Senior wide receiver and free safety Landon Mouse had a hand full of game-changing plays on offense and on defense Friday night.
To go along with his four receptions for 65 yards and two touchdowns, he also had seven tackles and two forced fumbles. One of those tackles was a game-saving tackle on Southern Boone's 2-point try for the lead, and his second of two forced fumbles sealed with win for the Pintos.
His first touchdown reception - a 20-yarder - tied the game in the first quarter, and his 7-yard touchdown grab in third quarter gave California the 13-6 lead.
The first forced fumble came in the second quarter with the game tied at 6. Southern Boone's running back got into open field on the Pintos' side of the field, then Mouse stripped the ball from behind to end the Eagles' scoring opportunity.
Late in the fourth quarter, Southern Boone scored on fourth down to cut the Pintos' lead to 13-12. The Eagles elected to go for the two points and the lead after they missed an extra-point field goal in the first quarter.
Southern Boone's running back broke through the defensive line and was poised to give the Eagles the lead, but Mouse met him at the goal line and pushed him back to prevent the two points.
"They are a good offensive team," Mouse said. "They've put up points on everybody and we just had to control them."
With less than two minutes left in the game, Southern Boone faced an eight-point deficit with the ball on its own 27-yard line. After a 9-yard gain, quarterback Dane Bossert connected with Colin Vaughan on the right side for a 33-yard pass. The only Pinto standing between him and end zone was Mouse.
As Mouse was tackling Vaughan, he stripped the ball and Jacob Wolken recovered to ice the game.
"I just knew I had to get him down and I had people behind me," Mouse said. "I just made a play on the ball."