Owls humble Pirates

GLENDORA — Sometimes, before a football team discovers what it can do, it needs to learn what it can not.

And there will be much futility to ponder for Orange Coast College after its 27-10 loss to host Citrus College in the nonconference season opener Saturday night.

The Pirates, coming off a 7-4 season in which they opened 5-0 on their way to the program’s second straight bowl appearance, made myriad mistakes to allow the Owls to capitalize for a comfortable conquest.

OCC struggled to run the ball, producing 98 yards on 46 attempts, and also sputtered in the passing game, due primarily to a lack of protection for quarterbacks Taylor Hughes and Sean Hakes.

Hughes, a freshman out of Corona del Mar High who started, had a 26-yard completion to Brandon Ahlo on the Pirates’ first possession that helped set up a 41-yard field goal by Shea Curren to give the visitors their only lead.

But Hughes, harried by pass rushers who induced a sack and fumble that Citrus turned into a touchdown early in the second quarter, had just one more completion until the fourth quarter, by which time the game was all but decided.

And Hakes, a heralded transfer out of Akron, by way of a storied prep career in Texas, suffered similar discomfort in the pocket for much of his time in the game.

Hakes countered the frequent pressure by scrambling several times, finishing with a team-high 70 rushing yards on 15 attempts.

Citrus produced four sacks for losses of 35 yards, including the aforementioned James Dunlap collar on Hughes that produced a fumble deep in OCC territory. Devin Johnson scooped up the loose ball and launched himself into the end zone with 14:36 left before halftime. Damien Mair’s conversion kick made it 14-3.

“If I played us, I’d blitz every down,” OCC Coach Mike Taylor said. “We’re going to have to get better [on the offensive line], or it’s going to be a long season and our quarterbacks may not last.”

Turnovers and penalties also cost the visitors.

A muffed punt reception by Chris Holmesly that was recovered by Citrus at the OCC 14-yard line, early in the second quarter led to a one-play touchdown drive, as quarterback Travis Gowan found Chris LaCount for a TD pass on the ensuing play.

Gowan, who completed 11 of 17 for 128 yards, hit Josh Adams with a 46-yard scoring strike to provide the hosts with their first score.

The touchdown toss came three plays after a defensive holding call on Orange Coast gave the Owls a first down at the OCC 39 on a third-down pass was incomplete.

Gowan got plenty of pressure from the OCC defense, which produced five sacks for 25 yards of losses, including 2 1/2 by All-American sophomore outside linebacker Shaun Mohler.

Shad Baichtal had the OCC interception, but Citrus picked off two Hakes passes, though one was off a deflection.

The deflected pick halted an OCC drive that had reached the Citrus 18 late in the first half.

OCC’s next two possessions both reached Citrus territory, but after time ran out in the first half on one scoring chance, tailback Andrew Banks fumbled the ball away at the Citrus 27 after OCC was marching with the second-half kickoff.

A 33-yard kickoff return by Nathan Barnett set up a 15-play, 58-yard touchdown drive that culminated when 6-foot-5 receiver Cameron Hall jumped to bring down a high fade pass from Hakes on fourth-and-goal from the one with 7:53 left in the game.

A controversial roughing the kicker penalty on OCC assisted Citrus on its final scoring drive.

Mohler, another Coroan del Mar High product, finished with nine tackles, while middle linebacker Matt Harris added seven to highlight OCC’s defensive effort.

Banks finished with 52 rushing yards on 20 attempts, while Ahlo led OCC receivers with five catches for 75 yards.

Citrus College 27, Orange Coast 10

FIRST QUARTER

OCC – Curran 41 FG, 8:28.

C – Adams 46 pass from Gowan (Mair kick), 4:21.

SECOND QUARTER

C – Johnson 8 fumble return (Mair kick), 14:36.

C – LaCount 14 pass from Gowan (kick failed), 11:18.

THIRD QUARTER

No scoring

FOURTH QUARTER

C – Winbush 29 run (Mayer kick), 14:53.

OCC – Hall 1 pass from Hakes (Curran kick), 7:53.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

OCC – Hakes 15-70; Banks, 2-52; Ah-Hi, 6-17; Barnett, 1-7; Hughes, 3-minus-22; Team, 1-minus-12.

C – Winbush, 13-58, 1 TD; Ridgeway, 7-31; Marshall, 1-4; Lewis, 1-1; Gowan, 8-minus-8; Castaneda, 1-minus-9; Team, 2-minus-8.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

OCC – Hughes, 5-17-0, 69; Hakes, 6-15-2, 53, 1 TD.

C – Gowan, 11-17-1, 128, 2 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

OCC – Ahlo, 5-75; Barnett, 3-33; LeBeauf, 2-13; Hall, 1-1, 1 TD.

C – Hetzer, 3-39; Adams, 2-49, 1 TD; Winbush, 2-5; LaCount, 1-14, 1 TD; Shay, 1-13; Broadnax, 1-8; Villa, 1-0.