College of the Sequoias' offense in a game versus American River College on September 7, 2024. (Photo Credit: Norma Foster / COS Athletics)

September 9, 2024

Giants Football Falls to American River in Season Opener

American River

1-0

Sequoias

0-1

Final

American River (1-0)

Sequoias (0-1)

Visalia, CA — College of the Sequoias football team opened the 2024 season with a 35-18 loss to American River College on Sept. 7 at Sequoias Stadium.

The Giants, led by head coach Matt Mendonca, kept it close in the first half before big plays from American River created too much of a gap for Sequoias to overcome. "We faced a tough team today," said Mendonca. "We had opportunities, but we didn't finish. They capitalized on a few big plays, and that made the difference."

American River struck first, with running back Elias Brown breaking for a 49-yard touchdown run on their second possession. The Giants responded with a methodical 13-play, 77-yard drive, capped by a 9-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Reilly Garcia (Gilbert, AZ) to wide receiver Dalton Armbruster (Corcoran HS), tying the score at 7-7. However, American River quickly regained the lead when they threw for a 46-yard touchdown to Jadon Anderson, making it 14-7 by the end of the first quarter.

Sequoias fought back in the second quarter, narrowing the gap to 14-10 on a 32-yard field goal from kicker Lucas Cords (Morro Bay HS). "Our guys kept fighting, and we were right there going into halftime," Mendonca said. "But we've got to find a way to finish."

American River pulled away in the third quarter with two more touchdowns—one to Omari Baker for 38 yards and another to Anderson for 25 yards—extending their lead to 28-10.

In the fourth quarter, Sequoias mounted a comeback effort when Garcia threw his second touchdown of the game, a 10-yard strike to Armbruster's brother, Gage Armbruster (Corcoran HS). A successful two-point conversion cut the lead to 28-18.

However, any hopes of a comeback were dashed when American River's Brevin Amiga intercepted a pass and returned it 63 yards for a touchdown, sealing the 35-18 victory.

"Our defense made some key stops, but we've got to limit the turnovers and explosive plays," added Mendonca. "That's what hurt us today." Garcia finished the game with 261 passing yards and two touchdowns. Gage Armbruster led all receivers with 77 yards and a touchdown.

Despite the loss, Mendonca remained positive about the team's potential moving forward. "We've got a young team with a lot of potential," Mendonca said. "We just need to clean up some mistakes, and we'll be right there. I'm proud of how our guys battled."

Sequoias will look to bounce back in their next game as they hit the road as they play City College of San Francisco. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. next Saturday, September 14. The Giants next home game will be the following Saturday, September 21, when they host San Joaquin Delta at 11:00 a.m.