De Anza Stays Perfect With 42–40 Thriller Over Coalinga

In a clash of Golden Coast League unbeatens, the No. 19-ranked De Anza College Mountain Lions held off a furious Coalinga rally to win, 42-40, Saturday afternoon.

The victory pushed De Anza (8-0 overall) to 3-0 in the GCL, and also improved the program's regular-season winning streak to 18.

The Lions led wire-to-wire and had two-score leads in the first and fourth quarters, but had to overcome four turnovers and 18 penalties to beat the Falcons who were riding a five-game winning streak.

"We found a way to beat a great team, despite our many mistakes," De Anza head coach Joe D'Agostino said.

"We have not faced a lot of contested matchups, where we needed to battle for four quarters. This one came down to the end and I was really proud of our team for making enough big plays."

First-Quarter Spark

De Anza's defense delivered the first blow when Hosie Hopkins scooped a fumble in the Coalinga backfield and raced 60 yards for a touchdown less than five minutes into the game.

Quarterback Ian Kirby followed by engineering two precision drives: first finding Aaron Rocke for a 12-yard score, then connecting with Jadhari Young on an 11-yard strike to build a 21-7 lead by the end of the opening period. 

Momentum Swings  

Coalinga fought back with a second-quarter touchdown to cut the margin to 21-14, but the Mountain Lions responded. Kirby capped a 10-play, 71-yard drive in the third quarter with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Weber, restoring a two-score advantage.

Coalinga's David Dunn answered with a 70-yard catch-and-run touchdown, pulling the Falcons within 28-21. The teams traded stops and turnovers until late in the third, setting up a wild fourth quarter.

Game-Changing Special Teams

Early in the final period, Coalinga trimmed the score to 28-27 on a 9-yard TD pass, but the extra point was blocked by My'Zel Brunson and Jaden White, a play that proved pivotal.

Just seconds later, Chris Butler fielded the ensuing kickoff at the 13-yard line and sprinted 87 yards down the sideline for a touchdown, electrifying the home crowd and swinging momentum back to the Mountain Lions with a 35-27 lead. It was Butler's third TD return in the last four games.

De Anza extended its advantage minutes later when RB Isaiah Addison broke free for a 44-yard touchdown run, giving the Lions breathing room at 42-27.

Closing the Door

Coalinga continued to battle, scoring twice in the final seven minutes to close the gap to 42-40, but De Anza's defense stood tall in the final minute to seal the win.

Linebackers Hosie Hopkins and Andrew Rheubottom combined for multiple tackles for loss and a pair of sacks, while defensive back Ta'Shaun Skinner snagged an interception to halt a Coalinga drive.

Stat Leaders

• Ian Kirby: 28-of-35 passing for 312 yards and 3 touchdowns.

• Jadhari Young: 9 receptions for 70 yards and 1 TD.

• Akeem Wright: 5 catches for 109 yards.

• Jayden Weber: 7 receptions for 71 yards and a score.

• Isaiah Addison: 44-yard rushing TD among 52 yards on 3 carries.

• Hosie Hopkins: 60-yard fumble return TD plus 10 tackles.

• Chris Butler: 87-yard kickoff return TD highlighting 192 special-teams yards.

   

Up Next

The Mountain Lions are now tied atop the standings with their Game 9 opponent, Merced College (3-0 GLC, 5-3 overall).

The Blue Devils have won three straight games and will host De Anza next Saturday at 1 p.m. The winner will have the clear path for an outright league champioship in Game 10.