Self-Inflicted Wounds Culpit in Close Loss

by Cerwin D Haynes

(thumbnail by Mario Villegas)

As it is often in life, timing is everything. Unfortunately for East Los Angeles College football, their timing tonight was off.

While the defense put together a much better effort than last week at San Diego Mesa, costly penalties gave Palomar College (1-1) more opportunities to capitalize. Combine that with an inconsistent offense, and the Huskies (0-2) allowed their opponents just enough to escape Weingart Stadium as ELAC dropped a close one, 17-14.

"We were right there with them," commented ELAC head coach Bobby Godinez. "Just made too many mistakes."

Although East LA outgained Palomar in total yardage, 346-307, the Huskies offense struggled to put together sustaining drives for most of the game. ELAC freshman QB Logan Ebnet passed for a more-than-respectable 276 yards, but often struggled to get on the same page with his receivers on pass plays (he completed only 14 of 26 passes). To wit: 150 of those yards came on two big pass plays in the 2nd half; a long 79-yard TD reception to freshman WR Da'Mari Taylor in the third quarter (he finished with two catches for 106 yards), and a 71-yard pass completion to sophomore WR Jonathon Alexander that help set up another touchdown in the fourth.

Both Huskies' touchdowns came as they trailed Palomar, and both scores were followed by miscues on the extra point tries: a blocked PAT after two penalties backed up the try by 10 yards on the first TD, and then a sack of Ebnet on a two-point conversion attempt after the second. 

On the defensive side of the ball, the home Green baffled starting Palomar QB Jakob Harris, who only completed eight of 21 passes for 84 yards, 1 TD and an interception. Unfortunately, the Comets brought in KJ Chatham under center during the second half and he had better numbers, going 10-16 for 103 yards, 1 TD and a pick. That second interception was huge: with ELAC trailing 14-0 in the third quarter, Palomar drove deep into Huskies territory with the momentum clearly in their favor. But on 1st-and-10 at the ELAC 14, Chatham threw into the end zone and East DB Jamir Craddock got his hands on the ball. He bobbled it, but was able to secure the catch just as he fell to the ground for the pickoff and touchback.

Late into the fourth quarter, East LA trailed Palomar 17-12 with the Comets having possession. The Pack's D stepped up, forcing a three-and-out: Palomar punter Camden Cowgill booted a short 23-yard punt that spun out of bounds at the East LA 35 with 1:40 left in the game. The home faithful at Weingart were ready to see their Huskies go for the comeback.

Instead, on the next play, Ebnet's pass was tipped by a Palomar defender right before before it could reach his receiver. DB Isaiah Strong snagged the deflected ball out of the air for a crushing (and game-sealing) interception.

HUSKY BITS

• Would the approach on the Huskies final drive been different if they only down 17-14 (instead of 17-12) where a field goal could've tied the game? Did the missed extra point and conversion try play a factor?
• ELAC was penalized 12 times for 102 yards (Palomar eight time for 45 yards). The timing of the Husky penalties (i.e. 12-men on the field on defense on fourth-down when Palomar was set to punt from deep in their own territory) hurt them more than the actual lost yardage.
• Taylor almost had his second-straight 100-yard receiving game, hauling in four catches for 99 yards after his six-catch, 130-yard effort last week at San Diego Mesa.
• ELAC LB Nazir Abram lead the Pack defense with nine total tackles. DB Naszer Reed had three total tackles, a pass break-up and an INT.

UP NEXT:

ELAC will hit the road for their first of three trips into the OC. They'll travel to Santa Ana next Saturday to take on the Dons, whom were formerly a frequent preseason scrimmage opponent of the Huskies.