Comets strike Bucs

Bryce Alderton

Try as it might, the Orange Coast College football team could not get

its offense out of neutral Saturday night and another loss was the

result.

Host OCC led, 3-0, but those were the only points it would score

as Palomar methodically moved the ball on offense and forced four

Bucs’ turnovers to earn a 21-3 victory in a Mission Conference

American Division game.

The Comets (6-2, 2-1 in the American Division) practiced only

three hours the week leading up to the game due to the fires that

ravaged San Diego County and other parts of Southern California, but

won their third straight over the Pirates (4-4, 1-2), outscoring them, 108-11, in that span.

“I think in some ways it brought us closer together,” Palomar

Coach Joe Early said. “Guys responded to the challenge.”

“We need better blocking up front,” OCC Coach Mike Taylor said of

the stalled offense, which came into the game ranked 10th of 12 teams in the conference. “But we have to play with what we have.”

After getting to the 9-yard line to set up Mike DeHart’s 26-yard

field goal in the first quarter, the closest the Pirates would get a

whiff of paydirt was the 4 to begin the fourth quarter.

Palomar led, 18-3, after three quarters, but the Bucs had a

first-and-goal at the 4. A 5-yard penalty for an illegal man down

field moved the ball back to the 9. After a 4-yard run by Josh Black,

who gained 14 yards on 11 carries, Palomar sophomore safety Ron

Rockett came around the left side unblocked and sacked Coast

quarterback Kelika Higa for a 7-yard loss and the Pirates had third

down at the 12.

Sophomore cornerback Josh Hargis leaped in front of Coast’s

Anthony Escalera in the corner of the end zone to record Palomar’s

second interception against Higa and end Coast’s push to get back in

the game.

Coast started six of its 14 drives at its own 20 or worse, a

credit to Palomar’s Ryan Lux, who averaged 42.8 yards on six kicks.

For the second week in a row, punt snapping proved an adventure

for Coast. Bryce Sheridan saw two snaps sail over his head and one

resulted in a safety for Palomar late in the second quarter when the

former Costa Mesa High kicker booted the ball as it sat on the grass

in the end zone, a penalty ruled as an illegal kick. The Comets led,

15-3, after two quarters.

Sheridan miraculously was able to punt the ball after another snap

sailed over his head, forcing him to pick the ball off the ground and

get off a 19-yard kick to put Palomar on the Coast 46 with six

minutes, 40 seconds left in the game. Six plays later, Palomar kicker

Lux booted a 48-yard field goal to go with a make from 37 yards in

the third quarter.

Coast used two different snappers on the punts, a stark change

from last year when OCC had Brian Cristol, who is redshirting this

fall at UC Berkeley.

“I feel bad for the kid and the other kid was sick,” Taylor said.

“You can’t play on a short field against a good team like Palomar.”

The Comets used crossing routes over the middle to contribute to

quarterback Tony Paoli’s 230 yards on 18 of 32 passing for two

touchdowns. Paoli hit Palomar’s leading receiver Caleb Spencer on a

post pattern for a 44-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage

after Coast committed one of its two fumbles. Spencer tallied 109

yards on six catches.

Coast’s longest drive after the 11-play, 73-yard possession that

resulted in DeHart’s field goal on the game’s first offensive series

was 54 yards, which culminated in Hargis’ interception. The 54-yard

drive was set up when Coast linebacker Joe Mitchell recovered one of

Coast’s two fumbles -- free safety Nick Dominelli grabbed the other.

Coast’s defense, rated second in the conference, kept hopes alive

with five sacks, including linebacker Bryan Meers dropping Paoli for

a 9-yard loss. Chris Cassidy, Ryan Davis and Ryan Miller were also in

on sacks.

OCC was again forced to the air as Palomar held the hosts to just

61 yards on the ground and sacked Higa six times for 49 yards.

Higa finished 18 of 32 for 185 yards, finding Justin Humalon seven

times for 101 yards and twice hitting Aaron Lowe for 32 yards. Jon

Garcia made two catches for 24 yards.

“This is a humbling game every week,” Taylor said. “The film won’t

be kind, but the players need to be resilient.”