​The Mounties faced the Bakersfield College Renegades on Sept. 25 for their first game on home turf, at the new Hilmer Lodge Stadium, in over four years.

Since being renovated and reopened in early 2020, the Hilmer Lodge Stadium had been left largely unused due to COVID-19 except for on May 9, when it hosted the USATF Golden Games. Mt. SAC was originally expected to play their first home football game in fall of 2020 and to host a litany of other track and field events before the pandemic cancelled those plans.

The first game back for the Mounties was a sight to see.

Kicker Noah Carlton scored the first points in the new stadium with a 35-yard field goal before Bakersfield answered back with a touchdown from a 100-yard kick return. This put the score at 7-3 Bakersfield after the first seven minutes of the game.

Mountie quarterback Alex Flores would find wide receiver Reginald Anderson for the first Mt. SAC touchdown in Hilmer Lodge Stadium history with only 7 seconds left in the quarter. Carlton would convert on the extra point putting Mt. SAC ahead 10-7.

The second quarter is where the defense shined for the Mounties.

Mt. SAC’s defense shut the Renegades down, highlighted by a monstrous sack by defensive lineman Tupu Alualu that left the opposing quarterback reeling for a bit. Snatching a pair of interceptions, the defense even came out with a pick-six from defensive back Dedric Luton. This defensive lockdown put the score at the end of the first half at 17-7 with the Mounties leading.

Heading into the second half, the Mounties were ready to keep the pain coming to Bakersfield.

Yet, Bakersfield would begin to show some life and begin to put pressure on the Mounties with a score in the first five minutes of the half on a one yard touchdown rush by wide receiver Isaac Jernagin. Their kicker then converted to put the score at 17-14 with the Mounties still in the lead.

Not satisfied with a three point lead, Mt. SAC answered with a touchdown of their own on a rush by running back Keoua Kauni to extend the lead to 24-14.

Bakersfield rallied back with a touchdown from Renegade quarterback Dexter Frampton to wide receiver Jalen Blizzard to keep the game close at 24-21.

Running back Nicholas Floyd kept the Mounties’ momentum with a 25 yard rushing touchdown, which would extend their lead to 31-21. This explosive quarter by both teams proved to excite the crowd in the home stands, as the home fans were cheering and screaming the entire quarter.

The Mounties decided to finish the Renegades off in the fourth quarter with decisive defensive pressure. Mt. SAC’s defense was able to sack the opposing quarterback two more times with one sack from defensive lineman E.J. Brown and another devastating sack from Alualu.

Flores found Anderson yet again to run up the score and one more Kauni rush would put the game away with a final score of 45-21.

This dominance came after two games were postponed due to health and safety protocols, showing their week one dominance held strong even without three weeks of play.

Their next game is on the road against Allan Hancock College on Oct. 2.