EL SEGUNDO >> Six hundred and ninety-seven days.
That was the last time the El Segundo football team had hosted a home game.
Quarterback Leonel Menendez wanted to energize the jam-packed crowd with a home run pass to Nathan Pascarelli.
The first was underthrown. The second was overthrown.
“I was a little nervous – I definitely had some jitters with the crowd we had,” Menendez said.
Finally they squared it up.
Menendez connected with Pascarelli for a 75-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter to help El Segundo record a 35-14 nonleague victory Friday night over Don Lugo.
El Segundo boosted its record to 3-0 for the first time since 2017, even more impressive following an 0-5 showing in the spring.
“These guys have put in the work, especially after struggling last season,” El Segundo coach Shawn Green said. “They lifted. They ran. They did pushups. It makes all the difference in games when you have to execute in the third and fourth quarters. They are really gelling as a team.”
Following the home run pass, the El Segundo defense took over.
The El Segundo defense forced a fumble at the end of the first half that allowed El Segundo to score twice in the final minute to build a 28-7 halftime lead.
The El Segundo defense came up with a fourth-down stop on the opening drive of the second half.
Then El Segundo came up with a rousing goal-line stand at the 1-yard line in the fourth quarter on a jarring hit by Matthew Higginbotham.
“We knew they were going to try to run it in, so we did our bear crawls, stayed low, pinned our ears back and drive our heads through their O-line,” Higginbotham said.
Menendez threw for 229 yards and four touchdowns on 9 of 16 passing.
Pascarelli, playing this season for the first time in two seasons due to two surgeries resulting from a dislocated shoulder, had a monster game with five catches for 183 yards and three touchdowns, including the 75-yard touchdown catch at the 9:18 mark in the second quarter.
“I was just trying to ball out,” Pascarelli said. “I trusted my quarterback. I knew when the first pass was underthrown, we were getting the jitters out. I’m just happy we got the ‘Dub.”
Anthony Temesvary ran in a two-point conversion on the home run pass for an 8-7 lead, then pounced on a fumble in the next possession to set up a 13-yard touchdown run by Dylan Bucher for a 14-7 lead with 8:25 left in the second quarter.
Menendez hit Mason Kahn for a 19-yard touchdown pass with 34 seconds left in the second quarter for a 21-7 lead, then El Segundo pounced on a mind-blowing fumble by Don Lugo to set up a 37-yard touchdown pass from Menendez to Pascarelli for a 28-7 halftime lead.
For good measure, Menendez hit Pascarelli one more time for a 31-yard touchdown pass following the goal-line stand to cap a 99-yard drive and a 35-7 lead with 5:39 left in the game.
“The kids are really competing and putting in the work,” Green said.
El Segundo hosts Hawthorne next Friday.
