Giants Football Rallies for 27-24 Overtime Win at San Francisco

San Francisco, CA – The College of the Sequoias football team earned their first win of the season in dramatic fashion, defeating San Francisco 27-24 in overtime on September 14 at George W. Rush Stadium. 

The Giants overcame a slow start, rallying from a 17-2 deficit in the second quarter, and sealed the game with a 26-yard field goal by Lucas Cords (Morro Bay HS) in overtime. 

"I'm proud of the way our guys battled today," said head coach Matt Mendonca. "We didn't get off to the best start, but they showed resilience and kept fighting. This is the kind of character you love to see." 

San Francisco opened the scoring late in the first quarter with a 68-yard touchdown pass from Eric Waugh to Bryson Waterman, and extended their lead with a 25-yard field goal by Ryan Rodas early in the second. The Rams added a rushing touchdown from Feiamma Armstrong. The Giants got a safety before halftime, which brought the game to 17-2.  

"We knew we had to make adjustments at halftime," Mendonca said. "Defensively, we were getting too many penalties, and offensively, we needed to establish the run and finish drives." 

COS came out strong in the second half. Quarterback Reilly Garcia (Gilbert, AZ) led the Giants on a 9-play, 84-yard drive, connecting with Colin Dickson (Bakersfield Christian HS) on a 6-yard touchdown pass. A successful two-point conversion closed the gap to 17-10. 

Early in the fourth quarter, Garcia found Gage Armbruster (Corcoran HS) on a 38-yard touchdown strike, tying the game at 17-17. Just a minute later, Derrick Jones (Houston, TX) intercepted a pass from Waugh and returned it 27 yards for a touchdown, giving the Giants their first lead of the game at 24-17. 

San Francisco responded with a 60-yard drive, capped by an 11-yard touchdown run by Richard Washington, sending the game to overtime tied at 24-24. 

In overtime, Sequoias' defense held San Francisco scoreless, and Cords kicked the game-winning 26-yard field goal on the Giants' possession. 

Garcia finished with 199 passing yards and two touchdowns while adding 43 yards on the ground. Armbruster led all receivers with five catches for 111 yards and a touchdown. The Giants also dominated on the ground, rushing for 249 yards, led by Danny Olivera's (Firebaugh HS) 126 yards on 27 carries. 

"We found a rhythm in the second half," said Mendonca. "Our offensive line stepped up, and we controlled the tempo with the running game. This win gives us something to build on." 

Defensively, the Giants forced two interceptions, including Jones' pick-six. Tokyo Gordon (Orlando, FL) led the team with eight tackles, while Richie Diaz (Lindsay HS) and Will Henderson (Immanuel HS) contributed key stops. 

"This was a total team effort," Mendonca added. "Everyone stepped up when it mattered most." Sequoias improves to 1-1 and will look to carry this momentum into their next game, this Saturday, September 21 at Sequoias Stadium when they host San Joaquin Delta College with kickoff at 11 a.m.