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Eagles Fall to the League’s Best |
The Eagles looked to pay tribute to El Segundo alumni as they matched up against Santa Monica for Homecoming. Santa Monica went 9-3 last season and returned 12 key players on both sides of the ball. The SAMO Vikings got things started off early when they took the opening drive the length of the field and capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run. After an unproductive first possession, quarterback Matt Engle gave the packed stands something to cheer about when he heaved an 80-yard bomb to Senior receiver Bobby Summers for the touchdown. After the exchange of scores the Vikings caught fire and rattled off thirty unanswered points to put the game out of reach for the Eagles.
In the first quarter, running back Derrick Davis scored from 1-yard out to break the tie and start the scoring run. SAMO kicked a 25-yard field goal and QB James Cooper, who threw for 1,300 yards and 14 touchdowns last year, connected with one of his receivers for a 40-yard td to end the quarter. The Vikings didn't skip a beat and scored twice more in the second quarter before the Eagles could find the end zone. El Segundo finally snapped their scoring draught when Engle hit Steve Eno deep for a 39-yard touchdown pass. After the halftime festivities, Santa Monica scored once more in the second half before the final whistle blew. Engle had more completions and yards than Cooper, completing 14 of 29 passes for 208 yards, but it simply wasn't enough. The final score was El Segundo 14, Santa Monica 44.
Looking to bounce back from their rough outing against Santa Monica, the Eagles traveled to North Torrance to take on the Tartars. Unfortunately for the Eagles, the team they hoped to rebound against was number one in the league. The Eagles came out strong and got on the board early with a 43-yard field goal. On the ensuing drives, Engle hooked up with Senior Jared Calvo for a 12-yard td pass, and Sophomore Brad Franks for a 25-yard td reception, to astound the Torrance crowd. Down 16-0, the Tartars fought back in the second quarter with two rushing touchdowns. Matt Engle kept the Eagles on top by dashing 5-yards for a touchdown of his own. However, the ever-dangerous North quarterback Kenny Brown responded by tossing a 40-yarder to his receiver Jeff Gray. Engle shot back with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Steve Eno, and Kenny Brown countered with an 8-yard fling to Gray to end the half dead even at 30 all.
The halftime homecoming show was bitter sweet for the home Torrance fans, due to the fact that their team was not accustomed to facing such tough opposition. In the second half, North exhibited the reason they were first in the league. Tarter receiver Jeff Gray caught his third touchdown pass of the night to give North the lead and they never trailed the rest of the night. The explosive Michael Bolio broke the game wide open with a 25-yard touchdown sprint, and followed it up with an 18-yard touchdown catch. Kenny Brown ended North's scoring for the night with a 19-yard touchdown scamper and Brad Franks concluded the game with a 27-yard touchdown grab for El Segundo. North's Kenny Brown had a big night, gaining 427-yards of total offense and 6 touchdowns. Matt Engle was an impressive 35 for 53 for 341 yards as the Eagles fell 56 to 37.