ELAC Football Defeats Pasadena City 42-14
PASADENA, CA — The No. 6-ranked (Southern California American Division Poll) East Los Angeles College won a 42-14 Metro League football game at Pasadena City College tonight.
In a rivalry that began 70 years ago, the Huskies, 6-3 overall and 4-1 in Metro play, have now won two-straight against Pasadena (5-4, 4-1).
ELAC closes out its regular season next Saturday, Nov. 11 at Glendale Community College (2-7, 2-3) with a 1 p.m. start.
Pasadena plays at Metro leading Santa Ana College (6-3, 5-0) next Saturday. A Pasadena win creates a three-way tie for the Metro League title if ELAC wins as well. In any case, the Huskies await bowl bids.
“We’re all playing for a championship next week,” said ELAC Head Coach Bobby Godinez. “If Pasadena wins, we get a three-way tie for the championship. If not, we have to rely on the seeding to make a bowl. It’s not a shoe-in, but we have a chance. I feel good about this team. I know we can beat anybody.”
Scoring Summary
The Huskies scored three unanswered touchdowns with the first two from sophomore wide receiver Kenny Allen (Fairfax High School). Allen hauled in a 22-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Phillip Tran (San Jose / Archbishop Mitty HS) at the 7:45 mark in the first quarter. The Huskies ended the quarter with 105 total yards while the defense held Pasadena to 29 yards.
Allen scored from a 7-yard throw from quarterback freshman Paul Herrera (Aspire Pacific Academy) and the Huskies led 14-0 with 5:30 left in the half. The touchdown was set up 48 seconds earlier when sophomore defensive back Raeshawn Roland (Arcadia HS) intercepted a Lancer James Shaw pass at PCC 36-yard line and returned it 26-yards to the 7-yard line.
On 4 & 5 from the 49-yard line with 2:52 left in the half, the Huskies faked a punt. Sophomore running back Nicholas Hutson (Paramount HS) raced 49 yards untouched for a touchdown.
Pasadena returned the favor with a fake punt on 4 & 14 at the ELAC 31 with 45 seconds left in the half. Two plays later and the Lancers scored from Adam Besana’s 16-yard pass to Kyle Torres. ELAC led 21-7 at the half.
ELAC scored two third-quarter touchdowns, a Tran 1-yard run and a 73-yard run from sophomore defensive back Toure Wallace (Chicago Vocational HS). Pasadena scored from a Mario Bobadilla 33-yard pass to Jordan Bruner with 13:17 left in the game.
The final score was an ELAC 50-yard bomb from Herrera to sophomore wide receiver Karon Cooper (Locke HS). Freshman kicker Hector Gomez (Roosevelt HS) split the uprights with his sixth PAT of the game. Gomez totals 37 PATs, the 10th best in the state.
“Gomez comes every day ready to work and is very tenacious and very hard working,” said Eduardo Rodriguez, specialist coach of kickers, punters and snappers. “He’s a local kid from Boyle Heights and I know every time he comes he represents and he takes pride in that. He’s following a legacy that his brother Rafael Gomez played here and he’s also chasing that.”
Husky Stats
Herrera went 8-of-9 for 138 yards with two touchdowns. Tran went 8-of-9 for 53 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Allen led the Huskies in reception yardage for the sixth time this season with five catches for 71 yards. He leads the Huskies in scoring with 66 points. Sophomore wide receiver Deontavius Hall (Alabama / Central HS) had four receptions for 42 yards for an average of 10.5 yards per reception.
Wallace rushed for 78 yards from two carries and returned a kickoff for 39 yards. Sophomore running back Lavell Thompson (South Gate HS) rushed 21 times for 75 yards.
On the defensive side, the Huskies held Pasadena to 84 yards rushing, well below their game average. “The defense did well,” said ELAC Assistant Coach Andrew Tree. “We took away the run game, that’s what they wanted to do. We made them throw the ball up top and we took advantage of that.”
Adding to Roland’s interception was one from freshman defensive back Chad Earle (SC / Seneca HS) who grabbed his second of the season. ELAC had 7 sacks and have totaled 31 this season, 9th best in the state. Sophomore defensive lineman Trestan Kueneman (Chino HS) and freshman linebacker Garrett Rogers (Don Lugo HS) each had two sacks.
Kueneman had a team-high eight tackles, sophomore defensive back Aubrey Mosley-Laughlin (Monrovia HS) had seven and three Huskies had five each, sophomore defensive back Qua'D Cheatham (Newark, NJ / Barringer HS), freshman defensive back DeAndre Watson (Millikan HS) and freshman defensive back Delon Collins (La Mirada Adult School).
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submitted by Tadzio Garcia