OCC football: Bucs come up big-time, beat Palomar

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - After Orange Coast College’s fourth straight victory,

it’s safe to say, these Bucs are for real.

The OCC football team earned its biggest victory of the season with

desire and a relentless knack for the big play leading to a 21-17 Mission

Conference Central Division victory over visiting Palomar Saturday.

“We’re just rumbling to a league championship,” said OCC offensive

lineman Adam Fisher, who ran four yards for a touchdown after picking up

Rob Pate’s blocked field goal early in the fourth quarter. “This is a big

win for us. We just have to keep it going.”

OCC (4-3, 2-0 in conference), after beating Palomar (4-3, 1-1) for the

first time in four years, is now in first place and the favorite to win

the division championship title. After OCC defensive back Tim Ogo batted

away Andy Goodenough’s desperation heave for the win, Coach Mike Taylor

huddled his team together and delivered the winning news.

“We have to get ready for Santa Ana,” Taylor screamed to his players.

“We have to get ready for Fullerton. We have to get ready for Saddleback.

And then we have to get ready for a bowl game.”

The Bucs became the division favorites by executing big plays. The

biggest, perhaps, came with four minutes remaining. With OCC trailing,

17-14, Nick Higgs found single coverage on Vince Strang III, who caught a

21-yard touchdown pass while staring into the sun.

“I just grabbed the sun and the ball was there,” Strang said. “I lost

the ball in the sun. I couldn’t see the ball. I just grabbed it and it

was in my hands and I was like, “Oh my God! I can’t believe it.” “

OCC’s other big play came from Fisher. Justin Dale took a high snap

and placed it for Pate. The Comets blocked Pate’s low kick and Fisher

scooped the ball off the ground and ran it in for OCC’s first lead of the

game, 14-7.

Palomar quickly answered on its ensuing possession. Comets wide

receiver Deondre Alexander, who was held out the first quarter for

missing practices during the week, made his presence known off a screen

pass. Alexander caught the quick pass, bolted to the middle of the field,

split two defenders and went the distance untouched for a 45-yard

touchdown.

OCC’s Jared Kemp muffed the ensuing kickoff and Palomar converted the

turnover to a Cesar Hernandez 42-yard field goal, his longest of the

season. But, Higgs then connected with Strang for what proved to be the

winning touchdown.

“We still haven’t played the way we’re capable of playing,” Higgs

said. “We got some breaks today.”

The breaks Higgs spoke of were Palomar’s costly penalties. The Comets

had three touchdowns called back because of two holding penalties and a

block-in-the-back call on the opening kickoff that Maurice Grant ran back

for an apparent score. The biggest penalty came in the fourth quarter.

After Strang’s touchdown, Goodenough led the Comets to OCC’s 30-yard

line. With under a minute remaining, Goodenough threw a bullet to tight

end Seth Dayo for what would have been the winning touchdown. But, the

play was called back because of holding on the offensive line.

“I have never been around a game where the officiating has been like

that,” Palomar Coach Tom Craft said. “Not to take anything away from OCC.

They played a great game. We knew coming in, they were the hottest team

in the conference. We have the utmost respect for that team.”

Though Palomar self-destructed at times, OCC’s defense stopped the

Comets’ scoring chances. Palomar began the second quarter three yards

away from a touchdown, but the Bucs stuffed the Comets on four downs as

OCC linebacker Dustin Davis led with a tackle on a goal-line stand with

fourth-and-inches.

The Bucs stopped Palomar in the first quarter on another

fourth-and-inches when the Comets failed to get a first down. OCC also

pushed Palomar back after a first-and-goal from the 3-yard-line and

Hernandez missed a 25-yard field goal.

“When it counts we come through,” OCC middle linebacker Justin

Blackard said of the defense. “We just wanted it more than (Palomar). We

played with heart.”

OCC will play at Santa Ana Saturday at 1 p.m. Then the Bucs will be at

Fullerton the following week and will close out the season at home

against Saddleback with hopes of a division championship.

“We can come out and lose our next three if we don’t play to our

potential,” Taylor said. “If we keep playing the way we’ve been playing,

I think we’ll have a division championship.”