El Camino Colts Win First Game of the Season

Despite his defense struggling with enormous fatigue, senior varsity Colt linebacker Justin Eclavea knew his team had what it took to hold off the visiting George Washington Eagles from San Francisco one last time.

With the Eagles desperately trying to tie the game with less than one minute in regulation, it was the Colt captain Eclavea who came up with the stop his tired defense was looking for as he intercepted a pass from the Eagle quarterback, securing El Camino High School's first season win, 21-14, on Saturday. 

"Usually when it comes down to that situation, we make plays when we have to," Esclavea said.

Despite the tired finish, the Colts completely owned the George Washington Eagles for an entire first half, scoring two of their three total touchdowns in the opening seven minutes of play.

El Camino scored on their opening drive when junior running back DJ Peluso found the end zone from one yard outside the goal line, giving a 6-0 lead to the Colts. 

"I think we came out very, very prepared," said first-year varsity coach Mark Turner, who added that his team had been practicing for about a month. "But we kinda got a little bit winded in that second half."

Only a minute after scoring their first point of the 2010-11 season, El Camino would find the end zone again. On the ensuing kickoff, the Colts special teams knocked the ball loose from Eagle kickoff returner Calvin Lee.

"I try to get these guys to understand that every single play on special teams is a big play," Turner said. "They have to understand that is a huge part of the game. If you don't execute on that, you're going to put your offense and defense in a bad, bad position."

After recovering the fumble on their own 10-yard line, senior running back Nathan Huey muscled his way through the Eagles and across the goal line extending El Camino's lead to 14-0.

"I'm really glad they we are able to start out the season well," said Huey, who is also a Colt captain. "I was really into this game. I had a lot of energy and I had to unleash it on something. And I released it on Washington."

El Camino's dominance continued well into the second half as their special teams unit again capitalized on Eagles mistakes. On fourth-and-long and on their own 22-yard line, the Eagles' punter fumbled the long snap, again resulting in another Colt recovery within the 10-yardline.

"Special teams probably won us the game today," Eclavea said. "People usually forget about them because offense and defense is so often looked at."                                                                                                                                      

Sticking to the ground game, senior quarterback Omar Kharroub again handed the ball off to Huey who, from five yards out and on the second play of the drive, scored his second touchdown of the game, elevating El Camino's lead to 21-0.        

But just as the second half came to an end, so did El Camino's ability to score. After a scoreless third quarter, the Eagles clawed and scratched their way back into the game, finding the end zone twice in the final quarter.

The Eagles started their slight comeback when Jeremy Jetton returned a punt for 18 yards, bringing it to the El Camino 35-yard line. Five plays later, it would be Jetton again taking the handoff from quarterback Aram Gevandian from 12 yards out and scoring the Eagles' first points of the game.

On the Eagles' second scoring drive, they wore down the Colt defensive line with a continuous run attack, marching from their own 45-yard line into deep Colt territory. On the ninth play of the drive, Gevandian connected with tight end Levander Moore from nine yards out, cutting the Colt lead to 21-14. 

With 1:54 remaining in the game, the Eagles had the ball on their own 41-yard line and again tried to score on the tiring Colt defense. With the Eagles inching down the field and into Colt territory, Gevandian tried to find Moore again on the fifth play of the drive, but was instead intercepted by Eclavea, effectively ending the game.

"I feel happy because we got a 'W' — last year we didn't do…but we got one today, and that's all that matters," Kharroub said, who is already eyeing next week's home matchup against Lincoln High School on Sept. 18. "What we know about them is that they have speed and they can make the big play. If we can stop their big plays, we'll be fine."