Football Has Opportunities Slip Away in Loss to Canyons

TORRANCE, Calif. --- No. 10 El Camino College had more total yards and rushing yards than its opponent but suffered a 31-21 National Northern League loss to visiting No. 17 College of the Canyons on Thursday night at Featherstone Field in Murdock Stadium.

The Warriors (4-2, 2-1) outgained the Cougars (4-2, 3-0) 433 to 388 in total offense and recorded 269 rushing yards, averaging 7.1 yards per carry but could not capitalize on their chances.

Marceese Yetts led the Warriors with 78 rushing yards on nine carries, averaging 8.7 yards per run to lead the team. Dayton Tafoya rushed for 61 yards on seven carries to average 8.7 per run and Zamir Hall had 56 yards on seven rushes. Yetts also added four catches for 39 yards and 100 yards on kickoff returns in five attempts.

Joshua Lorick led the receiving corps with 92 yards on eight catches with one touchdown.

The game did not have a great start for the Warriors as the Cougars took their first two offensive drives into the endzone for a 14-0 lead with 4:56 left in the first quarter.

It stayed that way until the second period when the Warriors capped off a 12-play, 86 yard drive with a one-yard touchdown plunge by Jakai Torres to cut the deficit in half.

The defense then forced a three-and-out to give the offense a chance to tie the game and they did just that as wide receiver Lucas Reynoso traded places with his quarterback, tossing a four-yard TD pass to Champion Edwards to knot things up at 14-14 with 7:20 left in the first half.

But the Cougars responded with an 11-play, 65-yard drive that chewed up 5:38 with Damon Barkus hauling in a touchdown pass from Emery Floyd to put the Cougars up 21-14 at halftime.

The defenses came out hot in the second half, keeping the offenses off the scoreboard in the third quarter. There were three punts and two missed field goals, one for each team, in the third to keep it a seven-point lead for COC heading to the fourth.

With 8:29 left in regulation, the Warriors mounted a 10-play, 62-yard drive that saw them have two golden opportunities to tie the game.

With the Warriors at the Cougars' 18, Tafoya tucked the ball in and scampered all the way to the 1-yard line, but a holding penalty against the Warriors flagged at the 4 send the offense back to the 14-yard line, netting just four yards and denying the Warriors a chance to tie it from just outside the goal line.

Despite the miscue, the Warriors ran an outstanding play on 2nd-and-4 from the 16 as Kavon Townsend lined up at quarterback and took the snap from the shotgun. He pitched it back to Joshua Lorick who then pitched it back to Tafoya, who was lined up at wide receiver. The Warriors quarterback then fired a pass to Richard Kick in the middle of the end zone, with no Cougars defender anywhere near him. But Tafoya threw the ball short and Kick lost his footing and fell to the ground. The ball would go off his outstretched hands and hit the ground for a heartbreaking incomplete pass.

The Cougars defense would then turn the Warriors over on downs two plays later and they would kick a field goal with 2:19 left in the game to take a 24-14 lead.

The Cougars put the game away on the next Warriors drive as Matias Ortiz Jr. picked off Tafoya with Roderick Colquitt came through unblocked and was right in Tafoya's face, forcing the quarterback to rush the throw right into Ortiz Jr.'s hands. The Cougars lineman then took the ball 40 yards the other way for the game-sealing touchdown.

With Thursday's loss, the Warriors are now 1-4 all-time against COC dating back to their first meeting in 2004. It is just the second time the Warriors have hosted the Cougars and it is the first time ECC has lost to COC at home. It was also the third time the teams have met in league play.

The Warriors will look to regroup on the road on Oct. 21 when they travel to Santa Barbara for their next league game.