Coasters: Cinderella no more

Steve Virgen

Cinderella lived happily ever, but the story might or might not be

the same for Orange Coast College’s football and men’s soccer teams,

which completed improbable runs last year.

“We’re not going to sneak up on anybody this year,” OCC football coach

Mike Taylor said as he watched his team practice Saturday.

The same can be said for the men’s soccer team as Coach Laird Hayes

and Taylor share the same mentality of the upcoming season.

The Pirates know they’ll be ready, but how will opponents target them?

Another pushover as in year’s past? Or a contender?

“I really don’t care, it doesn’t matter what they think,” Hayes said

Wednesday just after he and assistant Kevin Smith made their final cuts.

“All we can do is work our tails off.”

Hayes is excited about his defense. It should come handy because most

teams will think last year’s OCC team was a fluke.

“We probably weren’t the second-best in talent in the state,” Hayes

said of his Pirates which finished runner-up in state last year. “But, we

were second-best with our chemistry.”

The men’s soccer team, just like the football team, is looking to

attain that chemistry once again.

The football team will be searching for some of that “One Heartbeat

spirit”, which made last year so memorable.

The men’s soccer team will seek that bulldog, never-quit mentality,

which gave the Pirates a chance to win every game.

“Kevin an I think this group is going to have that (chemistry) here,”

Hayes said. “That’s our gut feeling. That’s what made the summer program

so important. Just like football, we had a great summer program.”

The Pirates’ preparation will be tested as the OCC men’s soccer team

opens its season hosting Cerritos, Aug. 27 at 4 p.m.

The Pirates have lost Estancia product Hilario Arriaga, who played

goalie for the Pirates last year. Hayes said he was told Arriaga moved to

Mexico to play professional soccer.

However, Hayes also said he and Smith are more than satisfied with

Joey Balbas (Edison High), who will fill in for Arriaga.

Also, Stan Duke, who came with OCC running back Niles Mittasch from

Oregon’s Churchill High, is impressing coaches with his attitude and

play.

With an improvement in offensive line depth and the key return of

sophomore quarterback Nick Higgs, the Bucs are confident that they will

be able to hang with anybody in the Mission Conference.

“We have more talent this year,” Higgs said. “If we have the heart

that we did last year, we should be fine.”

They will be more than fine, according to offensive coordinator Sean

Ponder.

“Last year we wanted to win the Mission Conference,” Ponder said. “Our

goal this year is higher than that. This year we want to win the whole

thing and go 10-0. That sets up a pretty high standard. But, it’s

definitely attainable.”

The confidence comes especially from the Bucs’ offensive line. Taylor

is thrilled of the depth he has at offensive line and says this is one of

the best groups he’s had in his 16 years on the OCC coaching staff. He

credited the coaches’ recruiting focus over the offseason, the Mission

Conference Central Division co-championship and assistant head coach Doug

Smith’s presence.

Smith is a 14-year NFL veteran, who earned six trips to the Pro Bowl

as a Los Angeles Ram.

There’s hardly a worry for the Bucs’ defense. OCC’s dynamic linebacker

trio of Martin Janzon, Justin Blackard and Dustin Davis is gone, but

linebackers coach Mike Mayne replaces their departure with depth. The

Bucs had 16 linebackers out for practice Wednesday, the first day of

full-pads training.

Weeks three through six will be the most pivotal for the Pirates this

season. They play at El Camino, Sept. 22 and then the really big game

comes Sept. 29 when they host Mt. San Antonio. OCC rounds out the

non-conference schedule hosting Pasadena.

If the Pirates finish with a 5-0 record after that, OCC’s goal of 10-0

will come into focus.