The Los Medanos College football team suffered a loss for the first time this season on Saturday. The Feather River Golden Eagles handed the Mustangs their first defeat of the year, 41-22. The Mustangs are now 5-1 on the season.
The game started with a bang. Quarterback Aidan Crawford connected with Alex De on an 11-yard touchdown pass early in the first quarter. The extra point missed, but the Mustangs led 6-0 early. Feather River answered with a 12-yard rushing touchdown by Kayden Leaf. That score gave them momentum that carried through the first half and was a sign for things to come with their fierce rushing attack on the ground.
By halftime, Feather River led 21-6. Los Medanos struggled to move the ball and the defense couldn’t stop the run. Feather River finished with 334 rushing yards. Janerious Jackson scored four rushing touchdowns and the Eagles averaged nearly seven yards a carry.
Despite the deficit, the Mustangs fought back in the third quarter. Kicker Will Geer nailed a 37-yard field goal. Larenzo Mayfield caught a short touchdown pass from Crawford and Darryl Pouncey followed with another two-yard touchdown grab. The Mustangs cut the lead to 28-22 early in the fourth.
Feather River answered quickly and efficiently. Running back Jackson scored twice more before the third quarter ended. The Mustangs were unable to find the end zone again. The final score was 41-22.
After the game, head coach Coach Shipe talked about what he saw in his team. “Positives, we were down at halftime, came back the second half and got it, got some turnovers, got some scores. Closed it out to a one score game. I think it was 28-22 at the beginning of the fourth quarter and they capitalized and went down and scored,” Shipe said.
He also spoke about the team’s mindset after the loss. “You know what I want these guys to feel? What they’re feeling right now. They get to go home and kind of feel the pain of losing because they haven’t felt that this year. Hopefully it kind of generates a little bit more fire on Monday to get back.”
When asked about the execution, he was direct. “Not well enough to be able to beat a good team like Feather River. We just didn’t execute when we needed to. And not to say it was any of them, we made some mistakes that we don’t usually make.”
Running back Jacob Wasso reflected on the team’s performance. “ We played well, made a few minor mistakes and, you know, against a good team like that, we can’t be making mistakes like we did. You have to execute all three phases. You got to have a perfect game and we didn’t.”
When the game got tough, Wasso said the team leaned on each other. “We were just clinging on to each other, knowing that we’re one family, one team and just trying to rally together to battle them.”
He also praised the team’s effort. “Even though there was pain, even though there were bumps and bruises, everybody, including me, you know, we all stuck it out. We all gave it our all, from start to finish.”
Wasso believes this loss can be a turning point. “We competed with them and that’s a great team over there. So the fact that we’re competing with them means we’re in the right direction and, you know, a few minor changes and we’re winning that game. If we’re competing with teams like that, I know our capability is through the ceiling. So we can build off today and not let this bury us. It’s gonna be a good rest of the year.”
The Mustangs put up solid numbers despite the loss. Crawford threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns. The team had 311 yards of total offense. But they struggled to stop Feather River’s ground game and could not convert on fourth down when it mattered.
Los Medanos now looks ahead to a long road trip. Coach Shipe made it clear what comes next. “We got to get back to work on Monday as a group, preparing for systems, because it’s a long road trip and we play on the road.”
The Mustangs showed fight, but they learned what it takes to beat an undefeated team. The season is far from over and they still have their eyes on the conference race. The Mustangs will look to bounce back on Oct, 18. on the road vs. Siskious.
