Walnut, Calif. -- Mt. SAC remains undefeated at 3-0 after holding off a resilient El Camino team in a 37-27 victory on Saturday night at Hilmer Lodge Stadium. The Mounties used a dominant second quarter to surge past the Warriors (2-1), who struck early and kept the game competitive throughout.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
El Camino struck first with a defensive play, recording a safety midway through the first quarter to take a 2-0 lead. The Warriors extended the advantage early in the second with a 22-yard field goal from Christian Miranda, followed by a quick touchdown on a short field as Jaden Moore powered in from two yards out. A successful two-point conversion made it 13-0 just seconds into the second frame.
But Mt. SAC's offense came alive in a big way, flipping the game with four touchdowns in just under nine minutes. Quarterback Daunte Bell sparked the comeback with a 1-yard touchdown run, followed by a 17-yard scoring pass to Sherard (RJ) Willis. Running back Aiden Ramos added to the rally with an 18-yard touchdown run, and Bell capped the dominant second quarter with a 15-yard TD strike to Devon Anderson, giving Mt. SAC a 28-13 lead heading into the locker room.
Coming out of the half, El Camino kept fighting. Running back Damonte Bias reignited the Warriors' offense with a 71-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter, cutting the deficit to 28-20. But Mt. SAC responded with another long, methodical drive, ending in a 5-yard Bell touchdown run to stretch the lead to 34-20 after a missed extra point.
In the fourth, El Camino made one final push. Quarterback Evan Tomich engineered a 75-yard drive that ended in a 6-yard touchdown pass to Ramon Gilbert, to bring the Warriors within one score, 34-27. But Mt. SAC bled the clock with another long drive, capped by a 29-yard field goal from Joseph Gutierrez to seal the win.
Despite being flagged 15 times for 149 yards, Mt. SAC overcame the self-inflicted setbacks with a balanced offense and a resilient defense. The Mounties held El Camino to just 127 passing yards and forced two interceptions — one each by Dakota Mendoza and Kanyee Childress.
Mt. SAC's defense was led by Nasjae Richardson, who recorded a team-high 8 tackles and a forced fumble, while Jeremiah Faustin added 6 stops and another forced fumble. The defensive unit also racked up five pass breakups and consistently disrupted El Camino's rhythm, especially on third downs, where they held the Warriors to just 5-of-12 conversions.
BY THE NUMBERS:
- Total Offense: Mt. SAC 476 | El Camino 351
- Passing Yards: Mt. SAC 248 | El Camino 127
- Rushing Yards: Mt. SAC 228 | El Camino 224
- First Downs: Mt. SAC 34 | El Camino 21
- Time of Possession: Mt. SAC 36:38 | El Camino 23:22
KEY PLAYERS:
- Mt. SAC – Daunte Bell: 223 total yards, 4 total touchdowns (2 rushing, 2 passing)
- Mt. SAC – Aiden Ramos: 12 carries, 109 yards, 1 touchdown
- El Camino – Damonte Bias: 7 carries, 115 yards, 1 touchdown, plus 101 kickoff return yards
- El Camino – Latrell Cannon: 12 tackles, 1 interception return for 25 yards
NEXT UP:
The Mounties will head to Glendora to take on the Citrus College Owls (2-1) on Saturday, September 20 at 6:00 PM as they look to stay perfect on the season and carry this momentum into another tough matchup.
STAY CONNECTED:
Follow Mt. SAC Football on Twitter @mtsacfootball or Instagram /mtsacfootball/
Follow Mt. SAC Athletics on Twitter @MtSAC_athletics or Facebook @Mountie.Athletics
For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.
