El Camino Passes First Test, 33-24

El Camino College received its first test Saturday night. After winning its first five games easily, the team had to work for a 33-24 Mission Conference victory over Pasadena (4-2, 3-2) at Murdock Stadium.

Top-ranked El Camino (6-0, 5-0) even trailed in the first half, but the Warriors scored a touchdown and two field goals to beat the 13-ranked Lancers and up the longest winning streak in the nation to 13 games.

Quarterback Frank Dolce completed 17 passes in 38 attempts for 234 yards and two touchdowns, but he struggled early. In the first half he was sacked twice and completed just seven of 20 pass attempts.

El Camino regained the lead with 9:35 left in the game. The Warriors drove 91 yards on eight plays, capped by Dolce’s seven-yard pass to Marquis Owens. That put El Camino ahead 27-24.

Freshman Louis Perez kicked a 38-yard field goal before that drive. Perez kicked another one, for 33 yards, with 7:38 left in the game. With 2:02 left to play the 5-foot-10, 184-pounder from Carson High kicked one for 42 yards, securing the game for El Camino.

Pasadena took advantage of an El Camino fumble to drive 35 yards on five plays for a 24-17 edge at the break. Niu Sale fumbled a punt return on the El Camino 27 and Pasadena’s Howard Brown recovered.

The Warriors scored on their first possession, which came after Tracy Gentry recovered a Pasadena fumble at the Lancers’ seven-yard line. On the first play of the drive Dolce found Shannon Thompson clear in the end zone for a touchdown pass.

Pasadena scored its first touchdown with 4:32 left in the first quarter when punter Donny Wenzler threw his first pass of the season to Brune Naulls for 23 yards, making it 10-6.