Comets Grind Out Road Win at East LA

MONTEREY PARK, CA (9/6/2025) -- Palomar went on the road for the first time this season and came away with a hard-fought 17-14 victory over East Los Angeles College on Saturday night in Monterey Park.

The Comets struck first late in the opening quarter when quarterback Jakob Harris found Princeton Anderson down the sideline for a 37-yard touchdown. The sophomore wideout hauled in his second score of the season, giving Palomar the early 7-0 edge.

The offense kept rolling in the second quarter. This time it was KJ Chatham under center, engineering an eight-play, 56-yard drive capped by a 12-yard touchdown pass to Furious Hoskins, who led the receiving corps with eight catches for 91 yards. The Comets carried a 14-0 lead into halftime.

East LA struck back in the third quarter with a 79-yard touchdown pass, trimming the margin to 14-6 after the extra point attempt failed. The Huskies kept the pressure on in the fourth, but Palomar's special teams provided breathing room as Carson Beard drilled a 23-yard field goal with just over three minutes remaining to make it 17-6. East LA quickly answered with a short rushing score to pull within five, and a safety in the closing seconds narrowed the gap, but the Comets held firm to secure the win.

The biggest defensive play of the night came in the closing minutes. With East LA threatening, Isaiah Strong stepped in front of a pass for an interception with 1:32 left on the clock, giving the Comets the ball back and the chance to seal the victory.

Palomar finished with 307 yards of total offense, balanced between 120 on the ground and 187 through the air. Chris Bausch led the rushing attack with 62 yards on 15 carries, while Giovanni Harte added 28 yards. Harris and Chatham combined for 187 passing yards and two touchdowns.

Defensively, the Comets set the tone again. Strong led the way with 10 total tackles and the clutch interception. Jason Mageo anchored the line with 1.5 sacks and 11 total tackles, while Zaire Bush added a sack of his own. The defense finished with two sacks overall and multiple stops in key moments.

The win moves Palomar to 1-1 on the season. The Comets will look to carry momentum into another road matchup as they face No. 24 Pasadena City College next Saturday at 6 p.m