El Dorado Takes Advantage of Katella Mistakes

El Dorado wasted little time in controlling the line of scrimmage and cruised to a 26-0 victory over Katella in an Empire League game Friday night at Glover Stadium.

With Alex Molnar running through and around the Knight defense, the Golden Hawks took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards in 14 plays for a touchdown. The Hawks scored on their first three possessions and led 19-0 midway through the second quarter before Katella could make a first down.

Molnar scored all four El Dorado touchdowns, picking up 113 yards in 25 carries.

“Our offensive line got off and did a good job,” El Dorado Coach Rick Jones said. “We only had 29 guys suited up tonight and they gave a real gutsy effort. That was one game we needed for (the playoffs).”

After taking a 7-0 lead on Molnar’s one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, El Dorado (3-4, 1-1 in league) struck again in the opening quarter after Benito Flores recovered a fumble, the first of four for Katella, on the Knight 21. Molnar swept 14 yards into the end zone for a 13-0 lead.

The game skipped further away from Katella (3-2-2, 0-1-1) when El Dorado drove 48 yards for its third score with Molnar sweeping around right end for a two-yard touchdown run.

In the second half, the Knights lost any hope of catching up, turning the ball over four times.

After making a goal-line stand against El Dorado, Katella fumbled and the Hawks’ John Cleary who recovered on the Knight three-yard line to set up Molnar’s final score from the three early in the fourth quarter.

Katella drove to the El Dorado 23 late in the game, but that drive ended with a fumble that El Dorado’s Kirk Badii recovered on the 25.