El Camino Real on Easy Street

An opportunistic defense gave way to a cavalcade of points in the final 26 minutes and El Camino Real High rolled over Carson, 42-0, Friday night in the City Section 3-A Division championship football game at the Coliseum.

Carson (6-6-2), which defeated El Camino Real in seven of eight playoff games dating to 1973 and outscored the Conquistadores, 268-85, in those games, took it on the chin this time.

Quincy Wright of El Camino Real, who had 13 yards in his first eight carries, broke loose for 123 of his 172 yards in the second half and scored four touchdowns.

“We felt if we didn’t make any mistakes, we’d break one here or there,” El Camino Real Coach Rick Hayashida said.

The Conquistadores forced four turnovers, converted three of them into 20 points and recorded a safety when lineman David Castellanos sacked Ed Nabayan in the end zone on the Colts’ last play.

The Conquistadores (10-4), in winning their first City football title, went three and out on three of their first five possessions. Driving on the fifth possession, Wright fumbled at the Carson 29 with 3:12 left in the first half.

On the next play, linebacker Demond Daniels sacked Nabayan, who fumbled. Daniels picked up the ball at the 14 and returned it to the four-yard line.

“They didn’t have a tight end and the running back just looked at me and stuttered,” said Daniels, who has an interception return and a fumble return for touchdowns this season. “The next thing you know, I had a quarterback sack and a fumble return.”

Three plays later, Wright ran off tackle one yard for the first of his three touchdowns after turnovers. He was just getting started.

Thirty seconds later, linebacker Alex Perez stepped in front of Nabayan’s pass and returned it 28 yards to the Carson 13.

On the next play, Wright took a pitch, went left and scored untouched for a 14-0 halftime lead.

“Our offense was struggling, but we knew Quincy would break through sooner or later,” Perez said. “So our defense was just holding tough. A shutout in the 3-A. That’s big.”

The Conquistadors limited Carson to 94 yards in the first half and the Colts had minus-three in the second.

El Camino Real scored on its first four possessions of the second half. Aaron Fredette connected with wide-open Jared Maiden for a 42-yard touchdown pass play to make it 21-0.

Fullback DeAngelo Nedd, who had 103 yards in six carries, scored 2:25 later on a 56-yard run.

Noe Duran forced a fumble by reserve quarterback Anthony Davis and John Grogan recovered at the Carson 44.

Three plays later, Wright scored from 12 yards to give El Camino Real a 34-0 lead.

Wright, who carried 26 times, scored in the fourth quarter on a 28-yard run.