Community college football: Fullerton aerial attack too much for

Pirates

Steve Virgen

COSTA MESA - The Orange Coast College football team could have

probably used some of the intensity a 1951 Pirates team showed in their

time. At least that’s what Sid Manning thought after he saw the 2001 Bucs

surrender five passing touchdowns and lost a 39-16 Mission Conference

Central division game to the visiting Fullerton Hornets Saturday, when

OCC paid tribute to Coach Ray Rosso’s ’51 title team.

“I thought (OCC) played pretty poorly,” said Manning, an

all-conference defensive end on the ’51 Eastern Conference championship

squad. “They didn’t impress me. They didn’t tackle. We tackled hard. We

were a very tough team. There was a lot of spirit.”

The Hornets (5-4, 2-2 in the Central division), instead, used a

spirited passing attack as quarterback Brian Bartczak threw for four

touchdowns in the first half.

On two of the touchdowns the Pirates missed tackles, giving up 30- and

25-yard scores. And with 3:47 remaining, Fullerton’s Greg Woodard

wrestled a jump ball away from an OCC defensive back for a 17-yard

touchdown and a 29-3 lead.

“All of a sudden, I look up and I say, ‘how in the heck did that

happen,’ ” said Rosso, who mingled with his former players as the game

played out.

After OCC kicker Robbie Pate nailed a 43-yard field goal for a 3-3

tie, the Hornets outscored Coast, 26-0, over the next 16:25.

“I wish we could have gotten a victory for them,” OCC Coach Mike

Taylor said. “I just didn’t like our matchups. (Fullerton) has some of

the best receivers in the conference.”

One of the few positives for the Bucs came from freshman running back

Niles Mittasch, who ran for a season-high 180 yards on 33 carries, though

he gained just 34 in the second half because of OCC’s 29-10 deficit.

The Pirates (3-6, 1-3) scored with five seconds left in the first

half. Quarterback Jason Kripavicius lofted a 3-yard toss to tight end

Brandon Hall. Kripavicius, who left the game with an injured shin toward

the end of the third quarter, substituted for starter Nick Higgs after

the Hornets scored to go up, 22-3. Kripavicius threw an interception on

his first attempt, leading to Woodard’s touchdown.

In the fourth quarter, OCC sophomore strong safety John Freeth stopped

what could have been another Fullerton touchdown via pass. With Fullerton

threatening on the OCC 5-yard-line, Freeth stepped in front of a Hornet

receiver to snag an interception in his own end zone.

The Bucs then drove 80 yards to convert the turnover into six points.

Higgs hit a wide-open Hall for a 39-yard reception, and later, receiver

Jon Jackson scored on a 32-yard run off a reverse.

OCC will close out the season Saturday at 1 p.m., at Saddleback.