Reedley College came close to handing Merced College only it's second loss of the 2017 football season on Saturday afternoon in Reedley.
But a late 71-yard touchdown pass from Frank Cocio to Elijah Macklin lifted Merced to a 28-21 American Division Golden Coast Conference win over the Tigers at Reedley High's Sal Gonzalez Field.
The win kept Merced (3-1, 6-1) one-half game behind Monterey Peninsula (3-0, 5-2) in the conference standings. Reedley dropped to 1-2 and 3-4 overall.
Merced took advantage of two short scoring drives to take an early 14-0 lead. The Tigers did not field the opening kickoff and Merced recovered at the Reedley 28. On the first play from scrimmage, Cocio threw the first of his four touchdown passes.
Early in the second quarter, a bad snap on an attempted Reedley punt set up Merced at the Tiger 8. On the next play, Cosio found Nick Cook for the second of his three touchdowns of the day.
Reedley answered with touchdown drives of 78 and 80 yards to tie it at 14-all. Trevion Perryman scored late in the first half on a 25-yard run before tying the game on the first possession of the second half on a 15-yard pass from Randall Johnson to Isaac Gonzales.
Merced regained the lead 56 seconds later on another Cocio to Cook touchdown pass.
Reedley took a 21-20 lead on Johnson's 51-yard scoring pass to Mason Layton.
That lead held up for just over eight minutes before Cosio's fourth touchdown pass.
Reedley drove to the Blue Devil 39 before losing the ball on downs with 31 seconds left.
The Tigers outgained Merced 543-349. Johnson threw for 207 yards (15 of 28 with three intercepted) and ran for 122 yards on 23 carries. Perryman averaged 8.8 yards per carry, finishing with a career-high 176 yards on 20 attempts.
Cosio passed for 251 yards and intercepted twice, by Chris Paz and Charles Peeples.
Next up for the Tigers will be a 7pm matchup Saturday in Aptos against the 1-6 Cabrillo College Seahawks. Cabrillo has lost four straight after recording a 48-26 home win over San Jose, the same team that Reedley defeated by a 26-14 count.
By: Will Goldbeck