Orange Coast’s defense shines

The off-season rumblings and rumors about the strength of the Orange

Coast College football team’s defense became more of a reality

Friday.

While the offense continues to experiment with new players in key

positions, the Pirate defensive squad appears ready for game day.

Relegated all summer to intrasquad practices and scrimmages, the

defensive players unleashed themselves during a full-contact

scrimmage against visiting Santa Monica in LeBard Stadium at Orange

Coast.

“I thought defensively we ran around, especially the first group,”

said Coach Mike Taylor, whose team finished 2-8 last season. “Their

hustle to the football [stood out]. We had some missed tackles and

missed opportunities, but we had some big plays. We had two fumbles

and an interception right away.”

Returning seven starters on defense this season, the experience of

the group stood out Friday during two 12-play series, a 10-play

series and a full 15-minute game-situation quarter.

The whole scrimmage was officiated while an estimated 75 onlookers

observed.

“There wasn’t a winner or a loser to the scrimmage, but I would

have liked to have seen a couple more touchdowns on the board,”

Taylor said.

Both teams failed to score any touchdowns throughout the day, as

each offense experimented with their personnel. But both defenses

appeared ready for next week’s openers.

OCC opens its season at Santa Barbara at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Returning this season and projected to be a solid defensive

contributor, sophomore defensive lineman Justin Williams, who was

academically ineligible last season, made numerous key plays Friday.

In the second series of the game-replicated quarter, Williams -- a

standout on the 2002 Mission Viejo High football team that claimed

the CIF Southern Section Division II championship and a first-team

All-Mission Conference performer as an OCC freshman in 2003 -- sacked

Santa Monica quarterback Tim Reuber twice, for a total of minus-10

yards.

He pressured all four of Santa Monica’s quarterbacks throughout

the day. It was a day Williams had long been waiting for.

“We finally got to hit somebody besides our own team,” said

Williams (6-feet, 235 pounds). “It was full-blown. I think we did a

phenomenal job and we weren’t running our blitzes. We weren’t doing a

lot of stuff and we were still successful.”

Williams said he kept himself in shape last season by

weightlifting and working out with his father.

“It’s good to be back,” he said. “It’s a nice defense we have

here. I don’t have to put so much pressure on myself because I know

if I miss a play or something we have people there.”

On the first five defensive plays of the day for OCC, sophomore

linebacker Dave Ronning stuffed the runner at the line of scrimmage;

sophomore defensive back Nick Snowden intercepted a pass; the team

caused a fumble that sophomore linebacker Ryan Miller recovered;

sophomore defensive lineman Paul Bartsch sacked the quarterback; and

sophomore defensive back Mordy Ornguze -- a Corona del Mar High

product -- tackled the runner for a minimal gain.

Each team had 12 consecutive offensive plays, regardless of a

turnover.

On the OCC offensive front, freshman running back Joe Harris --

who is not listed on the depth chart -- produced a few sizable runs.

On third-and-3 from the 37 during the second 12-play offensive

series for OCC, Harris burst up the middle for a 19-yard gain and a

first down. He later had a 15-yard sprint and another first down.

“It was pretty successful, besides tweaking my hip flexor a little

bit,” said Harris, who played for Tustin High last year. “The first

time I got the ball I tweaked it, but I stayed in there because I’ve

got to make something of this season.”

At the quarterback position, sophomore Chad Schmigel (6-2, 175) is

projected to start next week against Santa Barbara, Taylor said.

Schmigel, who replaces the departed Kyle Basanez, completed 2 of 9

passes for 13 yards and an interception.

“I’m pretty confident in our offense; we’re just getting better

every day,” said Schmigel, who started one game last season.