Glendora, Calif. – In a high-scoring conference matchup under the lights at Citrus Stadium, Mt. San Antonio College suffered its first loss of the 2025 season, falling to Citrus College 48-43 in a back-and-forth offensive shootout on Saturday, September 20.
Despite putting up 19 points in the first quarter, the Mounties were unable to slow down the Citrus Owls, who used a dominant second half to complete the comeback and secure the win.
With the loss, Mt. SAC drops to 3-1 overall and 0-1 in National Northern Conference play, placing the Mounties in the lower half of the conference standings. Citrus, also 3-1 on the season, improves to 1-0 in conference and currently holds second place in the National Northern.
It remains to be seen how the result will impact this week's JC Athletic Bureau poll from the California Community College Football Coaches Association, where Mt. SAC was ranked No. 2 in the state last week.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Mt. SAC couldn't have scripted a better start. The Mounties forced a safety on the game's opening play to go up 2-0, then quickly built on that lead with a 34-yard field goal from Kenneth Junger Porta and a 38-yard touchdown pass from Daunte Bell to Jordyn Harris. After a quick Citrus response—a 41-yard touchdown pass from Brian Salazar Jr. to Cameron Bateman—Mt. SAC answered right back with Aiden Ramos' first score of the night, a 3-yard run to close the first quarter with a 19-7 advantage.
The second quarter saw Ramos continue to dominate, adding touchdown runs of 8 yards and 54 yards to complete a 3-TD first half performance. With Mt. SAC leading, Citrus started to find its rhythm. After capitalizing on a short field with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Jojo Enriquez, the Owls clawed back further with a 31-yard strike to JP Sandiford with under seven minutes to play in the half. Citrus trailed 33-21 at the break, but had begun shifting momentum.
The third quarter belonged to Citrus as they added 20 points to take the lead. Quarterback Brian Salazar Jr. took control of the game, orchestrating three touchdown drives in the quarter alone. He opened the half with a 1-yard rushing score, then followed it up with back-to-back touchdown passes to Lorenza Simmons—including a highlight-reel 75-yard bomb and a 15-yard strike—that gave Citrus a 41-36 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Mt. SAC managed just a single field goal in the third, a second 34-yarder by Junger, despite moving the ball well between the 20s. Two interceptions in the second half proved costly as the Owls' defense tightened up when it mattered most.
Citrus extended its lead to 48-36 early in the fourth with a 13-yard touchdown run from Keyonn Chatmann, capping a 6-play, 63-yard drive. The Mounties refused to go quietly, as Bell connected with Sherard (RJ) Willis for a 6-yard touchdown with 2:51 remaining, bringing the score to 48-43. The Mounties had a final opportunity to reclaim the lead in the closing minutes, but Bell's pass fell incomplete, allowing the Owls to complete their comeback and seal the victory.
Despite the final score, the Mountie defense had several standout moments and individual efforts. Jayden Murrietta led the pass rush with 1 sack and 3 tackles for loss, while Jeremiah Faustin and Kanyee Childress each added a tackle for loss and key pressure plays. Elijah Ybanez came up with two critical interceptions for Citrus, but Mt. SAC's secondary also had bright spots, including a pass breakup from Evan Odom and strong open-field tackling from Dakota Mendoza (6 total tackles). In total, the Mounties recorded 8 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, and held Citrus to just 100 rushing yards on 34 attempts (2.9 avg).
BY THE NUMBERS:
- Total Offense: Mt. SAC 671 yards | Citrus 489 yards
- Passing Yards: Mt. SAC 438 yards | Citrus 389 yards
- Rushing Yards: Mt. SAC 233 yards | Citrus 100 yards
- First Downs: Mt. SAC 32 | Citrus 26
- Time of Possession: Mt. SAC 33:36 | Citrus 26:10
- Turnovers: Mt. SAC 3 | Citrus 0
KEY PLAYERS:
- Daunte Bell (Mt. SAC): 32-of-57 passing, 438 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
- Aiden Ramos (Mt. SAC): 19 carries, 139 yards, 3 TDs
- Devon Anderson (Mt. SAC): 7 receptions, 102 yards
- Kenneth Junger Porta (Mt. SAC): 2-for-2 FG, 5-for-5 PAT, 11 points
- Brian Salazar Jr. (Citrus): 25-of-38 passing, 389 yards, 5 TDs, 1 rushing TD
- Lorenza Simmons (Citrus): 9 catches, 128 yards, 2 TDs
- Cameron Bateman (Citrus): 7 catches, 113 yards, 1 TD
- Citrus Defense: 2 INTs, 2 sacks, 1 fumble recovery
NEXT UP:
The Mounties return home to Hilmer Lodge Stadium on Saturday, September 27, to host Moorpark College (1-3) in a 6:00 PM kickoff. Mt. SAC will look to bounce back and get back in the win column as conference play continues.
STAY CONNECTED:
Follow Mt. SAC Football on Twitter @mtsacfootball or Instagram /mtsacfootball/
Follow Mt. SAC Athletics on Twitter @MtSAC_athletics or Facebook @Mountie.Athletics
For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.
