By Izaiah Cerratos 

The Riverside City College Tigers were crowned 3C2A state football champions after a walk-off field goal to defeat the San Mateo Bulldogs in a hard-hitting battle, avenging last year’s 55-0 loss to the Bulldogs. 

The Tigers got off to a slow start in the first half both offensively and defensively. After a punt on their opening drive, they gave up an opening drive touchdown to the Bulldogs.

RCC answered back after sophomore running back Bryce Strong broke the goal line on a 2-yard touchdown run to even the score at 7. 

Strong was named offensive player of the game, as he tallied 173 total scrimmage yards on 25 touches along with a touchdown. 

“It’s a surreal feeling winning a title,” Strong said. “All the work this team did finally paid off, we earned this moment.”

Kaden Willerford intercepted San Mateo quarterback Anthony Grigsby’s pass on the next possession. Riverside’s offense capitalized off the turnover with a rushing touchdown from quarterback Jordan Barton and took the lead 14-7 just minutes into the second quarter.

Weather had the biggest impact on the kicker from both respective squads. Both RCC and San Mateo saw their team’s kickers miss their first field goal attempts in the contest as the wind grew stronger as the quarters passed. 

San Mateo continued to stay in the game with a stingy defense that swarmed Barton in the pocket often. 

After a huge fourth down stand for the Bulldog defense, San Mateo drove 65 yards and scored from 3 yards out, evening the score 14-14 with two seconds left in the first half.

Barton was named MVP of the 3C2A state championship game. On the day, he completed 22 of 31 passes for 201 passing yards with one interception but was the game-leading rusher with 114 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 18 carries.

“That wasn’t the game plan,” he said. “Those quarterback runs weren’t scripted but those changed the game for sure.” 

Barton used his arm to make the Tiger’s offense one of the best in the state all season. The Bulldog’s defense could not adjust to the quarterback-designed run.

RCC regained the lead early in the fourth quarter after Barton, on a quarterback draw, escaped the pocket and ran in the 14-yard touchdown run for his second of the afternoon.

“We knew this was a championship team,” he said. “Championship teams score when the team needs it most.” 

The Bulldogs delivered a game-tying drive of their own to even the score at 21-21 after an impressive 78-yard drive that ended in a touchdown run.

With two minutes left on the clock and the game tied at 21, Barton led his offense down the field with the state championship up for grabs. Both him and Strong used their legs on the drive to pick up first downs. 

As the Tigers inched down the field with less than 30 seconds on the clock, Barton scampered up the sideline to place RCC on the 5-yard line with less than 10 seconds on the clock. 

That set up sophomore kicker Gabe Panikowski for the winning field goal. With time ticking down on the clock, his kick split the uprights making the Riverside City College football team state champions once again with a score of 24-21. 

“It was unfortunate that I missed my first kick but I trusted the process,” Panikowski said. “My team put me in a position to win the game and I’m glad I came through.” 

RCC’s dominant season performance rounded out with an impressive playoff run on their way to a state title winning season, defeating both number one seeded teams in the southern and northern section of the 3C2A football playoffs.

The Tigers finished the season with a record of 12-1 and were crowned the 32CA champions for the 2023 season.