El Camino Real head coach Jason Sabolic stressed his team was the underdog going into their matchup against Granada Hills Charter. His game plan was simple: outscore the Highlanders. If you’d told Sabolic that scoring just seven points would be enough to win, he would have rejected the possibility. Granada Hills had put up 40 points against Taft last week and scored at least 28 in five of their last six games. El Camino was coming off getting gashed on the ground and losing by 50 to Birmingham. A defensive battle wasn’t on the menu. But that’s why you play the games. 

Highlanders head coach Bucky Brooks anticipated a tight game that would come down to execution. Execution meant controlling the game and owning the clock. But on this night, the Highlanders fell just short time and time again.

The first half was a battle of field position, with both teams waiting for the other to make a mistake – but neither blinked. El Camino’s junior quarterback, Arturo Acevedo, showed promise through the air, connecting with senior wideout Rafael Cortez twice on the opening drive. However, a 38-yard touchdown pass to senior Isaiah Foreman was called back due to a holding penalty. That would be the closest ECR got to the end zone in the first half.

Credit Brooks’ defense led by senior Anthony Goche for holding firm. Juniors Brian Ibañez and Jayden Garcia also contributed key first half sacks of Acevedo. Offensively, the Highlanders managed small gains but couldn’t sustain drives. The Royals’ defense swarmed to the ball and effectively shut down their north-south running game.

As halftime approached, Highlanders junior quarterback Jonathan Hernandez orchestrated a drive deep into Royal territory, highlighted by senior Nasi Enilolobo’s longest run of the night. But with no effective passing or kicking game, The clock ran out on Granada Hills as they tried in vain to break a long run that never materialized. The half ended scoreless, leaving one question: which team would flinch first?

Sabolic answered that question with a pooch kickoff by specialist, senior Ashlyn DeLaet, to open the second half. Granada Hills failed to secure the ball and El Camino recovered at the Highlanders’ 30-yard line. Two quick runs from junior Adryon Walker—who had been quiet in the first half—put the Royals up 7-0.

Granada Hills, expecting another pooch kick, recovered the DeLaet special, at their own 27-yard line. With newfound urgency, Hernandez led a strong ground attack inside the Highlanders’ 10-yard line. However, El Camino’s defense held, and facing 4th-and-goal from the 6-yard line, Granada Hills opted to go for it and were stuffed, turning the ball over on downs.

Deep in their own territory, El Camino’s Acevedo made a risky decision, launching a deep pass that was intercepted by Enilolobo, who returned it to the Royals’ 22-yard line. Granada Hills seemed poised to capitalize but once again turned it over on downs inside the 10-yard line, ending the third quarter scoreless for the Highlanders.

The fourth quarter opened with El Camino pinned deep near their own territory. Walker, however, broke free for a 47-yard run to midfield and followed that with a 13-yard rush, putting the Royals in position to extend their lead. But the drive stalled, and on 4th-and-7, David Molina, the Royals’ junior punter, accidentally touched his knee to the ground after a low snap, giving Granada Hills the ball at El Camino’s 45-yard line with seven minutes remaining.

This time, the Highlanders executed, driving the short field with hard-fought yards. Hernandez capped the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run with 3:43 left. Without hesitation, Coach Brooks opted to go for two, as Granada Hills always does. They have a junior placekicker, Alex Marin, but Brooks hadn’t relied on him all season, preferring to attempt 2-point conversions. Everyone at the Royals’ stunning new field knew what was coming, so Hernandez’s inside keeper was stopped short, leaving El Camino clinging to a 7-6 lead.

The Royals recovered the ensuing onside kick with 3:32 left. As expected, El Camino ran the ball on first down for no gain. Granada Hills used a timeout with 2:51 remaining. But then, surprisingly, Acevedo dropped back to pass on second down, throwing incomplete and stopping the clock. On 3rd-and-10, he went deep again, nearly connecting with junior Lincoln Elbert on a play that could have sealed the game, but the incompletion stopped the clock once more, giving Granada Hills the ball back with over two minutes on the clock and two timeouts.

Needing 70 yards and lacking a passing game, the Highlanders’ one-dimensional offense struggled in the two-minute drill. On 4th-and-5, Hernandez was tackled just short of the marker by Foreman, allowing El Camino to hold on for a 7-6 victory.

After the game, Coach Brooks reflected on his Highlanders, acknowledging their efforts but lamenting missed opportunities. “The positives are, we played hard, we exhibited toughness. We (as a team) talk about effort, toughness and execution. We didn’t execute tonight. At the end of the day, they made plays and we didn’t.”

For coach Sabolic the defense played exceptionally: “It was a defensive showing like none other. I can’t say enough about the kids understanding the process and getting better, week-in-and-week-out. And to see the fruits of their labor come to fruition, there’s nothing better than that. That’s what it’s all about: teaching these kids how to conquer and overcome.”

El Camino Real, now 3-5 (2-1 in West Valley League), travels to Cleveland for a 2nd place showdown with Cleveland on Friday at 7:00PM.

2-6 Granada Hills travels to 4-4 Chatsworth next. Both teams are 1-2 in the West Valley and in a fight for 3rd place. The game is this Friday at 7:00 p.m.