Ready to run

Steve Virgen

Two different offensive styles will be on display tonight at 7,

when the Orange Coast College football team and visiting East Los

Angeles clash in a season-opening affair.

The Pirates will use a running game, which Coach Mike Taylor

expects to be successful. That rushing attack led by sophomore Niles

Mittasch, an All-Mission Conference Central Division second-team

returner, can also keep East L.A.’s vaunted passing game off the

field.

“We’re going to do what we do best and that is run the football,”

OCC Coach Mike Taylor said. “We’re not a four-wide, go-deep football

team. We’re going to throw some high-percentage passes and we want to

control the line of scrimmage.”

Last year, OCC opened the season with a 21-17 victory over ELAC.

Randy Gaither scored on a 7-yard touchdown run with 2:36 left. East

L.A. was led by quarterback Hugo Avendano, who completed 28 of 39

passes for 334 yards and a touchdown.

The Huskies, who finished 2-8, 1-6 in the Western State Conference

Southern Division, feature a no-huddle offense. This year, sophomore

Thomas McDougal (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) will most likely lead the East

L.A. offense. Similar to OCC, the Huskies possess young receivers.

For OCC, sophomore quarterback Jason Kripavicius (6-foot-3, 220)

will lead the offense. He has gained confidence recently because he

won a wide-open competition to become the squad’s starting

signal-caller. His main target will most likely be sophomore tight

end Justin Rose (6-3, 226), the most experienced pass catcher for the

Pirates.

Mittasch, who did not have one rush or a catch in last season’s

opener, will run behind a big and talented offensive line, which

includes two All-Mission Conference Central Division second-teamers

in tackle Patrick Afif (6-8, 318) and center Ed Fane (6-1, 275). The

Pirates also receive support from University of Hawaii transfer Keola

Loo, a 6-1, 290-pound guard, and sophomore Stephen Herring (6-4,

270). Sophomore guard Donnie Garcia (5-9, 315), who was on OCC’s 2000

Co-Mission Conference Central Division championship team, will also

contribute.

In addition to Mittasch, the Pirates will also feature Steven

Mahelona (5-10, 210) and Dan Hawkey (5-11, 185) and fullback Tim

Rebich (5-11, 188).

“I’m just excited to get this going and get the action started,”

Taylor said. “(The Pirates) want to play some football. We want to

win. It’s a home game for us, so we need to. We’ve been picked near

the bottom of the rankings (in the Mission Conference Central

Division), which is fine because that’s based on last year. But

that’s last year.”

OCC sophomore outside linebacker Dan Steinau, who injured his knee

two weeks ago, will start for the Pirates tonight. Steinau led the

team in tackles last year with 118, on his way to All-Mission

Conference Central Division second-team laurels. Freshman Chris

Cassidy will start at the other outside linebacker, while freshman

Fahad Jahid will start in the middle.

The Pirates’ defensive backfield should be busy, as the Huskies

will try to air it out. Sophomore Adrian Calloway, the strong safety,

will be looked to as the leader in the secondary.

Taylor and his staff learned Thursday placekicker Mike DeHart is

academically ineligible and he will not play for the Pirates this

season.

Andrew Brescini will be the kicker, while freshman Bryce Sheridan

could also figure into the mix.