The Eagles took advantage of a shanked punt on Colton’s opening drive to set up a short field at the host’s 35. QB Jon Daniels went to work almost immediately hitting sophomore Ryan Maxwell for 13 yards and a first down then junior Jacob Gordon two plays later for seven more before tossing a four-yard scoring pass to senior TE Bryan Redsun giving the visitors a 7-0 lead only 3:36 into the game. Colton needed only three plays and 1:23 to score as Bradford capped the drive with an impressive 65-yard sprint to paydirt. The two-point conversion was missed however allowing the Eagles to retain the lead.

After the initial scoring drive the Eagles had difficulty sustaining any drives until coming alive again in the fourth quarter, but they managed to stay in the game due to key defensive stands. The lead remained 7-6 into the second quarter largely on a key defensive stand late in the opening quarter when junior DT Brad Dixon recovered a Yellowjacket fumble on the Eagle six. Colton took the lead in the second quarter when Shareece Wright (13-174) ran 42 yards for a score. They missed the two point conversion again making it 12-7. Santa Margarita forced Colton to punt on their next possession; however, they got the ball back with 3:45 left in the half and marched 68 yards and took a 20-7 halftime lead when QB brad Sorensen hit TE Travis Boyd on a ten-yard scoring pass with 0:13 left.

After a scoreless third quarter, the Eagle offense suddenly came alive. After forcing a punt Santa Margarita went on a 10-play, 63-yard scoring drive capped by Daniels’ three-yard TD pass to senior TE Matt Steinbach to make it 20-14 at the 11:04 mark. Daniels, who threw on nine of the ten plays, found Gordon (nine catches for 82 yards) for 12 yards on a key third down conversion to keep the drive alive. The Eagles capitalized on the momentum as Steinbach intercepted Sorensen’s pass in the flat and returned it to the Yellowjacket 18. Mike Fowle’s 27-yard field goal cut the lead to 20-17 with 8:11 remaining. Colton promptly responded by keeping it on the ground and Wright raced around left end on route to a 78 yard TD just two plays later to increase the lead to 26-17. Daniels (20-35 for 155 yards and two scores) directed the Eagles on a 61-yard drive in less than three minutes as he managed to convert two key third down plays – one with his legs and one with his arm – before racing 27 yards for a score to close the gap to 26-24 with 5:17 left in the game.

A 56-yard run by fullback Mike Land (8-113) set up a 30-yard field goal by Boyd with just 2:35 left on the clock. Down 29-24, Daniels found Gordon for five, then Kyle Bryant for a first down before hitting Rod Rivera for another first down at the Colton 35 with 1:40 on the clock. After an incompletion, Daniels pass to Bryant in the seam was picked off by Bradford at the Colton 25 sealing the victory.

Senior LB Colby Rodgers led the defensive charge with 13 tackles while junior safety J.D. Dawson finished with 12.