Pirates surge past Rustlers, 41-14

OCC football gamer vs. GWCOrange Coast scores 35 unanswered points to earn convincing win and clinch first winning season since 2000. COSTA MESA -- All the Orange Coast College football team can do now is wait and hope.

But for the first half of their 41-14 Mission Conference National Division victory over visiting Golden West Saturday, it appeared as if the Pirates were stuck on the first of those two tasks.

Down, 14-12, after a first half that included four Pirate turnovers, OCC (6-4, 3-2 in the division), ranked No. 13 in Southern California, appeared to be waiting around to take care of business against its district rivals from Huntington Beach.

But that soon gave way to a second-half surge that helped Orange Coast not only prevail, but potentially impress those handing out at-large bowl berths.

The Pirates will learn today whether they will be invited to a bowl.

Beginning with Kekoa Crowell’s 27-yard touchdown pass to Shane Hoffman to pull them within 14-12 with 1:30 left before halftime, the Pirates scored 35 unanwered points to guarantee their first winning season since 2000, only their second winning record in 12 years.

Crowell threw half of his four touchdown passes after haltime and the defense and special teams also did their part to ensure victory.

The Pirates set up 10 second-half points with two interceptions. They also scored when Andrew Fuller caught a fumble coughed up by a Ruslter kickoff returner, and returned it 35 yards to make it 35-14 early in the fourth quarter.

Greg Brown’s 22-yard field goal to erase Orange Coast’s 14-12 deficit was set up by Keola Asuega’s interception, which he returned 10 yards to the Golden West 10-yard line.

On OCC’s next possession, Robert Aoki jumped over a pile for a 1-yard touchdown run that capped a five-play, 54-yard drive.

After Golden West (1-9, 0-5) punted on its ensuing possession, Crowell capped a five-play, 53-yard march with a 4-yard touchdown pass to right end Chris Burbach.

Fuller’s fumble return on the ensuing kickoff upped the lead to 34-16 and Hoffman finalized the scoring by hauling in an 80-yard scoring pass from Crowell.

Crowell finished with 219 passing yards, completing 13 of 29 passes.

Aoki powered his way to 135 rushing yards on 27 attempts, while Hoffman totaled 107 yards on two catches.

Chris Assily, Nick West and Nick Snowden added interceptions for the Pirates.

OCC sophomore Justin Williams had one of the Pirates’ three sacks as Golden West had just 106 rushing yards on 34 carries.

Golden West’s Joey Halzle, who came in with 1,962 passing yards this season, completed just 6 of 17 for 108 yards.

“We told the kids [at halftime] not to panic and just to come out and play football,” OCC Coach Mike Taylor said.

OCC cornerback Cory Nicol appeared to suffer a serious injury to his left hip.