ELAC football gets share of title, sets six records

MONTEREY PARK, CA — The Southern California American Division’s No. 3-ranked East Los Angeles College defeated local rival No. 8 Pasadena City College 63-27 and won at least a share of the American Metro League title.

A Husky win next week against another local rival, Glendale Community College, will give the Huskies their third outright football conference championship in 43 years.

The Huskies won the American Division Mountain Conference in 2011 with quarterback Aaron Cantu who led the state that year in passing yardage. ELAC won the Southern California Conference title in the 1972-73 season. Cantu’s grandfather was an assistant football coach beginning with the 1974 ELAC team.

The Huskies broke five school football records and tied another in the win versus Pasadena. Combined with the 63 points scored tonight, the Huskies have scored 370 points to date, with one game left in the regular season and a locked-in bowl bid. The 2011 team scored 357 points.

For the second time this season, ELAC broke the football record for least amount of first downs allowed in a game. The Huskies held Pasadena City to five first downs, one by penalty, breaking the record of 10 allowed against LA Southwest College in the 47-14 ELAC win three weeks ago on Oct. 15.

ELAC sophomore kicker Vicente Luis Juan broke a 48-year school record. He scored 9-of-9 PATs vs. Pasadena City for a season total 39, eclipsing Gene Valencia’s 1968 record of 35 in one season. Vicente Luis Juan currently has a streak of 27 consecutive PATs.

The defense held the Lancers to 32 net yards passing breaking the record from a 1947 game vs. El Centro. ELAC amassed 504 yards of total offense, the second straight game with over 500. The defense held Pasadena to 112 yards in total offense, a season-best for ELAC.

ELAC scored first from a five-play 48-yard drive. Sophomore quarterback Jonathan Santos (South East High School) threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Cemaj Douglas (Dorsey HS) with 6:51 remaining in the first quarter and the Huskies led 7-0.

In the second quarter, ELAC scored 35 points and tied the record of most points scored in a quarter, also set in 1971 vs. LA Southwest.

Santos passed for four second-quarter touchdowns, a school record for most passed touchdowns in a game, the former a 17-yard connection to sophomore tight end Ceejhay French-Love (Long Beach Poly HS). French Love and Vicente Luis Juan have each scored a team-high 54 points this season.

Santos’ other second quarter touchdown tosses were to three wide receivers, freshman Branden Peterson (Las Vegas, NV / Desert Oasis HS) who caught a 65 yarder, freshman Kenny Allen (Fairfax HS) who grabbed a 12 yarder and sophomore Khamren Davenport (Frederick Douglas HS) who hauled in a 10 yarder.

After a Santos sack for a seven-yard loss by Pasadena freshman Daeqwan Bailey, ELAC sophomore quarterback Levi Wells (South El Monte HS) came in and threw a 12-yard pass to sophomore wide receiver Matthew Acosta (Whittier HS) on 3rd-and 17 from the 22-yard line. On 4th-and-5, Wells faked left, swept right, and scored a 10-yard touchdown.

Wells remained at the helm in the third and fourth quarters competing a 7-of-12 passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns, one to Peterson (23 yards) and the other to sophomore running back Dominique Lee (Dominguez HS) for 27 yards.

Freshman wide receiver Aubrey Mosley-Laughlin (Monrovia HS) scored the Huskies’ final touchdown, a 57-yard burst with 4:18 remaining in the game. He also had an interception, which he ran back for 15 yards.

Pasadena freshman linebacker Matt Terlizzi tallied the game’s final score, a 64-yard fumble recovery return for a touchdown with 00:25 seconds left in the game.

In less than two quarters, Santos was 10-of-19 for 200 yards. He threw five touchdowns for the second time this season, one shy of a school record six in one game set three times by Cantu.

Mosley-Laughlin led the Husky rushing yardage with 70 yards from four runs. Santo rushed six times for 44 yards and Lee rushed six times for 54 yards. Peterson led the receivers with 88 yards from two catches for an average of 44 yards-per-catch, each a touchdown.

On the defensive side, linebacker’s freshman Daniel Belton (South East HS) and sophomore linebacker Travond Ross (Burns HS) each had nine tackles, six unassisted from Belton. Freshman linebacker Trestan Kueneman (Chino HS) had seven tackles.

Sophomore defensive lineman Christopher Blanton (Downey HS) had 4 1/2 quarterback sacks (one shared with Belton), for a loss of 31 Pasadena yards. His season total 59-sack yardage is sixth best in the state.

Sophomore offensive lineman Francis Bongwalanga and cheer captain Aime Castaneda were crowned Homecoming King and Queen, “For demonstrating great sportsmanship, athleticism, team dedication and commitment to their sport, and above all for their spirit and pride for ELAC Huskies,” said Cheer Squad Coach Eva Zepeda.

Awarded Prince and Princess of the Homecoming Court were freshman running back Marquis Arnold and Carla Ornelas.

Bowl bids are determined by rankings, with conference/league winners receiving automatic berths. No. 2 Southwestern College (8-1) lost 51-34 tonight at College of the Desert (4-5). The Huskies could move into the No. 2 spot in the Regional rankings, to be released on Monday.

The Huskies host Glendale on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 6 p.m. in Weingart Stadium in the final game of the regular season. The Huskies have a six-game win streak, Glendale a three-game win streak including a 61-6 win against ECC Compton last week. The football series with Glendale began in 1949.

Current American Metro Standings

(Overall and Metro Records)

East Los Angeles             7-2, 5-0  

Santa Ana                        4-5, 4-1

West Los Angeles           5-5, 4-2

Glendale Community      3-6, 3-2   

Pasadena City                  4-5 2-3

ECC-Compton Center     0-9, 0-5  

Los Angeles Southwest   0-9, 0-5 

story submitted by Tadzio Garcia