COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOOTBALL : El Camino Wins, 37-28, to Earn Berth to Bowl Game

As far as John Featherstone is concerned, explaining El Camino College’s 37-28 come-from-behind victory over Long Beach Saturday night is simple.

“That second half was the best 30 minutes of football we played all year,” the Warrior coach said. “We played like a championship football team, the kind of football team we’re capable of being.”

By defeating Long Beach in the regular-season finale at Murdock Stadium, El Camino (8-2, 3-1 in Mission Conference Northern Division play) earned a bid to December’s Southern California Bowl game. The Warriors are expected to play San Bernardino Valley in the game at Chaffey College.

Saturday night, El Camino wide receiver Latario Rachal scored two touchdowns and had 10 receptions, tailback Ivan Wilson rushed for 123 yards, quarterback Jerry Singleton completed 20 of 34 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns and Tom Dallen kicked three field goals.

Two big defensive plays by lineman Kenny Talanoa helped the Warriors erase a 28-17 halftime deficit.

Talanoa’s sack of Long Beach (4-5-1, 1-3) quarterback Ray Domingo sent the ball squirting into the hands of defensive back Alex Schultz.

Two consecutive pass plays set up Wilson’s long gain, and Rachal scored from 22 yards out on the back end of a reverse.

El Camino claimed its first lead after another big defensive surge forced a Long Beach punt.

Singleton teamed with Rachal on 23- and 10-yard gains, and the Warriors moved to a first-and-goal situation after fullback Tony DeCosta’s third-down run.

Wilson then scored from a yard out to give the Warriors a 31-28 lead.

Talanoa’s fumble recovery at the 16 then set up another El Camino drive that resulted in a 26-yard field goal by Dallen.

The Warriors increased their lead to 37-28 on Dallen’s 29-yard field goal with 3:48 to play. The score came at the end of a drive that consumed more than eight minutes.

“At halftime I told the kids to look deep within themselves because this could be their last 30 minutes of football together,” Featherstone said. “And they did. That last 30 minutes represented your finest hour.”

Early on the Warriors appeared to be feeling the affects of last week’s game, when they lost a 19-point lead in the third quarter in a loss to Mt. San Antonio College.

In the first half, Domingo passed for 212 yards and four touchdowns to give Long Beach a 28-17 advantage.

He had three consecutive touchdown passes in a string that began midway through the first quarter.

Domingo finished his team’s first-half scoring with a six-yard touchdown pass to Raymond Wilson, who also grabbed a 37-yarder to start the drive.

Rachal’s 24-yard return on the ensuing kickoff gave El Camino some unexpected momentum with 11 seconds remaining.

Wide receiver Tony Knox’s 40-yard reception appeared to have ended the half, but a face-mask penalty extended it one more play. Dallen then kicked a 26-yard field goal.

After falling behind, 7-0, El Camino tied the score with a 12-play drive that was finished by Wilson’s eight-yard touchdown run.

Long Beach reclaimed the lead on a 55-yard touchdown pass, but the Warriors rebounded with a drive set up by Rachal’s 36-yard kickoff return.

Singleton and DeCosta extended the series with big third-down plays, and Rachal finished it off by grabbing a five-yard scoring pass.

Domingo completed eight of 11 passes as Long Beach ran up 269 total yards in the first half. Overall, he was 10 of 20 for 278 yards.

Harbor 18, Ventura 7--The Seahawks outgained the Pirates, 343-138, with most of the damage being done by running back Ira Moreland, who gained 173 yards and scored a touchdown in 26 carries.