Pirates sprint to the finish

Bryce Alderton

The Orange Coast College baseball team made a memorable run to its

first state final four appearance in 12 years, but it was the legs of

Orange Coast College runners that took the Pirates to the pinnacle of

their sport.

Humberto Rojas, an OCC sophomore and former Estancia High

standout, became the first repeat champion in the 33-year history of

the state cross county meet in November, helping the Bucs claim the

state title to highlight Pirate men’s athletic feats in 2004-05.

Rojas, who also claimed the 1,500 meters at both the state and

Southern California track and field finals this spring, completed the

four-mile Woodward Park course in Fresno in 20 minutes, 11 seconds.

OCC’s Kellen Acosta finished fifth (20:33) with freshman Jose

Casillas, another Estancia product, placing sixth (20:36).

Coast’s baseball team earned a share of its first Orange Empire

Conference crown since 1987 en route to a 29-18 record.

The Pirates were eliminated after their first two games of the

state tournament, but enjoyed a stellar campaign that saw them win 12

of 15 games entering the final four.

Coast had eight one-run victories in that span, several of the

comeback variety.

Sophomores Matt Cline and Luke Beck were each named first-team

All-Southern California while freshman Daniel Cooper, Robbie Blauer

and Stephen Schneider all garnered regional team recognition.

Beck batted .344 with seven home runs and 40 RBIs and also

produced eight saves -- six in conference -- while going 2-2 with a

2.42 ERA.

Cline, a shortstop and two-time all-conference honoree, also hit

.344 with 12 doubles, 18 steals and 44 runs.

The Florida Marlins drafted Schneider in the 46th round of the

Major League Baseball draft. Schneider tied for the team lead with

nine home runs, hit the game-winning double in the super regional

title game and led OCC with 44 RBIs.

Rojas won the 1,500 in 3:54.35 while Casillas placed second in the

5,000 (15:19.54) and fifth in the 10,000 (32:14.22) to lead the

Pirates to a sixth-place finish at the state meet.

Jason Valenzuela, the OEC champion in the 3,000 steeplechase,

finished third in the event at the state meet in 9:39.86 while

teammate Patrick Fitzgerald took fourth in 9:51.94.

Chris Burbach, conference champion in the javelin, placed second

at state with a mark of 194 feet, 11 inches.

First-year coach Anthony Iacopetti earned two Coach of the Year

awards after leading the Coast men, and women, to OEC swim titles

this spring.

Brian Givens won the 400-yard individual medley in 4:16.21 while

teammate Michael Fessenden took second in both the 50 freestyle

(21.07) and 200 free (1:45.03).

The Pirates placed seventh at the state meet.

The soccer team reached the second round of the Southern

California regional playoffs after finishing second to Santa Ana, the

state’s top-ranked squad, in the conference standings. The Pirates

tied Santa Ana twice in the regular season.

Coast finished 11-5-5, 8-2-4 in the OEC, and won 10 of 11 games to

close the regular season. The Pirates defeated Santa Barbara, 4-0, in

the first round of the regional playoffs.

Former Newport Harbor standout Jose Serpas earned conference Most

Valuable Player laurels and finished with a team-leading 20 goals, 13

coming in conference play.

Goalkeeper Trent Painter tallied 59 saves while Costa Mesa High

product Eli Solis had a team-leading nine assists.

Glenn Morton, the former director of tennis at Mesa Verde Country

Club in Costa Mesa, helped foster the tennis team’s turnaround in his

first year as the program’s coach.

Morton was named OEC Coach of the Year after leading the Pirates

(12-3, 9-3 in conference) to a tie for second place in conference

with Saddleback.

Kolbe Morita and Spencer Solomon reached the semifinals of the

conference tournament before advancing to the quarterfinals of the

Southern California regional event.

But tragedy struck the week of the Southern California regionals

when Morton was involved in a head-on automobile collision the

morning of April 27. He suffered critical injuries and trauma to his

brain and remained in a coma for nearly a month.

In late May, he began speaking and started recognizing family

members. Son Brian, a former Corona del Mar High standout who led the

UC Irvine men’s team as a senior this season, has said he is

optimistic his father will make a full recovery.

The basketball team also reversed its fortunes from the previous

year with a 15-12 showing that followed a 6-20 season in 2003-04.

The Bucs finished 6-8 in the rugged OEC, but were in contention

for a postseason berth in the final week of the regular season.

Freshman guard Lance Ortiz led the Pirates in scoring (14.5 per

game) and assists (3.5) while starting all 27 games. Teammate Reggie

Brown averaged 10.7 points while Matt Davis averaged a team-high 5.4

rebounds.

The volleyball team finished 7-11, 4-6 in conference with a

freshmen-laded squad. The 13-member squad included only three

sophomores.

Ky Fell led the Pirates with 207 kills and added 144 digs. Scott

Sankey, part of Estancia’s 2004 CIF Southern Section Division III

volleyball champions, finished with 175 kills, and Uriah Seui had

112.

Glenn Henry amassed a team-leading 187 digs while Drew Ginther had

23 service aces.

The football team endured a trying season, but ended on a

triumphant note with a 33-32 victory over rival Golden West.

Quarterback Kyle Basanez threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Brian

Johnson with 18 seconds left to seal the victory.

Matt Padilla gained 155 yards on 29 carries with four touchdowns

against the Rustlers, who had taken a 32-27 lead with 2:21 left after

a touchdown pass from Todd Crabtree to Gerald Fields.

An incomplete pass on fourth-and-14 at the Golden West 47-yard

line appeared to doom OCC’s chances, but a pass interference penalty

kept the drive alive. Five plays later, the Pirates, who finished

2-8, scored.