Pirate party spoiled

Barry Faulkner

Several factors combined to help keep the outcome of Saturday’s

Mission Conference football game between visiting Saddleback College

and Orange Coast below the surface for at least three quarters on the

newly installed FieldTurf at LeBard Stadium.

Some creative OCC gadget plays, a 12-play touchdown drive by the

Pirates, as well as Saddleback Coach Mark McElroy’s decision to play

two quarterbacks ahead of productive freshman Colt Brennan, all

contributed to keeping the Pirates’ upset hopes alive into the final

period.

But Brennan, a Colorado transfer who came in as the conference’s

leading passer (44 of 68 for 545 yards and four touchdowns his first

two games), waited his turn and led the Gauchos to a 28-7 victory.

Brennan, a former standout at Mater Dei, entered the game on

Saddleback’s third possession, after backups Jeff Kline and Jake

Buchanan played one three-and-out series apiece.

“The plan was to give those other two guys a chance,” McElroy

said.

Brennan quickly directed consecutive touchdown drives to put the

visitors up, 14-0.

Orange Coast responded with a 12-play, 80-yard touchdown drive of

its own, as sophomore quarterback Kyle Basanez scrambled in from the

10 with 18 seconds left in the half to halve the deficit.

But Brennan, who finished with 243 passing yards -- he completed

14 of 21 with one interception -- led the Gauchos (2-1) to the 1-yard line on their first possession after halftime. He then triggered TD

drives on two of Saddleback’s next three possessions, finishing with

four TD passes.

Orange Coast might have forced the visitors to rally, had it not

squandered excellent scoring chances on its first two possessions.

The Pirates (0-3), who extended their losing streak to seven

games, wowed the 700 in attendance with some first-quarter trickery

to put the Gauchos on their heels.

OCC executed a flea-flicker on the first play of the game, as

Basanez found Herb Martin alone behind the defense for a 40-yard gain

to the Saddleback 35.

The Pirates proceeded to the Saddleback 14, before a penalty and

three pass plays forced them into a 37-yard field-goal attempt missed

by Adam Kleckner.

After Saddleback’s ensuing punt, OCC used six plays, including a

21-yard reverse by receiver Brian Johnson, to march from its own 34

to a first-and-goal at the Gauchos’ 1.

But Saddleback stuffed four running plays, the final two stops by

safety Mathew Mitchell, to keep things scoreless.

“We needed to get that touchdown and field goal that would have

given us a 17-14 lead at the half,” OCC Coach Mike Taylor said.

OCC fashioned a goal-line stand of its own in the third quarter,

turning away Saddleback’s 13-play drive that began at the Gauchos’

35, just inches from the end zone.

The Pirates then moved the ball into Saddleback territory, before

a sack short-circuited the drive and forced a punt two plays later.

Saddleback and Brennan took advantage as it went 60 yards on eight

plays, including a 6-yard fake punt run on fourth-and-one near

midfield. The fake punt led to a 17-yard scoring hookup from Brennan

to Quincy Lever to make it 21-7 with 14:10 left in the game.

Jarard Rabb, who hauled in a 30-yard scoring pass to break a

scoreless tie, went 34 yards with a slip screen to cap the scoring

with 4:37 left in the game.

Basanez completed 11 of 24 for 173 yards and one interception. He

left the game briefly with what appeared to be a left ankle injury,

but returned and threw an interception on the Pirates’ final

offensive series.

Freshman tailback Matt Padilla, who had 22 first-half carries for

52 yards to help the hosts possess the ball for 21:22 of the first 30

minutes, injured an ankle early in the second half and finished with

61 rushing yards.