The Golden West Rustlers pulled off a statement win Friday night, shocking the No. 2-ranked Riverside Tigers 42–28 in a high-energy battle that swung back and forth before Golden West took control in the second half. Riverside struck first when quarterback Doolittle connected with Nickson II on a 30-yard touchdown. He later found Quates for an 82-yard strike and Connor for a 38-yard score, helping the Tigers to a 21–7 lead midway through the second quarter.
But Golden West refused to back down. Running back Aaron Mitchell broke free for a 60-yard run to set up his own 2-yard touchdown, and Noa Banua added a 17-yard scoring run. Quarterback Thompson capped the comeback with a 6-yard TD run, sending the game into halftime tied 21–21. The Rustlers carried that momentum into the third quarter. After a Riverside fumble deep in their own territory, Golden West scored on a 5-yard pass to McKissick. Thompson then added another touchdown through the air, an 18-yard strike to Schmidt, putting Golden West up 35–21.Riverside briefly closed the gap with a 2-yard rushing touchdown by Chris Cooper early in the fourth, but the Tigers’ comeback hopes faltered with costly penalties and missed opportunities. Golden West sealed the upset with a 7-yard touchdown pass to JD Alicea, extending the lead to 42–28.
With the win, Golden West not only avenged last year’s loss but also positioned themselves as a serious contender in the conference title race. Riverside, meanwhile, will have to regroup after seeing a 14-point lead slip away on their home field.
