Pirates lose a heartbreaker, 40-33

Steve Virgen

WILMINGTON --In a wild, yet typical community college football

game, Orange Coast College and Los Angeles Harbor traded touchdowns

in the final 1:37. And, it was LA Harbor which came out on top,

40-33, over the visiting Pirates Saturday night.

OCC sophomore tailback Niles Mittasch gave the Pirates new life

with his breathtaking 85-yard catch and run touchdown with 1:25

remaining, tying the score, 33-33. But OCC was penalized for

celebration and Bryce Sheridan had to kick a 35-yard PAT, which was

blocked.

Then LA Harbor (1-1) went 80 yards in 1:13 to end the game. The

Seahawks’ Juval Thomas got behind the defense on blown coverage and

caught a 36-yard touchdown pass from Cameron Smith with 12 seconds

left. Smith passed for three touchdowns and 282 yards on 26-of-39

passing.

OCC (1-1) was stuffed on offense throughout the game, save for

Mittasch’s big play. Meanwhile, LA Harbor erupted with a 20-point

third quarter, and also displayed balance, as tailback James Robinson

ran for 167 yards and one touchdown on 33 carries.

There was a quarterback change for OCC, as Derek Aspinwall

relieved Jason Kripazicius after Kripazicius threw an interception

with 9:11 left in the third quarter.

The Seahawks converted the turnover into points on a six-play,

37-yard drive.

However, OCC and Aspinwall answered after Dan Hawkey returned a

kickoff 38 yards to midfield. Aspinwall completed two straight passes

and later Steven Mahelona scored on a 25-yard run. Sheridan’s PAT

kick went off the crossbar, and OCC trailed, 27-20, with 5:55 left in

the third.

LA Harbor scored on its ensuing possession on a 16-play, 54-yard drive to make it 33-20.

With 4:17 left in the game, Aspinwall hit Tim Gonzalez for a

6-yard touchdown pass. After Sheridan’s point-after kick, OCC trailed

33-27.

Then Sheridan completed a successful onside kick that teammate

Brian Cristol recovered. But OCC went three and out. The Pirates

defense also sent LA Harbor three and out. And then later on

third-and-10 Mittasch scored a touchdown.

The Seahawks converted two fourth downs that led to touchdowns.

Orange Coast returns to action on Saturday with a day game,

beginning at 1 p.m., against El Camino, on the Pirates’ campus.