Pirates heading to Tiger country

Tony Altobelli

RIVERSIDE - The next 52 Orange Coast College football coach Mike

Taylor wants to see is when he opens a deck of cards.

Following back-to-back games in which the Pirates have given up 52

points in two-straight losses, Taylor and his club looks to better the

stats on the road against Riverside tonight, at 7, the Mission

Conference’s lowest scoring club.

“We need to get better on the defensive side of the ball,” Taylor

said. “I haven’t had a chance to take a look at Riverside, but I don’t

believe that they are as explosive as Santa Ana or Palomar.”

The Pirates are a little banged up, following Saturday’s loss to

Palomar, 52-35.

Pirate running back Jimmie Banks is doubtful for tonight’s game with a

leg injury and Raymond Ohrel, though expected to play, will be hampered

with various nagging injuries.

Despite the setback, Taylor has been impressed in practice with the

play of reserve running backs Devon Griffin, James Dawkins and Stephan

Boka, all of whom will see quality minutes.

“They’ve all practiced real well this week for us,” Taylor said.

“We’ll miss Jimmie, but I think they will do a great job for us.”

Ohrel, along with wide receiver David Castleton, will play through

various injuries.

The Pirate duo currently leads the Mission Conference in receptions

(Ohrel, 23; Castleton 22).

Castleton also leads the conference in punt return yards with an 11.5

yards-per-return average.

Along with the ground game, OCC will have to continue to light up the

skies with Jared Flint and the passing game.

No team in the Mission Conference has completed more passes (85) for

more yards (1,130) than the Pirates, who take on a Tigers squad ranked

fourth in passing defense (181.5 yards-per-game), but with 11 touchdowns

allowed.

The Tigers come into tonight’s game winless thus far in four games and

have amassed only 55 points all season long.

“They came into this season with a lot of optimism,” Taylor said.

“They’re a tough defensive ball club that just hasn’t been able to put up

the numbers on offense yet.”

Even though this is a nonconference game, Taylor believes this game

could dictate how the Bucs will do heading into Northern Division action.

“We want to be 3-2 after tonight,” Taylor said. “With a bye week next

week, we need to be heading in a positive direction heading into

conference play and a win against these guys will do that for us.”

This is the 36th meeting between the Tigers and the Pirates. Despite

OCC’s 21-14 win in double-overtime last year, Riverside leads the

head-to-head series, 18-16-1.

“It’s always tough playing out in Riverside,” Taylor said. “With the

long drive, we start earlier, we don’t get taped up until we get out

there, so our guys will have to come prepared mentally right from the

start of the day.”

Riverside comes into tonight’s game on the heels of a 35-7 trouncing

from Mt. San Antonio College.

The Tigers’ offense is led by quarterback Scott Shepard.

The freshman is averaging 175 yards passing a game, but has only

completed 40 percent of his throws and has thrown only two touchdowns.

OCC’s last win at Riverside came in 1991. “We’ve come close out there

the last couple of times, but we’ve fallen short,” Taylor said.

A funny thing happened in last year’s matchup with the Tigers that

isn’t seen in most Mission Conference games, namely defense.

Defense dominated the game on both sides as the game headed into

overtime tied at 7-7.

After both teams scored in the first overtime period. OCC’s defense

held and on the next OCC possession, Jared Flint scored on an 8-yard

keeper to win the game.

Will this year’s game be another defensive struggle? Don’t count on

it.

“I think we’re a little better offensively than last year,” Taylor

said. “But I do think it will be another close one; right down to the

fourth quarter.” Last year’s win snapped the Tigers’ five-game winning

streak against the Pirates. Riverside is 11-4 against OCC since 1984.