Community College football: Bucs give up too much, lose

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - After battling with visiting Los Angeles Harbor

College and giving up five turnovers, the Orange Coast football team was

20 yards away from redemption. The Pirates, perhaps, had the opportunity

to symbolize America.

On a day that went without Major League Baseball and NCAA Division-1

football games, the Pirates and Seahawks played some football. The NFL

also postponed its games this week in the aftermath of the terrorist

attacks on America.

With six seconds remaining, fourth down from the 20-yard line going

in, the Pirates’ Nick Higgs picked up a shotgun snap that dribbled across

the football field. He was tackled, the final gun fired and the game

ended with the Seahawks raising their hands in celebration for a 35-29

victory.

This was just another juco football game. But for a little over three

hours on Saturday, here at LeBard Stadium, OCC and L.A. Harbor offered

entertainment, suspense and a bit of escape from a day of tragedy that

spilled out onto this weekend.

“It was an emotional week for all of us,” said Bucs Coach Mike Taylor.

“I told our kids to go out and play hard ... there’s thousands of people

that will never get another chance to watch another football game. We

played for the country and we played for ourselves and we played for our

fans, but we just came up short. There’s some things we need to correct

and we have to get better.”

Improvement is expected soon as OCC will play at El Camino Saturday at

1 p.m. Against L.A. Harbor, the Bucs cut down on their penalties from a

week before, but it was turnovers that cost them the game. Also, the

Seahawks’ vaunted passing attack became OCC’s demise.

With simple-looking passes, L.A. Harbor quarterback Melvin Yarbrough

picked the Bucs apart with 298 yards and three touchdowns on 23 of 49

passing.

OCC has now surrendered 690 passing yards and four touchdowns in their

first two games.

Higgs, however, countered with some power of his own. He threw for 285

yards and three touchdowns on 15 of 26 passing. Receivers Vince Strang (3

catches 128 yards and one touhdown), Jonathan Jackson (4-84, 1 TD) and

tight end Brandon Hall (6-58, 1 TD) were the beneficaries.

But Higgs saw his tipped pass fall into the Seahawks hands for an

interception in the third quarter. The turnover led to Yarbrough’s

12-yard touchdown pass to Chris Christopher as L.A. Harbor ate up some

clock. They used nearly five minutes and went 58 yards on 12 plays to

gain a 28-17 lead.

The Bucs (1-1) quickly answered as Higgs led speedy wide receiver

Vince Strang for a 58-yard touchdown just 24 seconds after the Seahawks

had scored.

But a 55-yard run by Brandy Russell, who rushed for 131 yards on 23

carries and two touchdowns, set up another Yarbrough TD pass. This time

the quarterback found a wide-open Jason Mitchell, for his second

touchdown.

Not short on character, the Bucs later came back with another score as

Higgs lofted a deep ball to Jackson for a 46-yard touchdown.

With less than five minutes remaining, the Bucs had yet another drive

end when Anthony Campo fumbled on a third-and-inches from L.A. Harbor’s

40-yard line. But the Bucs were able to win the ball back after the

Seahawks turned the ball over on downs, giving OCC its last chance.

“We came to play, but when the situation called for it, we didn’t do

what was needed,” Higgs said. “They made more big plays than us. But,

when we do what we have to do we can score at will. I think we were

successful in getting everybodys’ mind off (Tuesday’s tragedy). The

turnout was very good for a junior college game.”

Most of the Pirates supported the California Community College

Commission on Athletics’ decision to keep its weekend athletic events

schedule intact. The COA released a statement Thursday, saying, “ ... we

will not disrupt our programs and be victims of the chaos.”

David Caddin, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps led the Pirates down

the ramp to the football field, before the game began. Caddin, a Newport

Harbor High product, held an American flag and waved it as he walked down

the ramp. Players, coaches and spectators then joined in a moment of

silence in respect to the thousands of lives lost Tuesday.

The Pirates took the opening drive in for a touchdown. Higgs guided

OCC on a eight-play, 69-yard drive that included a 53-yard reception to

Strang. Higgs avoided a blitz on a third-and-12 and with poise delivered

the bomb. Higgs later ran in a 4-yard touchdown as he scrambled nearly

the width of the field for the score.

However, the Seahawks answered right back with a 12-play, 74-yard drive that took 6:44 off the clock. L.A. Harbor picked up four first

downs before Mitchell ran a fade route and caught a 4-yard touchdown pass

just inside the right sideline of the end zone. Included in the drive,

the Seahawks overcame a third-and-nine situation when Yarbrough found

Christopher for a 20-yard gain. As if on cue, the Pirates followed the

Seahawks touchdown with a scoring drive of their own.

Higgs continued to avoid a heated pass rush with side-step maneuvers

and quick releases. Under pressure, he delivered a side-arm pass to

Jonathan Jackson for a 16-yard gain. And with the Bucs facing a

third-and-18, Higgs stepped up again. Just before he was hit, Higgs let

go of a pass, which had nice touch that landed in the hands of Hall for a

20-yard touchdown on a corner route. Hall’s TD grab gave OCC a 14-7 lead

Marvin Simmons, who sat out during the first defense, then made his

presence felt. When he made his first appearance of the game, the

Seahawks went three and out. And the Bucs quickly took advantage. OCC

running back Niles Mittasch, on his first carry of the season, raced on a

pitchout for a 23-yard gain. The run set up Andrew Brescini’s 40-yard

field goal with 11:44 remaining in the first half.