Coming into the 2021 season, the San Bernardino Valley College football team knew it would be facing challenges.
The Wolverines were moving up to the National Conference, after a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, along with all the protocols that come with it. Including a postponed game last weekend, which also forced the team to skip practice time in quarantine.
So, Saturday evening, the odds were already stacked up against SBVC. And El Camino College took advantage of it.
The Wolverines offense fell flat, thanks to a swarming Warrior defense, and El Camino's offense took advantage of several short field situations to run over SBVC 59-13.
Saturday's game started slow, with the teams trading possession five times in the opening seven minutes. But El Camino finally got on the board on its third possession, as the Warriors took six plays to go 56 yards into the SBVC end zone for a 7-0 lead.
The Wolverines answered back on their next possession. SBVC's offense turned in conversions on a fourth down and third down, as it went 75 yards in 11 plays. Cooper Justice threw to Kavan Johnson for a 29-yard score, making it 7-6, after the Wolverines' two-point try was stopped.
But things went off the rails in the second quarter. On SBVC's first drive of the quarter, they were forced to punt, and the snap flew over Julian Pan's head. He retreated, and had no choice but to kick the ball out of the end zone for a safety, making it 9-6.
After the Wolverines got a turnover thanks to a Jonathan Calderon interception, SBVC had the ball taken right back, as Keith Morgan intercepted Justice and returned the pass 40 yards to the SBVC 1. Two plays later Mekhi Jordan pushed it in from the 1, and it was 16-6. Later in the quarter, it was El Camino's defense getting on the board, forcing a fumble by Justice in the end zone, where it was recovered by Judah Foisia, making it 22-6 midway through the second.
El Camino would tack on three more scores in the quarter, going into the break with a 39-6 advantage.