OCC christens new LeBard

Barry Faulkner

The Orange Coast College football team hopes the spanking new

synthetic playing surface won’t be the only thing novel about

tonight’s Mission Conference clash with visiting Saddleback.

The Pirates, in fact, are hoping for a fresh start to a season

that has opened with a pair of defeats to extend the program’s losing

streak to six.

“I believed we needed to be 2-0 heading into conference and

instead we’re 0-2,” OCC Coach Mike Taylor said. “Saddleback is a very

good team with the state’s No. 2-ranked offense. But we need to play

hard and be up for the challenge.”

Tonight’s game, scheduled to kick off at 5, is the first played in

the renovated LeBard Stadium, on which construction crews have been

laboring for weeks to make several changes, including the

installation of FieldTurf.

“It’s going to be a beautiful facility, but we haven’t set foot on

the field yet and, since they’re still going to be working to finish

[this] morning, we won’t until pregame, just like Saddleback,” Taylor

said.

OCC will hope to keep Saddleback (1-1) from creating excessive

wear and tear in the end zones, as the Gauchos come in with the

conference’s No. 1 offense (287.5 yards per game). Saddleback, led by

former Mater Dei High quarterback Colt Brennan, has averaged 48

points its first two games, including a 63-18 season-opening win over

Los Angeles Harbor.

Saddleback fell, 35-33, last week to Chaffey, but is heavily

favored to extend the Pirates’ struggles.

OCC has been outscored, 60-36, in losses to Glendale and Los

Angeles Southwest and is ranked No. 11 in the 12-team conference in

total offense (244.5 yards per game).

Kyle Basanez (16 of 42 for 274 passing yards and two touchdowns,

without an interception) appears to have won the battle for the

quarterback job with Chad Schmigel.

And freshman Matt Padilla, who collected 124 yards on 16 carries

against L.A. Southwest, including a 70-yard TD, has stepped to the

fore at tailback.

Mounting consistent offense, however, has been a problem for the

Pirates, who have made several changes to their defensive lineup,

despite entering with the conference’s No. 4-ranked unit, No. 2

against the pass.

Sophomore outside linebacker Joe Mitchell, a second-team

all-conference performer as a freshman who had been the leader of the

OCC defense early this season, is out for the season with an ankle

injury sustained last week.

Aaron Miller and Ryan Miller (outside) as well as Dave Ronning in

the middle, are all making their first start at linebacker for the

Bucs.

Saddleback has won the last three meetings, though OCC won three

straight prior to that.