When the final whistle blew the scoreboard showed 31-29 in favor of the El Camino Warriors and one incredible comeback from Moorpark College was stopped in its tracks.
Saturday night for Moorpark Raider football was a journey for both teams. From the opening kickoff until midway through the second quarter the game was all El Camino. After a 46-yard touchdown run from El Camino quarterback David Sills and another touchdown pass, the score was quickly 14-0 in the first quarter.
Fast forward to 7:30 in the second quarter when Warriors defensive back Jamar McDaniel blocked a punt and returned it 33-yards for another touchdown, there was a feeling like this game was over before the half.
The Raiders found themselves in a 28-3 hole in the second quarter when defensive end James Perryman recovered a fumble and took it 10-yards for the touchdown.
After a defensive stop for the Raiders, the ball was kicked to freshman wide receiver TJ Newborn. Newborn was looking to make right on his muffed punt early in the game and he did in a big way by taking this one 80-yards for the touchdown.
Going into halftime, the Warriors led Moorpark 28-17.
According to Raiders wide receiver Emmanuel Osuchukwu, head coach Mike Stuart made sure the team knew this was their time to fight back.
“Coach Stuart came into the locker room and told us they weren’t going to score anymore points,” said Osuchukwu. “Now it was on us. The offense just needs to step up.”
The defense for Moorpark anchored the team as they did in their week one win. Aided by an interception from Hayden Galvin in the third quarter, the Raider offense took over.
Quarterback Kado Brown rushed for a 15-yard touchdown at the 4:40 mark in the third quarter and although the ensuing two-point conversion attempt failed, this brought the score to 28-23.
“I don’t feel like there’s anything we can’t do against any opponent,” said Brown. “Start faster and we will be successful.”
El Camino chewed nearly 10 minutes off the clock with a drive that resulted in a field goal from their kicker Max Kidd.
In his first game back from injury, sophomore running back Isaiah Johnson exploded through defenders. A 28-yard run by the sophomore propelled the Raiders downfield where Brown finished the drive off with his second rushing touchdown of the game.
The score standing at 31-29, the Moorpark defense held strong once again forcing the Warriors to punt and giving the Raiders one final drive to complete the comeback.
Brown led the Raiders downfield in a drive consisting of a roughing the passer penalty on third-and-27 and a third-and-16 catch from wide receiver Ryan Willmore, ending up on the 20-yard line of El Camino. With 18 seconds left, a miscommunication between quarterback and receiver led to a game ending interception by El Camino defensive back Nathaniel Vaughn.
The Raider defense held El Camino to a mere three points in the entire second half, which proved to be the deciding factor. This Moorpark team isn’t filled with star studded players, but men who have heart and they continued to fight this entire game.
Sophomore running back River Meza felt first hand the battle this game was, and came out the other end impressed and glad for each of his teammates efforts.
“We just played our game in the second half, that’s why we brought the score back,” said Meza. “I’m proud of every single one of these players. We expect to win a game like that.”
Moorpark will face another tough challenge next Saturday at home against number one-ranked Long Beach City College. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.
