Five OCC Pirates make first-team all-conference

Five Orange Coast College football players have garnered

All-Mission Conference Central Division first-team honors.

Coast’s defense had three representatives, with 6-foot-2,

280-pound freshman lineman Jesse Mahelona a unanimous selection after

leading the Pirates (4-6) with nine tackles for a loss and six sacks.

Mahelona was fourth on the team with 62 tackles.

Freshman defensive back Nick Dominelli garnered first-team laurels

with his team-leading 94 tackles and four interceptions. One of his

picks came against Golden West -- a 95-yard return for a touchdown.

He also ran 50 yards after recovering a fumble in the Pirates’ 31-7

victory over Golden West.

Dominelli led the conference in average yards on an interception

return (42..8) and in total interception return yards (171).

Inside sophomore linebacker Dan Steinau, a 6-1 210-pound

sophomore, tied for second in the team in tackles for a loss with

seven, contributing to his 63 total tackles, good for fourth on the

team. He had two sacks and forced two fumbles as well for a Coast

defense that allowed 136 rushing yards per game, good for fourth in

the conference. The Pirates produced an average of 150 yards on the ground.

Sophomore running back Niles Mittasch was a unanimous selection on

offense, leading Coast in rushing with 929 yards (92.9 average, good

for seventh in the conference) while scoring seven touchdowns. He

scored three of his seven touchdowns in a Week 10 win against

Fullerton.

Steinau and Mittasch were second-team selections a year ago.

Sophomore guard Keola Loo was also selected first-team. He helped

open holes for OCC’s running game that ranked seventh in the

conference in yards per game (150).

Four Pirates were selected to the All-Conference second team

including freshman lineman Ryan Miller and sophomore defensive back

Adrian Calloway on defense and sophomore center Ed Fane and sophomore

tackle Stephen Herring on offense.

Fane was a second-team selection a year ago.

Miller was second to Mahelona in tackles with 79, but tied for the

team lead in sacks with six. The 6-foot, 210-pound lineman tied

Steinau for tackles for a loss with seven and had one fumble

recovery.

Calloway was sixth on the team in tackles (53) and second to

Dominelli in interceptions with three. Coast made 12 interceptions for 321 return yards. Calloway also broke up two passes.

Herring (6-4,280 pounds) and Fane (6-1, 280 pounds) helped anchor

the Pirate offensive line.