Oh what a night

Mike Sciacca

Patrick Harrigan rolled out of bed and began to prepare for the

beginning of another school day. The minor aches and pains in his

body served as a reminder of what he had gone through the night

before.

And there wasn’t much that Harrigan didn’t go through, literally,

the night before.

The Huntington Beach High senior running back gratefully used an

entourage consisting of his offensive linemen, a fullback and

receivers, to plow through the opposition. He churned up big gains,

one after the other, and bullied his way into the end zone on several

occasions in the Oilers’ 2002 football season opener.

When the final gun had sounded, Oiler players were walking tall on

the turf of Sheue Field, enjoying the afterglow of a 35-29 victory

over Los Amigos that made Oiler alum Mike Groscost a success in his

head coaching debut.

The result also gained Harrigan rave notices on campus the next

day.

“I was a bit tired but when I got to school, a lot of people came

up to congratulate me,” the 18-year-old said. “That was a great

feeling. It made any soreness I may have felt worth it.”

The Oiler workhorse ended up carrying the pigskin 35 times. He

weaved his way down field for 268 yards and five touchdowns in an

opening night performance that was no less than eye-opening.

“He put on quite a show for everybody,” Groscost said. “But I saw

this in Patrick when I first saw him last year. He’s got great

vision. Our line was doing a great job of getting off the ball and

opening up holes, but one thing about Patrick is that if there isn’t

a hole, he’ll still find an opening. He can make a move on you or

take a defender head on. He’s a tough, dangerous runner.”

A good portion of the yardage Harrigan gained came on cutbacks at

the end of a run.

The 6-foot, 195-pound senior scored all five of Huntington Beach’s

touchdowns on runs covering 4, 7, 38, 18 and 66 yards.

His 18-yard run late in the third quarter broke a 21-21 tie and

put the Oilers ahead for good.

On one first quarter possession, the Oilers offensive coaching

staff called on No. 25 on nine consecutive rushing plays. The march

culminated in the first of Harrigan’s five touchdowns of the night.

“We were very pleased with how he was running,” Groscost said.

“Obviously Patrick is our main running threat. We don’t mind using

him a lot. He’s a really good kid and I’m happy that he got the

season off to such a great start.”

Harrigan said he’s happy just to be playing again.

In his first year at Huntington Beach, he had an outstanding

season on a freshman team that finished the year with a 7-3 record.

He seemed destined to earn a spot on the Oiler varsity as a

sophomore, but an ankle injury he suffered playing junior varsity

volleyball that year would cost Harrigan any sports action much of

his sophomore year.

He tried to come back from torn ligaments by competing in spring

football but re-injured the ankle. He couldn’t bend the ankle and the

injury forced him to the sidelines.

Harrigan came back to earn a starting spot at running back as a

junior. Before his career-best rushing and touchdown efforts last

Thursday, his high game was the 219 yards and four touchdowns he

rushed for in a 35-14 win over Hueneme last September.

His 268 yards and five touchdowns aren’t school records -- but

they came close, school officials said. “I felt great after the game,

but now my focus is on Charter Oak,” Harrigan said of the Oilers’

Friday night opponent. “God guided me though that game, and I know He

will be with me against Charter Oak. I know they will be looking for

the run, so I have to be ready to go.”