COLLEGE FOOTBALL : JC Bowl Games : El Camino’s Combination KOs Taft, 24-6

Dan Speltz passed to Dwight Pickens for three touchdowns, and El Camino College upset Taft, 24-6, in the second game of the PONY Bowl doubleheader before about 5,000 fans at Orange Coast College.

El Camino (11-0) came into the game as the third-ranked team in the national J.C. Grid-Wire poll. Taft (9-1) was second.

El Camino will move into the top spot over Ellsworth of Iowa (10-0) when the final poll is announced Tuesday, according to Hank Ives who runs the poll.

Speltz completed a 50-yard pass for a touchdown to Pickens as El Camino opened a 24-6 lead with 6:35 left in the game.

Speltz completed a nine-yard pass for a touchdown to Pickens with 7:15 left in the first quarter to give El Camino a 7-0 lead.

Pickets caught a short pass from Speltz at midfield and he raced the rest of the way for a 59-yard touchdown to make it 14-0 with 35 seconds left in the first quarter.

Speltz, voted the outstanding offensive player of the game, was 22 of 40 for 347 yards and 3 touchdowns. Pickens had 7 catches for 177 yards.

Taft’s only score came on a 28-yard run by quarterback Dwayne Calloway with 11:43 left in the third quarter.

Linebacker Ken Sale, defensive player of the game, helped El Camino limit Taft to a season-low 280 yards in total offense.

Saddleback 21, Cerritos 14--In the first game, reserve quarterback Phil Marks ran 44 yards for a touchdown with 6:15 left to break a 14-14 tie and give Saddleback (9-2) its eighth consecutive victory.

Marks replaced starter Howard Gasser, who was sacked and injuried his left ankle with 1:07 left in the third quarter.

Gasser completed a 19-yard pass for a touchdown to Kelly Ryan in the second quarter to tie the score, 7-7. Saddleback took a 14-7 lead in a two-yard run for a score by Aly Diaz with 1:03 left.

Cerritos (6-4-1) tied the score, 14-14, on a two-yard run by Jerrell Waddell in the third quarter.