COALINGA – Coalinga College closed out another impressive regular season with a 28-15 win over visiting Merced College on Saturday at the Memorial Bowl. The American Golden Coast League victory secured the Falcons a second-place finish at 4-1 and a 7-3 overall mark.

Coalinga will now turn its focus towards the postseason as the Falcons were selected to play in the Golden State Bowl on Nov. 22 at Los Medanos College. It marks the second consecutive bowl game appearance for the Falcons and third over the past four seasons under head coach Justin Berna.

Saturday's contest against Merced capped a solid regular season for the Falcons that got off to a shaky start. Coalinga opened the year with back-to-back losses against bowl game participants Los Medanos and Feather River College.

But after starting 0-2, the Falcons went on to win five consecutive games and head into the postseason winning seven of their last eight. Coalinga's lone setback in league play came by a narrow two-point loss at undefeated De Anza College.  

Coalinga won its second straight on Saturday to secure its spot in a bowl game.

"It was a complete team win," said Berna on the regular-season finale. "We played solid all the way across. It was a good way to go into the postseason."

The Falcons' defense was solid early on, holding Merced (5-5, 3-2 GCL) to just a field goal in the first half. Quarterback Justyn Delzeit ran in for a two-yard TD in the first, Demarion Wright broke through for a short one-yard touchdown, and Delzeit hooked up David Dunn for a 24-yard TD reception to give Coalinga a 21-3 lead in the second.

Just moments before halftime, the defense came up with its biggest play as Jackson Kissee scooped up a fumble and returned it 31 yards for another touchdown. The Falcons led 28-3 at halftime and cruised the rest of the way.

Wright ran for 100+ yards for his sixth straight game. He had 21 carries for 129 yards and a TD on Saturday. Wright closed out the regular season with 1,224 yards rushing and 10 TDs.

Dylan Green led the defense with 10 tackles on Saturday while Kissee had a solid game with his fumble return for a touchdown, a blocked PAT kick, and 4 tackles.