El Camino Defense Halts Mt. SAC, 29-12

For the second week in a row, El Camino looked sluggish at the start of a Mission Conference football game. And quarterback Frank Dolce, the league’s best passer, never really got going.

But the Warriors, ranked No.1 in the state by the JC Athletic Bureau and No. 3 nationally by the JC Grid-Wire, still managed a 29-12 victory over No. 20 Mt. San Antonio College.

The home victory lifted El Camino’s record to 7-0 overall and 6-0 in the conference. Mt. SAC fell to 4-3 and 3-3.

Dolce had his worst performance of the season. In the first half, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound sophomore threw two interceptions and completed only seven of 22 passes. He finished the night 13 of 30 for 206 yards and two touchdowns.

El Camino’s running game and tough defense earned the victory against a Mt. SAC club that was held scoreless in the second half.

The Warriors held Leonard Russell, the league’s top rusher, to 125 yards. Running back Alfred Lowe led El Camino with 118 yards.

“Our defense won this game for us,” said El Camino Coach John Featherstone. “We were just sloppy on offense.”

El Camino didn’t score until the end of the first quarter, on a 13-play, 59-yard drive. On fourth and six at the Mt. SAC 11-yard line, El Camino set up for a field goal. Instead Niu Sale ran up the left side for the touchdown. Lowe threw a pass to David Blakes for the two-point conversion, which put the Warriors up, 8-5.

El Camino drove 82 yards in six plays in its next possession. The drive was capped by Dolce’s 47-yard touchdown pass to Shannon Thompson.

The Mounties got their only touchdown of the half when a long snap floated over El Camino punter Scott Peters’ head. On Mt. SAC’s second play Russell sprinted 21 yards into the end zone, narrowing the Warriors’ lead to 15-12.

Mt. SAC had scored in the first quarter on a safety and a 28-yard James Petrotta field goal.

In the fourth quarter, El Camino scored on a 10-yard run by Al Savea, a Louis Perez field goal and a 10-yard pass from Dolce to David Blakes.