Football: Colts Roll to Rout of Lincoln

Score: El Camino 45, Lincoln 14

The Star: DJ Peluso was exceptional on both sides of the ball. He played an important role in a formidable rushing attack, posting a 30-yard touchdown run. And he recovered two Lincoln fumbles, which the Colts turned into 14 points.

The Turning Point: Trailing 7-0 early in the second quarter, El Camino found its running rhythm. Colt junior Demetrius Samson capped an 80-yard, 10-play drive with a four-yard touchdown run, and the hosts never looked back.

The Quote: 'We can't miss tackles like we did today. If we miss tackles against those boys, the only thing stopping them is the end zone."  — lineman Trevor Kelly, on the prospect of facing speedy Jefferson next week.

What's Next? The Colts travel to nearby Daly City on Sept. 24 to face 2-1 Jefferson. The Indians' lone defeat was a one-point loss to San Marin.

Bottom Line: Coach Mark Turner was adamant that to beat Jefferson next week, the Colts will have to perform better than they did against Lincoln. Saturday's occasional turnovers and missed tackles would be disastrous against an athletic team like Jefferson.

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Fresh off of his second career head-coaching victory, El Camino High's Mark Turner stood over his crop of football players, turned and pointed to the scoreboard.

"When we capitalize," Turner announced proudly, "that's what we can do."

Utilizing an exceptional ground attack and repeatedly capitalizing on turnovers, El Camino trampled visiting Lincoln of San Francisco 45-14 on Saturday afternoon.

"That first half, we really set the tone physically," Turner said. "We ran the ball well, and I think it came to a point where their guys knew it was going to be a long day — early."

The Colts (2-0) posted the impressive victory only a week after their season opener, where they battled fatigue in the fourth quarter but still managed to hang on for a 21-14 win over Washington, another San Francisco opponent.

"We were just more focused today," said linebacker Trevor Kelly, who also acknowledged that conditioning was addressed in practice. "Today we played together as a family."

After a scoreless opening quarter, Lincoln found the end zone first after recovering a Colt fumble. Robert Davis scored on a 12-yard run.

But El Camino immediately answered by scoring on its next possession. Running back Demetrius Samson tied the game on a four-yard run, capping an 80-yard, 10-play drive.

One play after the ensuing kickoff, Colt linebacker DJ Peluso recovered a Mustang fumble on Lincoln's 41-yard line. Two plays after that, Peluso himself scored on a 30-yard run.

"This was definitely one of my better games," Peluso said. "It's a great feeling to come out here and get a big win like that. Again, I wouldn't be able to get that if it wasn't for our offensive line. On my big run, (Kelly) was out there blocking for me."

Then Peluso recovered another Mustang fumble in Lincoln territory, setting up Nathan Huey's 36-yard touchdown run.

El Camino led 21-7 at halftime, and the Colts' offense didn't stop there. Quarterback Omar Kharroub switched to the air to start the second half, connecting with Tajah Childs for a 27-yard gain and then an eight-yard touchdown.

The touchdown passes were refreshing for Kharroub, who didn't complete a pass until the third quarter.

"We had a little trouble with the ball -- it kept slipping out of my hand," Kharroub said.  "But once we started running the ball and saw how successful it was, we just wanted to keep on doing that." 

Huey added a five-yard touchdown run after El Camino recovered another Lincoln fumble. Later, C.J. Alonzo scored on a 70-yard interception return.

"It's so much easier to play defense when you've got a team that's been getting off offensively — you're fresh," Turner said. "That's important -- when you get turnovers, you have to capitalize."

"We came out, and did what we were supposed to do," said Turner, reminding his players that 0-3 Lincoln is having an off year and that next week's assignment against Jefferson figures to be infinitely tougher.

"They're a very fast team," Turner said of Jefferson. "I think physically up front we'll match up well with them, but their speed definitely scares me."