In the first game of the season, the defense overpowered the visiting LA Southwest offense Saturday night, proving to the rest of the division that they will be very difficult to defeat. The Warriors won 27-0 against LA Southwest at EC. The will play against Long Beach City College at Long Beach on September, 13, Saturday at 6 p.m.
The Warriors defense held LA Southwest at 8 yards gained in total and got 15 sacks.
“We set a school record with total yardage allowed,” football coach, John Featherstone said. “People are going to think it’s a complete error when the see it, but we held Southwest to just plus 8 yards in total offense. Minus 41 in rushing and only plus 8 overall.”
Previously, the team has only executed nine or ten sacks.
“It’s a good start for our defense. We had 15 sacks, I mean that’s unheard of,” Featherstone said.
The game did not end without a few disappointments. A punt, a field goal, and a PAT were blocked throughout the game by LA Southwest.
“I think the biggest surprise for us was the poor execution of some of our special teams. We’re not used to that we’re usually pretty good on special teams. I was caught off guard by it a little bit,” Featherstone said.
Featherstone is confident that special teams will come though next week in the game against Long Beach City.
“We will clean it up this week. We’ll be fine,” Featherstone said.
Erick Stewart, tight end, was satisfied with the victory over LA Southwest, but still sees room for improvement.
“I think our performance was pretty good. We can step out tempo up a little bit, but I think the coaches prepared us and we cam away with a shut out,” Stewart said.
Quarterback Jimmy Coy proved himself more than capable. Coy threw 18 completed passes out of 27, which translates into 67%, passes completed.
“He had 3 drops or 4 drops, so he would have been 21 for 27 or almost 22 for 27,” Featherstone said. “Anytime our guys are around 60% or better at quarterback we’re happy with that.”
Coy stands up well under pressure. At one point in the third quarter, LA Southwest called a blitz on fourth down and Coy completed a pass for a first down. Coy’s counterpart did not have the same game.
“We knew if we could contain him and give him some pressure with out linebackers and defensive line, which we did. We had him on skate all night,” Featherstone said. “If we can continue to play that solid in the defense we could be in every game.”
The Warriors are looking ahead to playing Long Beach, a long rival of EC’s, and will defend the War Axe trophy. The trophy is in possession of whichever team wins the last game in the rivalry.
“We know we have a really exciting game against Long Beach City this week. They’re one of our archrivals. We’ve been playing them for over 50 years, so whoever wins this game gets to keep the hatchet,” Featherstone said.
EC lost in 2002 and the axe for four years. In 2007, the Warriors beat Long Beach and have had the pleasure to possess it for the last year.
The Warriors know what is at stake in the upcoming game and are ready for a challenge.
“We have got to come in this game with a level head, a head screwed on right so we can keep that axe in our possession,” Antwain Easterling, running back, said.
