El Camino Ends Losing Streak : Community colleges: The Warriors’ Robert Jenkins scores three touchdowns in a 42-25 win against Pasadena that stops a four-game slide.

El Camino College running back Robert Jenkins got all the motivation he needed Saturday morning by watching a highlight film of the Warriors’ 1992 season. Pasadena City College defenders paid the price in the afternoon.

Jenkins, a 6-foot, 205-pound freshman, rushed for 108 yards and three touchdowns in 18 carries as the Warriors beat the Lancers, 42-25, in a Mission Conference Northern Division opener at Pasadena.

El Camino, which had lost its four previous games in the final minute, improved to 2-5.

“I wasn’t playing up to my potential because I did not have anyone to push me,” Jenkins said. “When I saw the highlight film, it inspired me to do better.”

El Camino Coach John Featherstone also had a not-so-subtle reminder for his team. He wore an Orange County Bowl T-shirt in the second half as a reminder that the division champion earns an invitation to play in a postseason game.

“The losing streak went out of my mind real fast,” Jenkins said.

The Warriors scored on their opening drive and never trailed. El Camino marched 76 yards in 14 plays, scoring on a five-yard run by Jenkins for a 7-0 lead with 6 minutes 3 seconds to play in the first quarter.

El Camino quarterback Steve Sarkisian completed eight of his first nine passes and finished with 17 completions in 23 attempts for 239 yards and two touchdowns.

Damon Terrell had four receptions for 86 yards and Dameon Porter had four catches for 36 yards as El Camino’s offense gained 458 yards.

“Everybody was real confident,” Sarkisian said. “It’s good to get a win under our belt. We have a little more character. We’re going in to games knowing we’re going to win, not hoping we’re going to win.”

Pasadena (2-5) closed to 28-25 on a 12-yard pass from Clifton Isaac to Demetrius Graham with 48 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Lancers, however, never got any closer and had their hopes dashed after the Warriors stopped a fake punt at the Pasadena 15-yard line.

Three plays later, Jenkins plunged in from three yards for a 35-25 lead with 9:22 remaining. Sarkisian combined with Hitoshi Ono on a 44-yard touchdown with 2:44 left for the final score.

“We had goals for the first half and we accomplished most of them and we carried that momentum in the second half,” Featherstone said. “I thought we played well from start to first.”

El Camino, which led 21-12 at halftime, opened a 14-0 lead on a two-yard run by Morrell Otis with 10:49 left in the second quarter. Otis gained 60 yards in 19 carries.

A 49-yard touchdown pass from Sarkisian to Porter increased the lead to 21-6 with 4:13 to play before halftime.

Pasadena quarterback Demetrio Williams completed eight of 25 passes for 270 yards. Williams was six of 16 for 230 yards in the first half, but was hampered in the second half because of a knee injury suffered on the final play of the first half.

Stacy Townsend and Daniel Parker had four catches for 162 and 99 yards for the Lancers.