El Camino Loses a Nail-Biter

El Camino College Coach John Featherstone often speculates what the Warriors’ record might be with a little luck.

His thoughts were no different Saturday night after a 38-33 loss to Long Beach City College in a Mission Conference Northern Division game at Veterans Stadium.

El Camino (2-6, 1-1 in conference) has lost six games by a touchdown or less.

With the Warriors on the verge of a game-winning touchdown, Long Beach defensive back Bobby Perkins intercepted a tipped pass in the end zone with 31 seconds left to secure the victory. The Vikings, ranked fourth in the state, ran out the clock to improve to 8-0 and 2-0.

El Camino had taken possession at its seven-yard line after Geoff Prince kicked a 47-yard field goal to give Long Beach a 38-33 lead with 2 minutes 40 seconds remaining.

The Warriors drove to the Long Beach 17-yard line on a 16-yard pass from Steve Sarkisian to Hitosho Ono with 40 seconds left before Perkins’ interception.

“We played them snap for snap,” Featherstone said. “If you give us one more play we would have won.”

Perkins, a 6-foot sophomore from Carson High, also blocked a Warrior punt and recovered the ball in the end zone to help the Vikings to a 21-0 lead.

Sarkisian completed 25 of 44 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns. He misfired on six of his first seven attempts, but finished 13 of 21 for 149 yards to help the Warriors close to 21-17 at halftime.

Morell Otis scored on a five-yard pass from Sarkisian with 9:52 to play. Otis plunged in for a two-yard touchdown with 5:09 left. Joseph Furlow’s extra point made the score, 35-33.

Otis had eight catches for 73 yards and Leandrew Childs had six for 80. Robert Jenkins rushed for 96 yards in 12 carries for El Camino.

Sarkisian and Damon Terrell, who had four catches for 65 yards, combined on two second-quarter touchdown passes to help El Camino climb within 21-14.

A 32-yard field goal by Furlow two seconds before halftime cut the margin to 21-17.

The Warriors marched 80 yards for their first score. The drive ended with Sarkisian passing eight yards to Terrell on fourth down with 8:54 to play in the second quarter.

El Camino went 95 yards in 13 plays for its second touchdown. Sarkisian completed a 25-yard touchdown pass to Terrell with 1:11 remaining in the first half.

On Long Beach’s next possession, El Camino defensive back Deon Brumfield recovered a fumble by running back Patrick Norris at the Viking 25 with 20 seconds to play in the second quarter to set up the field goal by Furlow.

Long Beach drove 92 yards in eight plays for its first touchdown, culminating with a 38-yard run by Carl Marshall with 4:53 left in the first quarter.

Ray Domingo passed four yards to Warren Long with 44 seconds to play in the first quarter for a 14-0 Viking lead.