Santa Ana, Calif. – In their first shutout of the season, Mt. SAC ate Santa Ana up and left no crumbs—dominating from start to finish in a 52-0 blowout Saturday night at Eddie West Field. From the very first snap, the Mounties (5-1, 2-1) imposed their will on both sides of the ball—lighting up the scoreboard with explosive offense, while the defense and special teams smothered the Dons (0-6, 0-3), handing them their third straight conference loss.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The tone was set early when quarterback Daunte Bell connected with Devon Anderson for a 56-yard touchdown just 55 seconds into the game. That quick strike ignited a 28-point first quarter for Mt. SAC, with additional scoring strikes to Aiden Ramos (3-yard run), Pierce Brown (27-yard reception), and Elijah Crook (59-yard catch). Bell, who finished the night 9-of-11 for 253 yards and four touchdowns, led the offensive onslaught before giving way to backups midway through the contest.
In the second quarter, the Mounties continued to stretch the field, with Bell and Brown linking up again—this time on a 64-yard bomb. Backup quarterback Hunter Herrera then got in on the action with a 40-yard scoring toss to Bronseman Davis, pushing the lead to 42-0 before halftime.
After the break, the game slowed but remained firmly in Mt. SAC's control. Joseph Gutierrez capped a 12-play drive with a 20-yard field goal in the third quarter, and Eric Najarro broke free for a 29-yard touchdown run in the fourth to seal the 52-point shutout.
Mt. SAC's defense was relentless from start to finish, limiting the Dons to under 200 total yards and just 0.8 yards per rush. The front seven made life difficult for Santa Ana quarterbacks, racking up six sacks and 13 tackles for loss. Standouts included David Medellin (1.5 sacks), Solomon Tripline (7 total tackles), and Cole Taylor (2 TFLs).
Special teams contributed with consistent kicking and field position control. Kenneth Junger Porta was perfect on six extra points, while Joseph Gutierrez added a field goal and an extra point. Punter Punter Nicholas Lane did his job in the field position battle, dropping one of his two punts inside Santa Ana's 20-yard line — helping to pin the Dons deep and keep momentum on Mt. SAC's side.
BY THE NUMBERS:
- Total Offense: Mt. SAC 531 yards | Santa Ana 199 yards
- Passing Yards: Mt. SAC 388 | Santa Ana 169
- Rushing Yards: Mt. SAC 143 | Santa Ana 30
- First Downs: Mt. SAC 22 | Santa Ana 14
- Sacks: Mt. SAC 6 for 30 yards | Santa Ana 1 for 5 yards
KEY PLAYERS:
- Daunte Bell: 253 passing yards, 4 TDs
- Pierce Brown: 5 catches, 124 yards, 2 TDs
- Eric Najarro: 61 rushing yards, 29-yard TD run
NEXT UP:
The Mounties will be back on the road next Saturday, October 18, as they head north to face Santa Barbara City College (0-6) at 6:00 PM.
OF IMPORTANCE:
Elsewhere in the conference, Citrus College (4-2) dropped a high-scoring contest to Long Beach, falling 52-38. That result is significant for Mt. SAC, whose only loss this season came against Citrus. Meanwhile, Ventura College (6-0) remains the lone unbeaten team in the National Northern Conference and continues to set the pace at the top of the table. With the conference standings tightening, every game down the stretch carries postseason implications.
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.
