Cougars Steamroll El Camino In Conference Home Opener
Led by a tough defensive effort, the No. 13 College of the Canyons football team recovered six turnovers to produce a convincing 26-9 upset over the No. 6 El Camino Warriors at Cougar Stadium Saturday night.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
El Camino
(0-6)
|
0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
|
Canyons
(4-2)
|
13 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 26 |
Team Stats
El Camino
| Game Statistics | El Camino | Canyons |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | 215 | 108 |
| Rushing Yards | 156 | 162 |
| Turnovers | 6 | 1 |
| Time of Poss. | 30:23 | 29:37 |
SANTA CLARITA, Calif. - Led by a tough defensive effort, the No. 13 College of the Canyons football team recovered six turnovers to produce a convincing 26-9 upset over the No. 6 El Camino Warriors at Cougar Stadium Saturday night.
Canyons (4-2, 0-1 Northern) came in as the underdog after suffering the program's worst loss since 2006, losing 36-18 to Grossmont College on Oct. 2. But the Cougars surprised El Camino (0-6, 0-1 Northern) by forcing three fumbles and pulling down three interceptions.
In the first possession of the game, COC marched 77 yards on 13 plays, capped off by a six-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Justin Arias to wide receiver Mychal Prieto. It was Arias' 10th touchdown pass of the year and Prieto's first collegiate touchdown reception.
Five possessions later, COC cornerback Torri Zeno picked El Camino quarterback Omar Herrera's pass at the 45-yard line and returned the ball for a touchdown to put the Cougars up 13-0.
El Camino eventually got on the board in the second quarter with a 37-yard Juan Sanchez field goal to cut the COC lead to 13-3.
College of the Canyons would strike again to start the second half with an 8-play, 61-yard march that culminated with a 22-yard Arias touchdown pass to wide receiver Cameron Bailey. Arias finished the evening going 10-of-26 for 108 yards and two touchdowns.
El Camino added a score with two minutes left in the third quarter to pull within 10 points, 19-9, of the Cougars. But it would be to no avail, as Arias took the ball into the end zone on his own on a one-yard carry to close out the Cougars' scoring.
Finally, a fourth quarter interception by COC safety Antwan Smith on the COC 1-yard line, which shut the door on the chances for an El Camino comeback.
Cornerback Cassius Sendish, linebacker Khalil Bass and safety Justin Cudworth led COC with six tackles apiece. In addition to the three interceptions, the Cougar defense had 11 pass break ups.
Canyons will next travel to Santa Maria to take on Allan Hancock College on Saturday, Oct. 23. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.