Coast struggles in a 26-10 loss on road

Steve Virgen

The Orange Coast College football team’s second loss of the season

created concern for Pirates Coach Mike Taylor. The Bucs’ 26-10 loss

to Mt. San Antonio Saturday night also exposed glaring problems for

the Bucs’ offense.

Coast, ranked No. 14 in Southern California, lost its second

straight road game and never discovered the rhythm it has shown when

at LeBard Stadium. Instead, the Mt. SAC defense took advantage of the

Pirates’ limited offense, meanwhile the Mounties (2-2) provided an

example of what a balanced offense is all about.

“Obviously, we don’t play as well on the road as we do at home,”

Taylor said. “(Mt. SAC) is a pretty good team. They came ready to

play. Their defense pushed us up inside and we had to run to the

sidelines. We couldn’t run between the tackles.”

OCC’s running attack, which entered the game averaging 178 yards

per game, was held to a mere 43 yards from the Pirates’ formidable

backfield of Niles Mittasch (10 carries, 25 yards) and Steven

Mahelona (4-18). The Mounties realized the Bucs do not have speed on

the outside, and since there was not a wide receiver deep threat, Mt.

SAC stacked the line and stuffed the running backs. The Mounties also

recorded five sacks.

“We’re not blessed with a bunch of fast receivers,” Taylor said.

“We have a lot of guys who are more possession-type guys. You can’t

play with what you don’t have. We lost in the last minute to L.A.

Harbor, and we came out here and we didn’t play very well to start

out the game. We didn’t tackle very well.”

The Pirates (2-2) went three and out on their first three

offensive series, while Mt. SAC built a 13-0 lead. The Mounties could

have made it 19-0, but receiver Delanie Walker dropped a 43-yard

touchdown pass in the end zone.

However, the damage was done. Mt. SAC scored on its first

offensive drive, right after sending OCC three and out to open the

game. The Mounties used just five plays to travel 65 yards and scored

after Corey Hudson found paydirt on a 2-yard jaunt. The drive was

keyed by Walker’s 49-yard reception from quarterback Zac Connors.

Connors started the season as the Mounties’ third-string

quarterback, but injuries to Mt. SAC’s starter vaulted him up the

depth chart. He amassed 233 yards on 13-of-25 passing. His receivers,

mainly Walker and Calvin Byrd, made OCC spread out its defense,

creating gaps for the Mounties’ running game. Mt. SAC rushed for 169

yards and 3 TDs on 39 carries.

“This is a big win for us,” Mt. SAC Coach Bill Fisk said. “We saw

OCC on film and noticed that they were a real physical team. For us

to beat them will bring us confidence.”

OCC managed to score before halftime. The Pirates used 18 plays

and nine minutes, which resulted in a Bryce Sheridan 35-yard field

goal, with 1:44 left in the second quarter. But, Mt. SAC answered

back, driving down the field, and Hugo Barajas nailed a 28-yard field

goal as time expired. The Mounties took a 16-3 lead into halftime.

In the fourth quarter, trailing 26-3, the Pirates found some life

and took advantage of a Mt. SAC roughing-the-passer penalty that put

the Bucs on the Mounties’ 34. From there, OCC quarterback Derek

Aspinwall tossed a pass out in the flat to Mittasch, who went the

distance for the 34-yard TD. Sheridan hit the point-after kick, and

OCC trailed, 26-10.

Sheridan then recovered his own onside kick, but the Mounties sent

OCC three and out, that included two sacks.

The Pirates play at Pasadena City, the No. 1 team in Southern

California, next week, to wrap up non-division play.