JC Football: Hornets outgun Pirates

The Fullerton College Hornets are who football poll voters thought they were, even if they didn’t act like it for the much of the first half and some of the fourth quarter at Orange Coast on Saturday.

The visitors, ranked No. 3 in Southern California and No. 7 in the state, returned the second-half kickoff 92 yards for a touchdown and outscored the Pirates, 19-0, in the third quarter on their way to a 46-31 victory in the Southern Conference opener for both teams.

The Pirates, who also gave up a 92-yard kickoff return in the first half, saw their offense fizzle after they scored to close to within 21-17 with 8:08 left in the opening half.

After that score, a 34-yard halfback pass from backup quarterback Xavier Gomez to receiver Mark Munson, OCC failed to score on its next seven possessions. The lull allowed the Hornets to build a 46-17 advantage to drop the Pirates to 0-4.

Fullerton (3-1) has now outscored OCC, 168-58, the last three seasons, has defeated the Pirates five straight times and won seven of the last eight meetings between the two longtime rivals.

OCC freshman quarterback Kody Whitaker, who threw a school-record 55 pass attempts in his first career start, amassed 342passing yards and three touchdowns. After his first five passes were incomplete and he completed just two of his first 10, he finished with 27 completions, including fourth-quarter touchdown strikes of 58 and 24 yards to add a hint of drama.

After Davasyia Hagger’s 24-yard touchdown reception finalized the scoring with 6:08 left, Fullerton threw a long interception on its ensuing possession, rather than run out the clock.

After Gilbert Gildersleeve returned the interception to the OCC 39, a pair of Whitaker completions moved the Pirates to the Hornets’ 14-yard line. But two sacks and an incompletion brought up fourth down and a 17-yard completion left the Pirates short of the first down, allowing Fullerton to run out the clock.

Munson, a sophomore, had nine receptions for 164 yards and two touchdowns to help the Pirates compile 489 yards of total offense, 53 more than the Hornets.

Fullerton quarterback Joey Verhaegh was 18 for 34 for 309 yards and three touchdowns.

OCC lost a fumble and had one interception, both of which led to Fullerton field goals.

The Hornets bolted to a 14-7 lead midway through the first quarter, scoring a pair of touchdowns within just less than three minutes, including a 92-yard kickoff return by Prince Shanola.

Shanola’s sprint followed a 10-yard touchdown pass from Whitaker to Hagger to cap a nine-play procession for the Pirates.

OCC fumbled the ball away at the Fullerton eight-yard line on its subsequent possession.

After Fullerton punted on the ensuing possession, the Pirates had an apparent 13-yard touchdown pass nullified by an illegal chop block. Three plays later, Griff Amies kicked a 28-yard field goal to pull the hosts within 14-10 with 11:22 left in the half.

Fullerton used just three plays to go 61 yards, capped by a 34-yard touchdown bomb from Verhaegh to freshman Ryan Markush to make it 21-10 with 10:10 left before halftime.

The Pirates answered with four-play, 57-yard touchdown drive, capped by Gomez’s halfback pass.

Fullerton had a would-be 51-yard touchdown pass nullified by a holding penalty late in the second half.

*

Fullerton 46, Orange Coast 31

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Fullerton 14 – 7 – 19 – 6 – 46

Orange Coast 7 – 10 – 0 – 14 – 31

FIRST QUARTER

FC – Eteaki 3 run (Eyman kick), 11:20.

OCC – Hagger 10 pass from Whitaker (Amies kick), 8:42.

FC – Shanola 92 kickoff return (Eyman kick), 8:30.

SECOND QUARTER

OCC – Amies 28 FG, 11:22.

FC – Markush 34 pass from Verhaegh (Eyman kick), 10:10.

OCC – Munson 34 pass from Gomez (Amies kick), 8:08.

THIRD QUARTER

FC – Ogletree 92 kickoff return (kick failed), 14:46.

FC – Eyman 36 FG, 11:51.

FC – Eyman 30 FG, 8:41.

FC – Gauta 8 pass from Verhaegh (Eyman kick), 2:13.

FOURTH QUARTER

FC – Lackey 55 pass from Verhaegh (kick failed), 9:29.

OCC – Munson 58 pass from Whitaker (Amies kick), 8:39.

OCC – Hagger 24 pass from Whitaker (Amies kick), 6:08.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

FC – Wilson, 14-577.

OCC – White, 10-50.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

FC – Verhaegh, 18-34-1, 309, 3 TDs.

OCC – Whitaker, 27-55-1, 342, 3 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

FC – Gaineym 4-74.

OCC – Munson, 9-164, 2 TDs.