COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDUP : FULLERTON SAVES BEST FOR LAST TO DEFEAT EL CAMINO, 31-24 : Football: Furious 22-point rally in final six minutes hands Warriors their second consecutive defeat.

When two of the state’s community college powerhouses meet in football, it usually comes down to which team gets the most breaks.

Saturday night, Fullerton College broke tackles, and they broke El Camino’s hearts.

The Hornets (5-0)--the second-ranked team in the nation by the JC Grid-Wire--scored three touchdowns in the final six minutes of the game to erase a 24-9 deficit. Then Fullerton held on to shock eighth-ranked El Camino, 31-24, at Fullerton District Stadium.

The loss was El Camino’s second in a row after being ranked No. 1 in the nation two weeks ago. The Warriors fell to 4-2.

Fullerton’s rally started when tailback Brian Williams ran three yards for a touchdown with 5:36 remaining. That drive was aided by a pass interference call against El Camino’s Eric Nelson.

Down by eight points with less than five minutes left, Fullerton got the big break it needed when El Camino quarterback Rod Harvey fumbled at his own seven-yard line while dropping back to pass. Fullerton’s Toby Howell recovered.

On the next play, Williams ran seven yards for the touchdown to cut El Camino’s lead to 24-22 with 4:23 left.

The Hornets tied the game on a two-point conversion, with quarterback Eric Robinson following Johnny Mountain’s block into the end zone.

El Camino started its own drive, marching to the Fullerton 28, but Harvey was intercepted by Hornet lineman Ward Van Pelt.

Fullerton took over at its own 23. Five rushing plays later, Robinson kept the ball on an option and zig-zagged 17 yards for the winning touchdown.

Fullerton gained 330 yards on the ground, the bulk of it by Mountain (123 yards on eight carries).

The loss ruined a big game for Harvey, who completed 26 of 52 passes for a career-high 387 yards.

El Camino had taken control of the game’s first drive. The Warriors marched the length of the field before Harvey tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to wide-open flanker Ray Jones.

The Warriors struck again in the first quarter after an interception by free safety Donovan Gallatin. Harvey made it 14-0 when he rolled out and passed to Marquis Owens for the score.

Fullerton got its running game going late in the first quarter. Eric Lange kicked a 19-yard field goal to cut the lead to 14-3.

With 7:24 remaining in he first half, Williams took a pitch to the right and ran 17 yards for a touchdown. The extra point attempt failed and El Camino led, 14-9, at halftime.

El Camino’s defense took control of the game in the third quarter, slowing Fullerton’s potent running game, top-ranked in the Mission Conference, and forcing the Hornets to throw the ball.

The Warriors’ next two scores were set up by interceptions. Linebacker Ronald Hanze picked off a Robinson pass and ran it back to the Fullerton 31-yard line. Five plays later, Louis Perez kicked a 40-yard field goal for a 17-9 El Camino lead.