All-American Finish

No. 17-ranked Citrus College capped its historic season with the American Division Championship Saturday, defeating No. 23-ranked Mt. San Jacinto 31-20 to finish the year perfect.

The Owls, who won the American Metro League, close the 2022 season with an 11-0 record. The Eagles, who won the American Mountain League, end the year with a 9-2 mark.

Following the game, Robert Vega (one touchdown, 118 yards, four receptions) was named the Offensive Player of the Game and Adam Urena (17-for-26, three touchdown passes, no interceptions) was named the Most Valuable Player after the duo led the Owls to their first bowl game championship since 2013 when Citrus won the Beach Bowl.

Citrus finished with 472 total offensive yards, including 325 passing yards.

Neither team broke through in the first quarter, but the Owls started cooking in the second and scored two minutes into the frame. Urena found Arden Napier for a seven-yard touchdown to put Citrus on the board first after Kosuke Kayahara knocked in the point-after-touchdown attempt, 7-0.

MSJC responded with a touchdown right before halftime, but the Owls came out determined to put the game away in the second half.

Vega ran in a 65-yard touchdown pass from Urena to put the Owls back in front and Urena ran in one yard for a touchdown before throwing a touchdown pass to Alex Vasquez to further create some distance, 28-7.

The Eagles cut the lead to two possessions, 28-14, but Kayahara all but put the game out of reach with a 26-yard field goal with just under two minutes to play.

Mt. San Jacinto scored on the kickoff return, but that was all Citrus would allow as the Owls sealed the 31-20 victory.

Defensively, Drew Merrill and Chandler Carthan (one breakup) led the Owls with nine tackles each, while Isaiah Loera had eight. Darren Mercer had one interception and a breakup, while Nathan Kneubuhler grabbed an Eagle fumble.