Turnovers Costly as Chaffey Falls to Saddleback

Though the Panthers found stretches of offensive rhythm, the Chaffey College football team couldn't overcome costly turnovers and big plays by Saddleback College, falling 54-14 on the road Saturday night.

The Bobcats jumped out quickly, capitalizing on a pair of first-quarter interceptions to build a 21-0 lead. Chaffey answered quickly when quarterback Francisco Villalbazo found Theodore Edquilang to cut the deficit to 21-7. However, another interception return for a touchdown sent the Panthers into halftime trailing 28-7.

In the third quarter, quarterback Evan Powell connected with Nathan Enriquez for a 64-yard touchdown, providing Chaffey's biggest offensive play of the night. Powell finished with 136 passing yards and one touchdown pass, while Villalbazo added 39 passing yards and one touchdown pass, and Noahsaiah Frisco contributed 31 passing yards. Enriquez led all Panther receivers with 64 yards on his lone catch, while Nehemiah Harrison contributed 36 yards on three receptions.

Saddleback's defense made the difference, forcing four interceptions and returning two for touchdowns, including an 80-yard runback in the fourth quarter that sealed the game. Overall, the Panthers managed 276 yards of total offense compared to the Bobcats' 286 but struggled to sustain drives, converting 3 of 13 third-down attempts.

Defensively, Isaiah Moreno recorded a career-high nine total tackles (four solo, five assisted), while Joshua Padilla recorded six total tackles (three solo, three assisted). Sivaj Dejurnett-Simmons added a sack and forced a fumble to pace the Panthers' pass rush.

With the loss, Chaffey is now 0-2 in National Division Southern Conference play. The Panthers will now regroup during their bye week before returning home to host Riverside City College on Thursday, October 9. Kickoff at Grigsby Field is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase online here.