By the time the rain came in the third quarter, the football team was already dominating the Santa Ana Dons in Saturday’s homecoming game at Murdock Stadium.
The Warriors thrashed Santa Ana, 48-12, following last week’s disappointing 14-7 defeat at Saddleback which effectively squelched the team’s playoff hopes.
The Warriors (7-3) are ranked No. 10 in the state and heading to a non-playoff bowl. EC takes on No. 9 Chaffey College (8-2), at Chaffey Saturday in Upland at 1 p.m. in the Verizon Southern California Bowl.
“We have only one plan: to win,” coach John Featherstone said. “They have one of the top offenses in the state and we’ll try to slow them down.”
Featherstone said this game will be competitive.
“They just missed the playoffs and have an excellent quarterback,” Featherstone said. “Hopefully, it won’t become a shootout, but if it does, that’s fine with us too.”
Both EC and Chaffey have lost only to schools in the state championship playoffs. Chaffey lost to Saddleback and Grossmont, and the Warriors lost to Mt. SAC, Fullerton and Saddleback.
Warriors’ offense clicks
Against Santa Anta (5-5), the Warriors completely dominated a decent team.
“We woke up on offense,” Featherstone said. “We ran and threw the ball successfully, and the defense bent but didn’t break. After a tough loss, the players were fired up and played a solid game.”
The Warriors once again relied on Matt Engle’s accurate right arm. Engle completed 18 of 25 attempts for 306 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.
EC got off to a fast start with Engle’s 35-yard touchdown pass to LaFerrell Payne, the first of his three touchdown catches.
EC struck again on a 1-yard touchdown run by Craigston Robbins. After Santa Ana quarterback Cory Campbell answered with a touchdown pass, EC quickly scored again on Engle’s 21-yard strike to Payne.
The Dons had a first down on the 1-yard line at the end of the half, but EC’s defense turned them away to maintain a 22-6 halftime lead.
Outside linebacker Jamal Gatlin said the team wanted to play well in front of the homecoming crowd.
“Coach Featherstone said, ‘If you come off the field thinking you could have given more, then you didn’t help out the team.’ We were just strategizing and blitzing them.”
In the second half, Santa Ana struck first on a touchdown pass, but that was all they could score.
EC dominates in 2nd half
When the thunderstorm hit the EC campus about 8 p.m., it was also raining passes from Engle.
Engle threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to tailback Mafua Leilua for a 28-12 lead, then on the next drive he hit wide receiver Joe Kensey on a post pattern for another score.
“I just beat the safety,” Kensey said of his 56-yard touchdown. “He tried to come up and bump me, but didn’t get a good jam. I got wide open, the quarterback saw me and I got six (points).”
In the fourth quarter, Leilua, who had 14 carries for 66 yards, ran the ball in for another score.
“We just had fun for the last home game and put it all out on the field,” Leilua said.
The last touchdown came when Nick Emmons found Payne for a 7-yard touchdown.
Warriors lose at Saddleback
With two losses, the Warriors had to beat Saddleback to keep their playoff hopes alive. But a tough loss took them out of the playoffs.
EC’s offense was unable to move the ball, gaining only 175 yards vs. Saddleback’s 343.
Engle completed 21 of 37 passes for 152 yards, but was sacked five times. The Warriors’ touchdown came on Keith Ellison’s 50-yard interception, his fifth of the season.
The outcome might have been different if a key play had gone in the Warriors’ favor.
With the score 7-7, defensive back Clavens Charles stopped Saddleback quarterback Brock Farrel just short of the goal line. But the referee ruled Farrel touched the pylon with the ball, giving Saddleback the winning touchdown.
Engle led the Mission Conference in passing this season. He completed 193 of 313 passes for 21 touchdowns and 2,478 yards, with eight interceptions. His completion percentage was .617 for an average of 247.8 yards per game.
Engle said missing the playoffs was disappointing, but the team is focusing on its accomplishments.
“A couple of breaks here and there and we would be in the playoffs,” he said. “We will focus on what a great season it’s been and next year will be fun.”
