated Jaguars before falling 38-24 in a hard-fought contest.

Southwestern opened the game with two quick touchdowns, but the Comets didn't back down. Early in the second quarter, Chris Bausch capped a 13-play, 67-yard drive with a one-yard rushing score to get Palomar on the board. After another Jaguar touchdown, Jakob Harris marched the Comets downfield in the final minutes of the half, connecting with Bausch again — this time through the air on a five-yard strike — to make it 21-14 at halftime.

The Comets came out strong in the third quarter, cutting into the lead once again. Giovanni Harte broke through for a six-yard touchdown run to make it 28-21, keeping Palomar within striking distance. Early in the fourth, Carson Beard drilled a 36-yard field goal to pull the Comets within four, 28-24. But Southwestern answered on the very next play with a 63-yard touchdown run and added a late field goal to put the game out of reach.

Palomar finished with 315 yards of offense, led by a balanced effort from its offensive trio. Harris threw for 193 yards and a touchdown, Bausch carried 21 times for 97 yards while adding a receiving score, and Furious Hoskins hauled in six catches for 84 yards. Micah Johnson, Kainalu Davis, and Vincent Landry IV also made key grabs to keep drives alive.

Defensively, the Comets battled against one of the state's most efficient offenses. Isaiah Strong led the way with 11 total tackles, while Lucas Valencia added eight and a sack. James Coddington continued his consistent play in the secondary with eight stops, and Mason Arnold contributed seven. Zaire Bush was active up front with eight total tackles, helping the Comets hold Southwestern to 63 yards fewer than their season average.

Despite the loss, the Comets showed continued growth against another top-10 opponent, moving the ball efficiently and matching the Jaguars in physicality at the line of scrimmage. Palomar (1-5, 0-3 Southern League) has now faced four ranked teams through its first six games and continues to prove it can compete with the best in the state.

The Comets will look to bounce back on the road next week when they travel to No. 10 El Camino College on Saturday at 6 p.m.