National Title On Line as Taft Faces El Camino

The national community college football championship may be on the line tonight when El Camino College and Taft meet at 7 in the second game of the PONY Bowl doubleheader at Orange Coast College.

Taft (9-0) is the country’s second-ranked team. El Camino (10-0), which was ranked first most of the season, is third. Ellsworth, Iowa, which is 10-0 and has already won a postseason game, is ranked first in the J.C. Grid-Wire poll. But Hank Ives, who runs the poll, said the winner of tonight’s game probably will take over the top spot.

The game should be a study in contrasts.

Taft, the Central Valley Conference champion, has the best running game in the state. Gerald Williams led the Cougars with 744 yards in 60 carries, and Michael Moore had 642 yards in 69 carries. Taft runners gained 2,901 yards and scored 35 touchdowns as 8 players rushed for 199 yards or more.

Taft quarterback Rodney Fletcher has completed 59 of 117 passes for 939 yards and 8 touchdowns with 6 interceptions.

El Camino prefers the passing game.

Quarterback Dan Speltz completed 167 of 290 passes for 2,359 yards and 25 touchdowns with 8 interceptions. He was named the South Coast Conference’s offensive player of the year and to the All-American team.