THE BIG GAME : El Camino Scores 13 Points in Final 3:57 to Top Carlsbad

There wasn’t much of a resemblance to El Camino’s Section championship of last year. Twenty of the 22 starters graduated, and along with them went the crisp blocking, power running and mistake-free football characteristic of Herb Meyer coached-teams.

But Friday night, the El Camino Wildcats did have one thing in common with past teams, they found a way to win.

Given up for dead with less than four minutes remaining, El Camino rallied for a touchdown, a safety and a field goal by Aaron Morrison with four seconds left to pull off a 15-13 victory over stunned Carlsbad in front of about 1,500 fans at Carlsbad Stadium.

“With all the things we did wrong, it’s a minor miracle that we won,” Meyer said.

El Camino started its comeback trailing 13-2 with 3:57 remaining. On a third and 13 at his own 17, third-string quarterback Noel Prefontaine broke three tackles behind the line of scrimmage on a broken play and rambled down the sidelines to score.

“There was miscommunication on the play,” Prefontaine said. “The running back went the wrong way, and then I just got some blocks.”

Running back Von Robinson (70 yards on 16 carries) ran the ball in from the two for a two-point conversion to make it 13-10.

A clipping penalty on the kickoff return forced Carlsbad into a first and 10 at its two-yard line. Three plays later, Carlsbad snapped the ball out of the end zone on an attempted punt. The safety cut Carlsbad’s lead to 13-12.

After the ensuing kick, Prefontaine hit Mike Trevino with a 24-yard completion. And a pass interference penalty advanced the ball to the Carlsbad nine-yard line. Four plays later, Morrison kicked his game-winning field goal from 20 yards.

After leading just 3-2 at halftime, Carlsbad took a 10-2 lead on Will Bartsch’s 32-yard run with 5:22 remaining in the third quarter. Then, Pulsipher kicked his second field goal of the night, a 43-yarder, to give Carlsbad a 13-2 lead with 4:59 left in the game.

In the first half, offensive ineptitude ruled.

Carlsbad and El Caimno combined for 73 yards of offense, five first downs and no completions in 13 attempts.

In 22 plays from scrimmage, the Lancer offense netted minus-seven yards and two first downs, one of which came on an El Camino defensive holding penalty.

Bartsch led Carlsbad in rushing with 11 yards in four carries. Until quarterback Mike Gallardi broke loose for 15 yards on an option keeper with 1:30 remaining in the first half, Bartsch had the Lancers longest gain of four yards.

After being sacked six times, thrice by El Camino outside linebacker Abdul McCullough for minus-21 yards, Gallardi and his back up Brian Byrne, finished the half with minus 21 yards in eight carries.

Carlsbad was handed its only points when El Camino quarterback Charles Hicks fumbled on his own 43 with 2:06 remaining. Gallardi’s 15-yard run set up Dan Pulsipher’s 31-yard field goal with :12 remaining.