For whom the bell tolls

Bryce Alderton

Revenge and taking back “The Bell” have rung in the ears of Orange

Coast College football players ever since last season’s 35-24 to

Golden West, the Rustlers’ last win.

The Rustlers (0-5) and Pirates (2-3) begin Mission Conference

Central Division play today at LeBard Stadium at 4 p.m. for the

Victory Bell, which Golden West captured back from OCC last season

after OCC won the Bell with a 55-21 victory in 2000.

Golden West leads the all-time series, 18-14-2, outscoring the

Pirates, 665-533, in the 34 meetings.

For Coast, the game presents a chance to not only beat the team

that shares LeBard Stadium with them, but more so to use momentum

gained from last week’s 14-6 loss to the No. 1-ranked team in Southern California in Pasadena.

“I told the players all week to play hard and I’m proud of the way

they have,” Taylor said. “They pushed themselves. But moral victories

are considered losses if we don’t win the game.”

Coast had the lead, 3-0 at halftime before Pasadena scored two

rushing touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 14-6 lead and

that’s the way the game ended after a scoreless fourth quarter.

Taylor will attempt to use momentum gained from last week’s loss

into this week’s game.

But he is not looking past the Rustlers, even though they come in

ranked dead last (12th) in total defense and offense in the Mission

Conference, gaining an average of 204 yards per game while giving up

an average of 442.8.

“That’s always a tough game,” said Taylor of the Golden West-OCC

clash.

Three of the five Rustler losses have come to undefeated teams,

Cerritos, Compton and Pasadena.

The “Battle of the Bell” evokes memories for Golden West Coach Ray

Shackleford, in his 30th season at Golden West but first since 1994

after taking seven years off from coaching.

“It’s really good for (junior college) football,” Shackleford

said. “It stimulates interest in the communities and teams. The

players bring a little extra being a two-college district. Once in a

awhile you’ll get a blowout but generally the games are very

competitive.”

But the rivalry has changed a bit in Shackleford’s eyes.

“Players are not always from the same areas and don’t know the

meaning of the game like they did back then,” Shackleford said. “But

this game has more meaning. It’s like Santa Ana and Fullerton, a

traditional rivalry where both teams get excited to play.”

OCC ranks 10th in total offense with 271 yards per game while

ranking sixth in total defense, allowing an average of 338.8 yards

per game.

Orange Coast’s defense held the vaunted Pasadena attack to 424

yards last week, 22 yards less than the now No. 2 Lancers average.

Linebacker Nick Dominelli and free safety Adrian Calloway were

both named as conference “Players of the Week” after their

performances against Pasadena.

Dominelli led the Pirates with 12 tackles (10 solo) to give him a

team-leading 49 on the season, to go with a fumble recovery and

interception, and Calloway recorded eight tackles (five solo), forced

a fumble and had a interception.

Golden West features a run blocker of its own in Robert Chavez, a

sophomore linebacker, who ranks third in conference in tackles per

game with 11.4.

Chavez and crew will attempt to stop the running tandem of Niles

Mittasch and Steven Mahelona, who rank 12th and 16th, respectively,

in rushing yards per game in the conference with 64.8 and 53.2.

Through five games Mittasch has ran for 324 yards and two

touchdowns while Mahelona has rushed for 266 and five TDs.

OCC transfer Javon Smith has started all five games at tailback

for Shackleford’s Rustlers, averaging 23.8 yards a game.

“(Smith) has done a good job at starting tailback, he’s a very

hard runner who is physical and has a great attitude,” Shackleford

said.

Shackleford said he might go with a two-quarterback rotation for

the game, platooning freshman Justin Grimm and sophomore Porter

Lacey, who started against Orange Coast in last year’s game.

Grimm has started two games, completing 25 of 52 passes for 320

yards (160 yards per game), three touchdowns and five interceptions,

while Lacey has started four games completing 26 of 69 passes for 287

yards (71.8 yards per game) with three TDs and four interceptions.

Meanwhile freshman Derek Aspinwall gets his fourth start at

quarterback for the Pirates. Last week Aspinwall threw for 153 yards

on 13 of 34, and has racked up 564 yards on 47 of 116 attempts with three TDs and two interceptions.