The El Camino 'Rain' That Never Should've Came

What can we say and feel about the Mounties losing a heartbreaking game against El Camino this past Saturday?

Was it the turnovers, fumbles that cost Mounties' coach Bob Jastrab his first conference win? Was it the defense in the backfield at times seemed lost in position (two occasions where an El Camino receiver was left wide open)?

Or maybe did the El Camino defense do a good job denying Mounties' receivers Matt Austin and Aiona Key to get their two or three combined touchdowns that they're succumb to getting since the beginning of the season?

Or should we revisit the famous words of Milli Vanilli, "Blame it on the rain?"

Before the beginning of the season, the Hilmer-Lodge stadium was a pretty sight. It was nothing but greenery seen from one end zone to the other. The once scorching 100+ degree heat beared its rays down on the fluffy grass, hot but healthy.

Then Mother Nature decided to soak us all, soak our hair, our clothes, our players, our field, in an unfortunate way.

At 6-0 in the first quarter, Mounties quarterback Kevin Craft was at the El Camino four-yard-line and had a rusher approaching on the right side. Craft turned to veer away from the rusher and went to toss a floater over the opponent's head, but oh Mother Nature ... she came, soaked the football and caused Craft to lose grasp of it, landing in the hands of the El Camino rusher, and intercepting it for big yardarge.

At times, the rain came down pretty well and seemed the game would turn into a frenzy of turnovers, a true messy football game.

But it was more exciting than expected, but sadly not in the Mounties' favor.

Realistically, the Mounties should have won this game. If Mother Nature had not brought us the much needed rain that Southern California needed, the Mounties would've won. If only the rain had come down later in the afternoon or some other time than during the game, it might've been a different story.

But oh what about the penalties? Penalties were rampant back and forth. But penalties are always a part of the game.

Nevertheless, it stands as it is ... a loss for the Mounties.

Here's something interesting, Craft switched his repertoire from a Peyton Manning type player to a Vince Young type? Craft rushing downfield? Craft scrambling left and right downfield like a slick Steve Young for a first down?

A side note: Craft had 215 total yards passing in the first half.

Despite the loss, Craft showed poise during the closing seconds of the game and had the offense prepared to shock the stadium with a come-from-behind win ... a pass that would hopefully hit either Austin or Walker or Key.

Sadly, it floated a tad too high .. a tad too far.

31-26, the final score.

After the game, I stepped out onto the field to feel my feet sink into the smushy grass, and I discovered the thick soil dried up, caused from the second-half disappearance of the rain and the sun shining through the moving dark clouds.

Credit to El Camino for capitalizing on the Mounties threat to score at the end, but they were the ones that should've lost.

As for the coaching staff, its back to the film room to see and fix what was broken on Saturday. With another home game coming next weekend, let's hope Mother Nature don't spoil the game again.