Coast withers

Bryce Alderton

The strength of a team can be measured by its ability to insert any

player into the lineup and continue to get the job done.

Host Mt. San Antonio College’s football team showed visiting

Orange Coast why it remains undefeated and is ranked fourth in the

nation with a 43-14 Mission Conference American Division victory

Saturday night in the midst of ashes gently falling on the field from

the distant wildfires.

The Mounties (7-0, 3-0 in the division) used 11 different

receivers and 10 different rushers to post 334 yards of total offense

and held the Pirates (4-3, 1-1) scoreless in the second half while

amassing 24 points in the final two quarters.

“That is why they have the No. 1 offense and the No. 1 defense,”

OCC Coach Mike Taylor said about the Mounties’ personnel. “We played

hard, but we shot ourselves in the foot.”

Mt. SAC capitalized on two snaps that sailed over punter Bryce

Sheridan’s head. With OCC in punt formation on its own 15-yard line

and Mt. SAC leading, 10-7, in the first quarter, the ball sailed over

Sheridan’s head and the sophomore kicked the ball out of the end

zone, resulting in a safety.

In the third quarter and the Mounties leading, 29-14, Sheridan

again saw the ball soar over his head and tried to make the best of

the scenario by tossing a pass to Nick Dominelli for a 5-yard gain.

But Coast lost 30 yards on the play and Mt. SAC quarterback Adam

Ernst hit Peter Suarez for a 5-yard touchdown catch on the next play

to put increase the lead to 36-14 after one of Hugo Barajas’ four

PATs.

Coast sophomore quarterback Kelika Higa completed just two of his

13 completions in the second half as the Mounties’ pass rush forced

him to throw in less than two seconds after the ball was snapped.

Higa tied it at 7 with 9:28 to go in the first quarter when he ran

in a bootleg off left tackle from 1 yard out after a 12-play, 63-yard drive.

Coast cut the lead to 19-14 with seven seconds to go in the first

half when Higa lobbed a pass freshman receiver Brian Johnson picked

out of the air in the front corner of the end zone with pressure from

a Mt. SAC cornerback.

Chris Vega carried 12 times for 83 yards, but Coast’s ground game

was hindered by three Mounty sacks totaling 26 yards. Jon Garcia (two

catches for 31 yards) and Jon Villanueva (one reception for 15 yards)

added to the offense.

“When the safeties and the linebackers are in your face, that is

not a good thing,” Taylor said of the pass rush Higa faced.

Coast safety Una Latu added an interception.

“We can beat these guys, they are not great,” Villanueva said.