"Balance" the key in latest win

The Saddleback football team won its eighth game of the season on Saturday night in Escondido, beating Palomar College 39-27.  A balanced attack led the charge with the playoffs looming.

Saddleback needed a win in order to keep pace in the National Division Southern League and with injuries taking their toll the Gauchos took care of business.  Saddleback led from start to finish and now sits in a three-way tie for first place with one game remaining on the schedule. 

Saddleback sprinted out of the gate when Nick Robinson found Remy Wasserbach for a four-yard touchdown pass on the opening drive of the game.  It was a 13-play drive with the Gauchos running the ball seven times, setting the tone for the game.

Saddleback quickly got a stop on defense when Chris Evagues and Jeff Holsinger combined for a sack on Palomar quarterback Matt Romero at the Comet five yard line, forcing Palomar into a punting situation.  The Gauchos took over at the Comet 35 and quickly went back to work.  After a couple of short passes, Edward Vander ripped off a 15-yard score and Saddleback was back in the end zone with just under 10 minutes remaining in the quarter.

Palomar closed the gap to 15-7 late in the first quarter, but Saddleback wasn't going to let the emotion swing.  With 2:01 remaining in the opening quarter, Vander again found paydirt when he streaked 17 yards for another score on a drive where the Gauchos ran the ball five straight times.

Things settled down in the second quarter and Palomar seemed to grab the momentum late in the half.  The Comets picked off Robinson near midfield, giving them life.  Palomar cashed in when Romero found Robert Usua for a 15-yard touchdown and the lead was down to 22-13. 

Saddleback wasn't ready to relinquish the emotional swing.  The Gauchos responded with a 10-play drive, capped off by a 34-yard field goal from Aaron Ball and a 25-13 halftime lead. 

The second half saw more of the same.  Just when Palomar seemed to make a move, the Gauchos would answer.   The Comets got to within 25-21 with 7:42 remaining when Terry Arnold scored on fourth and goal from the four yard line, energizing the home crowd.  Saddleback responded by going 63 yards in 11 plays, capped off by a Robinson to Marvin Marshall 10-yard pass.

Saddleback seemed to put the game away at the beginning of the fourth quarter when the special teams made a huge play.  With Palomar backed up to their own 16-yard line to start the quarter the Comets were forced to punt.  Saddleback's Kyle Adams streaked through the Palomar offensive front and blocked the punt.  He then recovered the ball in the end zone and the Gauchos had a 39-21 lead with 14: 53 remaining. 

Palomar answered with a nine-play drive, aided by a roughing the passer penalty on the Gauchos.  The Comets found the end zone when Romero found Johnny Arzola for a nine-yard score to cut the lead to 39-27.  Palomar attempted to go for two points to make it a 10-point game, but the pass fell short and Saddleback maintained a 12-point lead with just under 10 minutes remaining.

At that point the Saddleback defense took over.  The Gauchos forced a three-and-out on the following Palomar drive as the clock was winding down.  The Comets again got the ball back with 4:28 remaining and drove to the Saddleback 22 with under a minute remaining, but the Gauchos stopped the Comets on a fourth and 13 when Manny Pelzer stuffed Issiah Augero for a one-yard gain.

Saddleback held a 419-287 advantage in total yardage for the game.  The Gauchos rushed for 226 yards, led by Vander (109).  Marshall (pictured left) was also a workhorse, finishing with a team-high seven grabs for 84 yards while rushing for 32 yards on the ground.    The defense was a collective effort, sacking Romero four times while recording nine tackles-for-loss.  

Saddleback's win gives the Gauchos an 8-1 overall record while improving to 3-1 in Southern League play.  The Gauchos are in a three-way tie for first place after Fullerton beat Orange Coast, 35-14, and Golden West was surprised by Grossmont, 40-28.  Saddleback finishes the regular season at home next Saturday when they host Orange Coast College at 6:00 PM.  A win by the Gauchos combined with a loss from Golden West against Fullerton would give Saddleback its second straight, Southern League title and third in five seasons.  A win from Saddleback and a win from Golden West would give the Rustlers the league title by way of tiebreaker.  The Southern California playoffs will also be on the line next weekend.  With only four teams advancing, a loss would likely put the Gaucho hopes of making the playoffs in jeopardy.  A win combined with a Golden West victory would create a tricky situation for the playoff organizers, as Saddleback was ranked No. 2 in Southern California by the coaches this past week and with Riverside losing could very well rise to No. 1 on Monday.

On another note, the game next Saturday is the last regular season game scheduled to be played at the "Snakepit" stadium as the school is scheduled to start the construction of a new stadium after the spring semester.