El Camino’s Defense Overwhelms Pasadena

The El Camino College football team has relied heavily on its defense and Saturday’s Mission Conference game against Pasadena City College was no exception.

The Warriors held the Lancers to their worst offensive game of the season in a 35-15 victory at Murdock Stadium in Torrance.

Quarterback Edward Hervey, Pasadena’s leading rusher, was held to 88 yards in 23 carries and completed only eight of 22 passes for 99 yards. He was sacked seven times.

Although the Lancers (7-2) struggled to move the ball throughout the game, the Warriors (7-1) had an equally difficult time early in the game.

Tom Dallen made a 32-yard field goal that gave El Camino a 3-0 lead with 10 minutes 59 seconds left in the first quarter, but the Warriors gained only 54 yards in their first three possessions.

Pasadena gained only nine yards in its first two possessions, but had the ball inside El Camino’s 20-yard line on its third drive. The Warrior defense stiffened and the Lancers settled for a 38-yard field goal by Neil Voskeritchian.

With the game score, 3-3, El Camino quarterback Jerry Singleton had a pass intercepted by Joey Speaks on the second play of the second quarter. But El Camino’s Shawn Parnell returned the favor, intercepting a Hervey pass on Pasadena’s first play and returning it 51 yards to Pasadena’s 20-yard line.

Two plays later, Ivan Wilson scored on a seven-yard run to give El Camino a 10-3 lead.

Defensive back Andrew Alvillar recovered a Pasadena fumble and Singleton passed to freshman Tony Knox for a 46-yard gain. Five plays later, Singleton passed to Mario Smith for a 10-yard touchdown to gave the Warriors a 17-3 halftime lead.

Dallen made a 26-yard field goal with 7:42 left in the third quarter to give the Warriors a 20-3 lead.

The game only got worst for Pasadena. On first and 10 from its 20-yard line, an errant pitch by Hervey was recovered by freshman defensive lineman Derrick Berry, who returned the ball to the Lancer one-yard line.

Wilson scored on the first play to give the Warriors a 27-3 lead.

Demetrio Williams replaced Hervey and scored the Lancers’ first touchdown on a five-yard run with 8:40 left to play. Pasadena failed on the two-point conversion attempt.

El Camino scored with 6:06 left to play when Alvillar intercepted a pass by Williams. Reserve quarterback Larry Roberts passed to Latario Rachal on the first play for an 18-yard touchdown and Bryon Hammons passed to Damon Terrell for the two-point conversion to give the Warriors a 35-9 lead.

Hervey returned to the game and with 1:34 remaining found a hole on the right side and ran 23 yards for a Lancer touchdown.