Strong OCC effort for naught

Barry Faulkner

The Orange Coast College football team played what some would

consider its most complete football game of the season Saturday

night.

But the Pirates did so against a visiting Mt. San Antonio squad

many believe is the most complete team in the Mission Conference

American Division this season.

The Mounties (6-1, 2-0 in the division), ranked No. 4 in Southern

California, outlasted the Pirates (1-6, 1-1) for a 37-17 victory. The

verdict showed why Mt. SAC is bound for its fourth conference title

in six seasons and OCC is, most would agree, now relegated to playing

out the string.

“We’ve got Palomar, then Cerritos, then Golden West and we just

have to stay together and keep working hard,” OCC Coach Mike Taylor

said after his team stayed within 24-17 through three quarters. “I’m

glad we’re not playing Mt. SAC again.”

The Pirates, coming off their lone win of the season, a 17-10

American Division triumph over visiting Long Beach City to snap a

nine-game losing streak, used big plays to keep the outcome in doubt

for most of Saturday’s near-three-hour affair.

After Mt. SAC’s Melvin Matlock returned the opening kickoff 95

yards for a touchdown, OCC used just four plays to produce the

equalizer.

After three runs gained 15 yards, sophomore receiver Brian Johnson

got behind the secondary and sophomore quarterback Kyle Basanez hit

him in stride for a 71-yard scoring pass.

The play, which began with OCC shifting into a five-receiver set,

appeared to confuse the Mt. SAC defense.

Adam Kleckner kicked the conversion to tie the game with 12:09

left in the first quarter.

Mt. SAC wasted little time fashioning an answer of its own. The

Mounties went 65 yards on seven plays, with quarterback Derek Devine

finding tight end Peter Suarez for a 13-yard scoring toss that put

the visitors ahead for good.

OCC’s ensuing possession lasted 14 plays and more than five

minutes, before a 42-yard field-goal attempt by Alex Roberts was

partially blocked at the line.

The lack of points was particularly disheartening, after freshman

receiver Herb Martin, all alone in the end zone on a wheel route two

plays before the ill-fated field goal, dropped a perfect strike from

Basanez that would have helped the Pirates tie the game.

The OCC defense then forced a three-and-out and the Pirates,

fueled by Matt Padilla’s 35-yard run, used a 31-yard Kleckner field

goal to pull within 14-10 with 14:16 left in the first half.

After yet another three-and-out by Mt. SAC, the Pirates covered 61

yards to the Mounties’ 16. But the drive stalled and, rather than try

a 39-yard field goal (the Pirates had made just three of their nine

field-goal attempts this season), Taylor elected to go for it on

fourth-and-seven. And though it appeared the Pirates drew the

Mounties offsides, no call was forthcoming and Basanez was tackled as

he pulled away from center for a 3-yard loss.

Mt. SAC widened the lead with a 43-yard Brian Giambastiani field

goal with four seconds left, but OCC took a 226-151 edge in total

offense into intermission.

OCC’s first-half production was 33 yards more than the average

yards Mt. SAC, ranked No. 1 in the 12-team conference in total

defense, had yielded per game this season.

But, as has been the Pirates’ pattern -- they have now been

outscored, 112-33, in the final two quarters in 2004, including a

78-14 deficit against four conference foes -- yards were hard to come

by for the hosts after halftime.

Still, after Mt. SAC went 69 yards on six plays to take a 24-10

lead with 6:13 left in the third quarter, Basanez hit Padilla in

stride for an 88-yard touchdown pass on the first play after the

ensuing kickoff to shave the deficit back down to a touchdown.

On OCC’s next possession, a fake-punt run came up 1 yard shy on

fourth-and-eight from the Mounties’ 48 and the visitors scored on

their next three possessions to defeat OCC for the fourth straight

year, the 12th time in their last 13 meetings.

OCC finished with 357 yards total offense, 233 coming on Basanez’s

10 completions.

But the Pirates had just three first downs and 13 rushing yards after halftime.

Padilla came off the bench to collect a team-high 71 rushing yards

on 14 carries and Johnson led eight OCC pass catchers with 71 yards

on two receptions.

Mt. SAC completed 17 of 30 passes, but blanket coverage on deep

patterns by OCC cornerbacks Darryl Hawkins (celebrating his 20th

birthday), Jonah Katende and Marques Dailey helped keep the visitors

to just fewer than 9 yards per catch.

Mt. SAC, with 100 players in uniform, used 11 ball carriers, three

passers and eight receivers to produce its 434 yards.