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.
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.