No. 23 Citrus Holds on For 15th-Straight Win

No. 23-ranked Citrus College picked up right where it left off from last season and grabbed a 34-28 victory over College of the Canyons.

The Fighting Owls – who opened the year with a No. 23 ranking – have not lost a game since 2021, improving their unbeaten streak to 15 games and opening the season with a 1-0 record. The Cougars start the season down 0-1. 

Citrus finished with 363 total offensive yards, including 250 passing yards. Jack Benson went 11-for-15 with one touchdown, while Koy Riggin was 6-of-8.

Tayvonne Miller led the Owls with 20 rushes for 70 yards and scored one touchdown, while Kannon Katzer had six carries for 54 yards and a touchdown – he also had a touchdown catch for seven yards.

Defensively, Chandler Carthan led the Owls with eight tackles on the night, while Cody Stordahl followed with six tackles, including a sack for seven yards. Drew Merrill also finished with six tackles and had an interception for 58 yards. Joshua Garcia, Kyle Ferm, and Alex Payne also posted sacks in the game.

In their very first drive of the game, the Owls capitalized, stunning the Cougars in the process. In a trick play, Jesse Carmona hurled the ball down to Maurice Hampton who ran in for the 60-yard touchdown before Kosuke Kayahara made his first of four PATs of the game to put the home team on the board first, 7-0.

Canyons responded with a touchdown of its own, but it seemed to be all Citrus in the first half as the Owls went into halftime with a solid 31-14 lead.

In the second half, however, things got interesting as Canyons came storming back and pulled within three, 31-28, halfway through the third.

Kayahara knocked in a 35-yard field goal with five minutes left in the quarter to create some distance, but it came down to the wire.

With just under two minutes remaining in the fourth, the Cougars got into the red zone and threatened to tie the game. Canyons went for it on fourth and goal, but the Citrus defense denied the visitors' attempt to keep in front by six.

Citrus then closed out the remaining minutes on the clock to secure the victory.

The Owls head on the road next week, taking on Mt. San Jacinto – who they beat for the American Division Title last year – on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. at The Stadium at Menifee.