Panthers’ Late Push Not Enough Against No. 10 El Camino

Despite piling up nearly 500 yards of offense, the Chaffey College football team couldn't overcome No. 10 El Camino College's scoring drives, ultimately coming up short 52-35 on the road Saturday night in the National Southern League opener.

The Warriors opened strong, building a 21-0 lead in the first quarter before quarterback Francisco Villalbazo connected with Nathan Enriquez on a 22-yard strike to put the Panthers on the board. Villalbazo struck again late in the half, finding Nehemiah Harrison from 21 yards out to close the gap to 28-14 at halftime.

The Warriors extended their lead with a field goal and short touchdown in the third quarter, but the Panthers answered when quarterback Evan Powell found Justin Benson for a 47-yard touchdown down the sideline. After another El Camino score, Brennan White hauled in a 25-yard touchdown reception from Villalbazo early in the fourth to keep the Panthers battling throughout the game.

Chaffey's offense kept moving the ball late, with Noahsaiah Frisco entering at quarterback and connecting with Enriquez on a 20-yard touchdown in the final minutes. In total, the Panthers finished with 478 yards of offense, including 367 passing yards, while producing 26 first downs.

Villalbazo led the passing attack with 179 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Powell added 155 passing yards and a touchdown. Frisco came in late to contribute 33 passing yards and a touchdown. Enriquez and Harris each caught five passes, combining for 146 yards and two touchdowns, while Benson and White both topped 70 receiving yards with a touchdown grab apiece.

Defensively, Zyhaire Lewis and Yaqiym Halliburton intercepted passes to break up the Warriors' drives, while Joshua Padilla posted a team-high 13 tackles.

Despite the loss, Chaffey showed resilience, offensive balance, and a readiness to answer back against one of the region's top teams.

The Panthers will look to rebound when they travel to Saddleback College on Saturday, September 27, with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m.