Comets Battle but Fall to No. 21 San Diego Mesa

SAN MARCOS, CA (9/20/2025) -- Palomar opened conference play at home on Saturday night in front of its Alumni Night crowd, going toe-to-toe with No. 21 San Diego Mesa before ultimately falling 28-21.

The Comets struck first midway through the opening quarter when Giovanni Harte capped a short drive with a four-yard rushing touchdown. The Olympians answered later in the quarter and then took control in the second with 18 straight points, including a three-yard touchdown pass, a successful two-point try, and a 93-yard fumble return that flipped momentum going into halftime with Mesa up 25-7.

Palomar showed its resilience after the break. Quarterback KJ Chatham led a 12-play, 74-yard march in the third quarter, finished off by a one-yard run from Logan Cella to trim the deficit. After a Mesa field goal extended the lead to 28-14, the Comets continued to battle. With just over seven minutes remaining, Chatham connected with Micah Johnson on a three-yard touchdown pass to bring Palomar within one score. The defense forced a stop to give the offense one last chance, but the rally came up short as the Olympians held on for the win.

Palomar finished with 285 yards of offense, matching Mesa's total yardage on the night. Chatham threw for 138 yards and added 63 on the ground, while Harte carried 13 times for 34 yards. Johnson led the receivers with four catches for 51 yards and his first touchdown as a Comet. Furious Hoskins added three receptions for 34 yards.

Defensively, the Comets kept the Olympians in check for much of the second half. Tanner Doyle recorded Palomar's lone sack of the night, while Hunter Stowe and Lucas Valencia combined for nine tackles. Isaiah Strong and James Coddington continued to anchor the secondary with steady play, and the coverage unit limited Mesa's passing game to just 172 yards on 12 completions.

With the loss, Palomar moves to 1-3 overall and 0-1 in league play. The Comets will look to regroup next weekend as they continue league action on the road against Riverside City College. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m.