Football Hangs On for Crucial Road Win at Southwestern

CHULA VISTA, Calif. --- No. 8 El Camino College scored a critical 38-35 National Southern League road victory over Southwestern on Saturday night at DeVore Stadium in Chula Vista, Calif.

The Warriors led by double figures on numerous occasions but the Jaguars clawed back each time to make the game close. But the Warriors had just enough to score the narrow three-point victory and stay undefeated in National Southern League play and tied for first place in the standings.

Andrew Maushardt was excellent at quarterback as he went 16-for-23 for 284 yards and three touchdowns. Jaden Moore rushed for 96 yards on 20 carries and also threw a five-yard TD pass to cap off a 99-yard scoring drive for the Warriors in the third quarter that proved to be the difference.

The Warriors scored 21 unanswered points in the first quarter to take a big lead but the Jaguars answered right back with 21 points in the second quarter to make it a 24-21 lead for ECC at the half.

In the third, the Warriors again blanked the Jaguars 14-0 in the period capped off with a 13-play, 99-yard scoring drive that spanned 5:01. The Warriors scored on Moore's TD pass to make it 38-21 and that was the winning score as the Jaguars scored 14 points in the final quarter to make it 38-35 with 7:01 left in regulation.

But the Warriors would drain the clock all the way down with their final drive, going 13 plays for 65 yards to run out the final 6:56 and secure the win.

The Warriors converted a pair of fourth downs on that final drive with Maushardt's 16-yard completion to Mark Baker on 4th-and-10 with two minutes left sealing the victory.

The Warriors will now host Riverside on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Murdock Stadium in the final home game of the regular season for ECC. The Tigers currently sit in third place in the league standings, one game back of the Warriors and Saddleback.