Bobcats come up short in regional finals

The Saddleback football season ended on Saturday in Huntington Beach with a 33-15 loss to Golden West College in the regional finals.  The Bobcats finished the season 10-2.

Saddleback started slowly and never recovered.  The Bobcats eventually found some offense in the second half, but it was too late as the top-rated team in the state and nation advanced to the state finals next weekend.

Golden West led 13-0 early in the second quarter when the Saddleback offense found a rhythm.  The Bobcats drove down the field and capped off the drive when Kavaughn Clark found a seam and ran 15 yards for a score to cut the deficit to 13-7. 

The momentum was short-lived for Saddleback fans, however, as Golden West responded with an eight-play drive for a score when quarterback Kauna'oa Kamakawiwo'ole found receiver Tanner Schmidt for a 31-yard touchdown and the lead was back to 13. 

Saddleback's troubles continued late in the half when the penalty bug showed up.  The Bobcats committed three penalties on a drive that stalled in their own end.  They were forced to punt and the punt was blocked, giving Golden West the ball at the Saddleback 28-yard line.  The Rustlers cashed in with a 38-yard field goal from Matthew Zavala to gain a 23-7 lead heading into the locker rooms.

Saddleback came out of the locker room looking to make a comeback and the defense got a quick stop to give the offense a chance to cut into the lead.  The Bobcats drove 68 yards and scored when Clark scored his second touchdown of the game on a one-yard run.  It gave the Bobcats momentum and cut the deficit to 23-15 with 5:03 remaining in the third quarter.

Unfortunately, Saddleback would get no closer as the penalty bug reappeared.  The Bobcats were whistled for a number of costly penalties down the stretch and Golden West had an effective running game to wind down the clock on the Saddleback season.  Tyler Dudden did his best to generate some offense with his legs in the final half, rushing for 48 yards and showing no fear while taking on defenders.  Unfortunately, the teams combined for 18 penalties during the course of the game, many of which were called on the Bobcats over the final 30 minutes of play as they were attempting to make a comeback.

Golden West added an insurance score late in the game when Aaron Mitchell scored on an eight-yard touchdown run to give the Rustlers a 33-15 lead. 

Saddleback finishes the season 10-2 overall.  It is the first 10-win season for Saddleback since 2015 and the 11^th in program history.

Golden West (12-0) advances to the state championship game next Saturday where they will host College of San Mateo (11-1).