Rustlers Begin 2025 Season at Mt. San Jacinto; Ranked No. 7 in State Preseason Poll

Huntington Beach, CA – Another promising Golden West College football season is set to kick off on Saturday (Aug. 30) when the Rustlers travel to Mt. San Jacinto College for both teams' 2025 opener. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at HCN Bank Stadium in Menifee.

The game will be live streamed by the Mt. San Jacinto College Athletic Department on its YouTube channel.

Saturday marks the first meeting between the two programs since 2009.

Golden West and Mt. San Jacinto have battled just twice in Southern California Football Association play. The two squads were members of the American Division Mountain Conference in the SCFA's inaugural season in 2008. That year, the Rustlers cruised to a 30-0 shutout victory at their former home, LeBard Stadium in Costa Mesa. A year later in 2009, GWC handed MSJC a 49-21 loss at the Eagles' former home, Carl Quandt Stadium.

Golden West head coach Nick Mitchell returns for his 20th year with the program and is coming off another impressive season in 2024. The Rustlers compiled a 9-2 overall record and finished second in the National Central Division with a 6-1 mark. Golden West missed out on a Southern California playoff berth by a tie-breaker but reached the postseason for the fourth straight year.

Now in 2025, the SCFA has once again realigned teams in its divisions and leagues. No longer will the Rustlers be tasked with facing state power Mt. San Antonio College in the Central League. But GWC will have to contend with new foes such as Fullerton, Bakersfield, Canyons, and Pasadena City. Rounding out the Central League is Cerritos, East Los Angeles, and rival Orange Coast.

But Golden West will be tested early in non-league play. For the third straight season, the Rustlers will take on Riverside in a Week 2 battle, this time at home on Sep. 6.

That's followed by another home game on Sep. 13 against Allan Hancock College. Other home contests at Rustler Stadium this season include matchups against East Los Angeles (Sep. 27), Cerritos (Oct. 25), and Canyons (Nov. 1).

The Rustlers open their league schedule on Sep. 20 at Bakersfield and close the regular season on the road at Fullerton on Nov. 8.

PRESEASON STATE POLL
Golden West is ranked No. 7 in the California Community College Football Coaches Preseason State Poll that was released earlier this week by the JC Athletic Bureau. The Rustlers' Week 2 opponent, Riverside, is listed at No. 3.

Other GWC ranked-opponents to start the season include No. 12 Canyons, No. 15 Fullerton, No. 17 Bakersfield, No. 21 Pasadena City, No. 22 Mt. San Jacinto, and No. 23 Allan Hancock.

The Rustlers closed out the 2024 season ranked No. 6 in the final coaches' state poll.