In a twist of fate, Grossmont College hosted Southwestern College on Nov. 11 in the regular season finale for both community college football teams, both of which were winless at 0-9 on the season.
Neither team was heading to a post-season bowl game. It was the end of the road. One team, however, would be quite a bit happier on the sideline when the final whistle blew.
One would come out a winner, finally.
That team turned out to be Southwestern following a 45-31 win over the Griffins.
“Like every year, the beginning of a season brings hope,” Southwestern head coach Dionicio Monarrez said.
It’s what happens between the start of the season and the end of the season that is often uncontrollable and unpredictable, most of which revolves around injuries, particularly season-ending injuries … and a very tough schedule.
The regular season finale proved to be a barnburner between two very hungry teams.
The teams combined for 76 points with five lead changes. Southwestern (1-9) opened scoring on a nine-yard run by freshman quarterback Aleks Wojcik. Luis Lopez (Montgomery) added the extra-point conversion for a 7-0 Jaguars lead.
But Grossmont (0-10) responded with a pair of touchdowns to take a 14-7 first quarter lead. James Johnson (Granite Hills) scored on a 16-yard pass from quarterback Trenton Giles (Grossmont), followed by an eight-yard touchdown catch by ex-Foothiller Ryan Rodieck. John Butcher (Grossmont) tacked on both extra-point conversions.
The second quarter proved turnabout was fair play as Southwestern rallied with three unanswered touchdowns to take a 28-14 lead.
Jay Gordon scored on runs of four and 14 yards to push the visitors ahead 21-14 on the scoreboard. Jovahn Young then caught a 44-yard scoring pass from Wojcik to advance the Jaguars lead to two touchdowns.
The Griffins came back with a 57-yard scoring run by former El Cajon Valley standout Kal-El Gordon to narrow the score to 28-21.
Southwestern scored a two point team defensive safety to slide in front 30-21. The first half ended with the Jags holding onto a 30-24 lead after Butcher kicked a 38-yard field goal.
Grossmont took a 31-30 lead on a 63-yard pass play from Giles to Johnson early in the third quarter. But Southwestern closed out scoring with two touchdowns.
Wojcik scored on a one-yard run to put the visitors back in front, 38-31, before he tacked on a 44-yard scoring pass to Young to complete scoring in the game.
Neither team scored in the fourth quarter.
“It was a fun game,” Monarrez noting in speaking for both teams. “A lot of the guys knew each other while growing up playing together.”
Griffins corner
Giles passed for 1,234 yards with nine touchdowns against 15 picks in eight game appearances. He completed 43 percent of his passes as s sophomore.
Freshman Nathan Temple (Santana) passed for 489 yards with five touchdowns and three interceptions in four game appearances while completing 57.8 percent of his attempts. Sophomore signal-caller Trevor Jungman (San Pasqual) completed 51 percent of his passes for 92 yards with four touchdowns and six interceptions.
Top rushers included Gordon with 253 yards and two touchdowns, Giles with 142 yards and Jungman with 98 yards.
Top receivers included Alijah Goodin-Dotten (Cypress Ridge) with 47 receptions for 564 yards and six touchdowns in nine game appearances, Rodieck with 25 catches for 400 yards and six touchdowns and Johnson with 18 catches for 364 yards and two touchdowns, also in nine games.
Butcher recorded 15 kicking points in nine game appearances — two field goals and nine extra points.
Goodin-Dotten led Grossmont with 955 all-purpose yards in nine games, including 375 kick return yards. Johnson had 483 all-purpose yards, including 106 punt return yards.
Goodin-Dotten and Rodieck keyed the Griffins in scoring with 36 points through nine games.
Sophomore linebacker Colton Guerrero (Steele Canyon) paced the Grossmont defense with 114 total tackles, including 67 first hits. Sophomore linebacker Raymond Bernard (Patrick Henry) racked up 59 tackles, including 35 first hits.
Sophomore defensive lineman Diego Piche (Lincoln) logged four sacks for 30 yards while freshman defensive back Chris Akridge (Mt. Miguel) had two interceptions for 48 yards and six pass break-ups. Freshman defensive back Jordan Hartley (Hiram Johnson) had one fumble recovery.
Guerrero earned first team defense all-conference recognition.
Jags on the prowl
Wojcik, the section’s passing leader in 2022 with 5,983 yards and 63 touchdowns in 25 career games, appeared in all 10 games this season with 2,122 passing yards and 13 touchdowns against 12 interceptions.
He completed 54 percent of his passes in his JC debut season.
Young (Mar Vista) led SWC with 1,176 all-purpose yards.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
SOUTHERN DIVISION STANDINGS
Division/Overall
Fullerton 7-0 10-1
Riverside 6-1 12-1
SD Mesa 4-3 7-4
Saddleback 4-3 5-5
Mt. San Jacinto 4-3 4-6
Palomar 2-5 3-7
Southwestern 1-6 1-9
Grossmont 0-7 0-10
Strawberry Bowl
San Diego Mesa 42, Alan Hancock 20
SCFA Semifinals
Ventura 27, Fullerton 24
Riverside 51, Mt. SAC 48
SCFA Championship
Riverside 45, Ventura 26
State Championship
Riverside 24, San Mateo 21
