Bucs dealt blow

Bryce Alderton

An Orange Coast College football player delivering a helmet-to-helmet

hit on a Cerritos receiver in the fourth quarter laid motionless on

the ground for a few minutes before getting back up Friday night. But

that wasn’t the only blow the Pirates suffered in their final home

game of the season.

The host Bucs’ playoff hopes appear dead after they dropped a 21-7

Mission Conference American Division contest to Cerritos, which

controls its own destiny with one more week in the regular season.

The Pirates (4-5, 1-3 in the American Division) lost to the

Falcons (6-3, 3-1) for the seventh consecutive time, a critical loss

for Coast, which could have moved into a tie with Cerritos and

possibly Mt. San Antonio and Palomar, depending on what those schools

do in their games today, for the division lead.

“It’s a tough loss, but we have another game to play,” OCC Coach

Mike Taylor said. The Bucs will battle perennial rival Golden West

next Saturday at 6 p.m.

“[Cerritos] runs a good offense that takes away everything with

its slow play.”

The Falcons used the draw efficiently to amass 226 yards rushing

on 44 carries. Sophomore tailback Carlos Velasquez led the way with

109 yards on 14 carries with touchdown runs of 18 and 26, the latter

coming on the first play from scrimmage in the fourth quarter. The

PAT by Craig James gave the Falcons a 21-7 lead. Velasquez was the

conference’s second leading rusher coming into the game, averaging

121 yards.

Coast sophomore quarterback Kelika Higa completed 20 of 30 passes

for a season-high 242 yards, but threw three interceptions, the last

coming on third-and-10 at the Cerritos’ 31-yard line with one minute,

30 seconds to go in the game. Higa’s pass went through a receiver’s

hands and right to cornerback Eric Frierson.

Earlier in the quarter Higa led Coast to the Cerritos’ 7 with a

38-yard completion down the west sideline to Aaron Lowe, who led all

receivers with five catches for 78 yards. But a snap at Higa’s feet

led to a fumble and the Falcons recovered.

“It is frustrating, but there isn’t anything I can do about it

now,” Higa said. “I give credit to [the Falcons]. They have good

coaching and good players.”

Coast’s defense, rated 12th in the state coming in, was on the

field for just more than 19 of the final 30 minutes, and failed to

register a sack on the Falcons’ Michael Keeling, who completed 13 of

19 passes for 139 yards and no interceptions. The Falcons didn’t

commit a turnover.

OCC tied the game at 7 in the second quarter when tailback Chris

Vega ran off the left guard for a 4-yard touchdown. Higa completed a

33-yard pass to Justin Humalon the previous play to set up the score.

Humalon caught three passes for 71 yards. Higa also found Brian

Johnson five times for 32 yards.

But Cerritos answered Coast’s only score with a 13-play, 71-yard drive that consumed 5:30 and ended in a 7-yard TD by Daniel Dixon on

a draw up the middle.