Hornets invade Orange Coast

Bryce Alderton

Despite allowing 213 yards to Saddleback College a week ago, Orange

Coast’s football team remains first against the pass and total

defense among the Mission Conference’s 12 teams.

That defense should get tested again when Fullerton invades OCC at

6 tonight for conference a duel between teams coming off their first

losses of the season.

Coast (2-1, 0-1 in the conference’s American Division) couldn’t

get its offense going against powerful Saddleback and fell, 30-7,

last week. Fullerton (2-1, 0-1 in the conference’s National Division)

lost to Palomar, 30-26. Palomar went 10-1 a year ago and entered this

season ranked No. 4 in the country by JC Grid Wire, a national

community college football publication.

Fullerton sophomore quarterback Tom Kirchmeyer averages 196 yards

per game through the air, good for third in the conference, while

sophomore wide receiver Chaz Guinn ranks second in receptions per

game with 6.7. Guinn leads all conference receivers with 267 total

receiving yards.

Coast linebacker Joe Mitchell ranks eighth in the conference with

29 tackles while Fullerton counterpart John Morris leads with 36.

The Pirates ran away from Fullerton last season, earning a 37-21

victory in Week 9, largely on the running of Niles Mittasch.

Mittasch, who is redshirting at the University of Oregon this year,

carried 28 times for 224 yards and three touchdowns. Mittasch was the

last OCC player to have more than 25 carries and gain at least 200

yards on the ground in one game when he accomplished the feat against

the Hornets last fall.

Fullerton leads the overall series, 30-20-3.