Calloway, Mahelona, Mittasch first-team selections

Five Orange Coast College football players captured All-American

honors selected by the state’s coaches at their annual meeting last

week.

Defensive end Jesse Mahelona and running back Niles Mittasch made

first-team for Region 4, which includes the 12 teams from the Mission

Conference’s north and central divisions.

Pirate safety Adrian Calloway was voted to the JC Grid Wire

academic All-American first-team with offensive tackle Stephen

Herring garnering honorable mention.

Guard Keola Loo, who plans on transferring to Washington State

pending receipt of his fall quarter grades, made JC Grid Wire’s

All-American third-team, said OCC Coach Mike Taylor.

Mahelona, selected the team’s Most Valuable Player at its recent

awards dinner, led the team with nine tackles for losses and tied

with Ryan Miller for the lead in sacks with six. The 6-foot-2,

280-pound freshman finished fifth on the team with 62 tackles.

Mittasch made the first-team based on all-purpose yards gained

(1,133) that includes rushing, receiving, punt and kickoff returns.

The sophomore averaged 93 yards rushing to lead Coast this season and

ranked seventh in the conference in all-purpose running, averaging

113 yards a game.

Calloway finished second on the team in interceptions (three) to

Nick Dominelli (four) and was sixth on the team with 53 tackles.

Herring and Loo blocked for a Coast rushing attack that ranked

seventh in the 12-team conference in rushing yards per game (150.8).