Warriors' comeback gets sacked
Jean Sifrin, #1, TE, caught the ball getting El Camino a first down.
Sophomore quarterback Cole Webb had just taken a brutal hit, but managed to find freshman running back Raphael Lawson-Gayle for a 9-yard gain on fourth down to keep the Warriors’ drive alive; EC was marching down the field and looked poised to tie the score after trailing 21-14 at the half.
With third-and-goal on Palomar’s 5-yard line, Webb dropped back to complete a pass but was intercepted in the end zone by Javante O’Roy; who returned it 101 yards for a touchdown thus giving Palomar the lead for good as they beat EC, 31-14 Saturday.
“That was the biggest turning point,” coach John Featherstone said. “That’s a tough thing to recover from quickly. They [Palomar] took that momentum forward the rest of the game.”
The final score reads 31-14 but it could have been switched around had it not been for a few key plays that went in favor of Palomar.
“I don’t really think the score is indicative of how close it was,” Featherstone said.
Despite some shaky play from the offensive line, which allowed two sacks, the team played very well overall on both sides of the ball; amassing 225 passing and 132 rushing yards.
The Warriors were able to consistently drive down the field but failed to capitalize on opportunities by going 2-12 on third-down conversions.
“We were able to move the ball a lot but we needed to be able to finish drives more,” Webb said.
Webb had a statistically good night, going 16-32 with 213 yards and one touchdown, but would like to improve on some issues before heading into the next game
Honestly, I need to execute a little better,” Webb said. “Especially on third-down or in the red-zone.”
The Warriors were also able to establish a strong running game headed by Lawson-Gayle, who had 12 rushing attempts for 52 yards, and freshman running back Kendall Sparks, who had 29 yards on six carries.
“We did a pretty good job running the football,” Featherstone said. “We probably should have stayed with the run a little bit longer.”
The defense did a great job throughout the night; keeping Palomar’s offense in check while keeping the Warrior’s within striking distance.
Sophomore linebacker Kristopher Bass had a stellar game, leading the team with nine tackles and earning Defensive Player of the Week honors.
“We just kept letting them get the third-down,” Bass said. “The defense let the offense down. We just need to finish.”
The Warriors must move on and will have a great chance to bounce back as three of their next four games will be played at Murdock Stadium; their next game will be Saturday, Sept. 14th, at 4 p.m. as El Camino hosts Hancock College.
“We’re going to take from this experience,” Webb said. “The attitude this year is totally different.”
