Strong Run Defense Fuels Huskies Victory in Patriotic Bowl

by Cerwin D Haynes

(photos by Henry Caceras)

Hosting a postseason bowl game for only the second time in school history, East LA College football welcomed a familiar foe in the Bakersfield College Renegades. Bakersfield had been a regular conference opponent for the Huskies ever since ELAC joined the National division in 2018, but this past spring's realignment kept the Renegades in the National Northern League while the Huskies moved to the National Central.

Familiarity often helps in facing opponents, but a good run defense is far more effective. Thankfully for the home Green, their defense held Bakersfield to season-low 12 yards of net yardage as the offense put together just enough output to get by the Renegades 31-27. It's the first bowl victory for East LA since 2016, and the first bowl victory for the Pack since moving up to National. Sophomore WR Jaylin Moore earned game MVP honors by hauling in five catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore DE/OLB Tymere Jackson nabbed ELAC Player of the Game with four tackles, a sack and two TFLs.

The first quarter was a scoreless affair as both teams' defenses began the game strong - a good early sign particularly for the Huskies as they showed commitment to wrapping up and finishing their tackling. Early in the second, ELAC finally got the scoring going with a Ethan Rodriguez 26-yard FG set up by the Huskies adeptly playing the field-position battle: East's defense foreced the Renegades to punt from their own 1-yard line, and a 33-yard punt and five-yard return set up the Huskies offensive at the Bakersfield 29. But that advantage didn't last for long; Bakersfield would set up their next possession at their own 39 and was helped out by ELAC's overzealousness on defense. On a 3rd-and-3 at the BC 46, All-National Northern First-Teamer (and "Mr. Everything" for ELAC) DeGabriel Floyd appeared to stop RB Jordan Norwood a yard shy of the first-down marker, but the Pack got flagged for offsides. Two plays later, East put pressure on BC quarterback Carson Woods, forcing a pass off-target to Mekhi Smith... but the refs felt East got a little too physical with Woods and flagged the defense for roughing the passer. Two plays later, 2nd-and-11 at the ELAC 30, Woods launched a pass to an open Dominique D'Amato who had a couple of steps behind the nearest DB. Catch made, and into the end zone ran D'Amato to give the visiting Renegades a 7-3 lead.

After forcing East LA to punt, Bakersfield would add to their lead with a 32 yard TD pass to WR Jalen Hankins, who appeared to take advantage of a blown Huskies assignment on defense because he was wide open. The visitors lead 14-3, but thankfully the Huskies offense would finally unlock in the next series. Getting the ball at their 23, ELAC - who tried to establish the run early to no avail - started finding the mark in the passing game. Freshman QB Trilian Harris began connecting on a series of short and medium passes mixed in with a big Keyondrick Douglass 27-yard run and drove the pack down to the Bakersfield 11. The Huskies would finish off the drive on the ground, as Harris would score on a three-yard run to bring East within four, 14-10.

ELAC's defense responded in the next series by only yielding one first down before forcing Bakersfield to punt, and it only took East two plays to take the lead. Floyd, back to receive the punt, fielded it at the Huskies' 32 on a weird hop, grabbing the ball as it bounced behind him while spinning forward. He scampered upfield 25 yards give the offense a short field to work with at the Renegades' 42 with :59 left. Then on the next play - Harris launches a deep pass to an open Moore who caught it at the 10. He almost lost his balance but he kept on his feet to stumble into the end zone - the extra point gave East a 17-14 lead with 50 seconds left.

Bakersfield would get the ball back at their 35, but any ideas of a quick scoring drive before halftime ended with freshman DL Travon Thomas sacking Woods on first down for a loss of three with the clock running. The visitors decided not to chance things further and let the scoreboard run down to 00's for halftime.

After a scoreless third quarter, the Huskies took control of the game in the fourth. The period began with ELAC having 1st-and-Goal from the BC 9; Harris dropped back and fired an absolute bullet into the hands of Moore in the back of the end zone, threading two defenders. Extra point gave ELAC a 24-14 lead with 14:52 left.

Both teams would trade punts on the following two possessions; and the Huskies caught a huge break when they had to punt with 10:50 left. Freshman P Aidan Driscoll, having one of his best games of the season punting the ball tonight, booted one 43 yards to the Renegade 15. As the punt landed, Bakersfield's two returners got confused and ran into each other as the ball hit one of them, Jordan Richburg. DB Angelo Miranda recovered the ball at the BC 15. On the next play, a personal foul call on Bakersfield advanced the ball to their 5. Sophomore QB Jeliun Carter (spelling Harris) then keeps the ball on an option run, rushing up the middle into the end zone. East LA took a 31-14 lead with 10:09 left.

Bakersfield made ELAC sweat it out down the stretch as the visitors scored two touchdowns to make it close with under a minute to go. The Renegades tried for the onside kick, but the Huskies were well-prepared, fielding the squibbling kick cleanly with 42 seconds left.

HUSKY BITS

• It was the third year in a row ELAC made a bowl game. The prior two games were road losses at El Camino (2021 Beach Bowl) and Golden West (2022 Patriotic Bowl).
• The Huskies previous bowl win was - oddly enough - the Patriotic Bowl in 2016 when they upset College of the Desert on the road.
• The only other bowl game that East LA football has ever hosted was in 2000 under former coach Rick Gamboa, the CHiPS for Kids Bowl. ELAC would lose that one to El Camino, 44-19.
• All throughout the season, the East LA College football run defense has been a pretty strong indicator of overall team success. In the Huskies prior six wins, they only gave up an average of 66 yards/game; in their four losses, that number jumped to over 209 yars/game. ELAC yielded a season-low 12 yards on the ground.
• Thomas had four total tackles, two sacks and three TFLs for the Huskies. The ELAC defense had five sacks on the day and nine TFLs.
• Sophomore WR/RB combo man Keyondrick Douglass had 100 all-purpose yards on the day: 43 yards on the ground (10.8 yards per carry) and 57 yards receiving (five catches).
• Harris completed 16-30 passes for 195 yards, two touchdowns and one INT.
  • So QB Frank Alvarez got some snaps in the fourth quarter. He was 2-5 for 14 yards.

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Cue Porky Pig, because that's all for this season.