MJC wins thriller over Sierra College in first home game of season
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After watching his team blow an 18-point late third-quarter lead, Modesto Junior College quarterback Gino Campiotti knew what he had to do.
“We (had) to score,” the former Manteca High star said. “We knew that our base (offense) was going to work, we just had to execute.”
And he did just that.
The former Manteca High School star threw a 19-yard touchdown pass for the go-ahead touchdown with 2 minutes, 36 seconds left in the game, then capped the night with a 26-yard TD run with less than a minute left after an MJC strip-sack to guide the Pirates to a 55-46 victory over Sierra College on Saturday night at MJC Stadium.
“Our guys rose to the occasion when they needed to,” said MJC coach Rusty Stivers, whose team improved to 2-0. “It was really ugly, but they rose to the occasion.”
The Pirates took 42-24 lead with 4:29 left in the third quarter on a 19-yard touchdown run by Campiotti, who rushed for 111 yards and completed 19 of 30 passes for 272 yards and four touchdowns.
However, Sierra (1-1) scored on three straight possessions in the fourth quarter, the final touchdown set up by a Campiotti interception that led to a seven-play, 69-yard Sierra drive capped by a Destynd Lewis’ 17-yard touchdown run that put the Wolverines ahead 46-42 with 5:16 left.
“People would say they believe in momentum and Sierra, at later stages of the game, had all the momentum.” Stivers said.
Campiotti and his teammates found a way to grab it back.
He led the Pirates on a six-play, 70-yard drive thanks to a key third-down completion and a 24-yard run and a 10-yard reception on consecutive plays by Jacob Dejesus, a freshman from Manteca.
That set up Campiotti’s touchdown pass to Lucas Curtis with 2:36 left that gave MJC a 48-46 lead.
Sierra drove to midfield, but on first-and-10, quarterback Qyntyn Pilcher was called for intentional grounding after he was sacked. On the next play, MJC defensive lineman Maalona Pule stripped Pilcher of the ball and recovered the fumble, setting up Campiotti’s clinching touchdown run with 53 seconds to go.
“For us to score on that last drive and just know that we were able to pull it through after the defense gets a huge stop and forced fumble ... says a lot about these guys.” Campiotti said.
The Pirates, who host powerful City College of San Francisco (2-0) next Saturday, are no stranger to close games this season. Their first win over Laney College came down to a defensive stand at the end of the game.
It didn’t appear they’d need that after taking a 28-14 lead into intermission thanks to three Campiotti TD passes, two to Dejesus (six catches, 94 yards).
Stivers knows his team will have to tighten things up next week. The Pirates entered Saturday’s game ranked fourth in the JC Bureau Athletic poll with CCSF right behind at No. 5.
San Francisco beat Sacramento City College 45-0 Saturday following a Week 1 66-14 victory over Sierra.
