JC Football: OCC mishandles upset bid

Remarkably after trailing, 21-0, the Orange Coast College football team had an upset of Ventura, ranked No. 4 in the state, in its crosshairs Saturday night. In the old breadbasket, one might say. As easy as pitch and catch.

But with an almost maddening refusal to make a play when it mattered most, the host Pirates came up short, 34-14, in a nonconference game on Saturday at newly dedicated Dick Tucker Field.

Ventura (3-0), which came in leading Southern California in scoring (40.5 points per game) and passing yards (855) lived up to its billing with an efficient opening quarter to produce a three-touchdown cushion.

The visitors averaged eight plays to execute scoring drives of 69, 71 and 60 yards, as sophomore quarterback Jake Luton completed nine of 14 passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns, while running for a third score in the first period.

But OCC (1-2) answered with its most impressive drive of the night, marching 82 yards on 12 plays, capped by a five-yard touchdown run by freshman quarterback James Harrelson to cut the deficit to 21-7 with 9:30 left in the first half.

OCC closed to within 21-14 when freshman cornerback Sharky Reza returned an interception 34 yards for a score on the third play of the second half.

But OCC, which was hampered offensively by dropped passes, errant passes, and general confusion that led to wasted timeouts and six false-start penalties, never reached the red zone again.

The height of frustration for OCC and its rooters came after the defense forced a three-and-out following Reza’s interception return.

After an encroachment penalty by Ventura helped the hosts covert a fourth-and-one situation to the Ventura 27-yard line, OCC’s John Simon lofted a halfback pass toward a streaking A’Brae Booker-Curin, who had a step on his defender. But as the ball came down, Booker-Curin appeared to reach tentatively for it, rather than perhaps diving to secure the ball, which fell incomplete just beyond his reach.

Two plays later, OCC receiver Hal Walker dropped a well-throw ball he got both hands on that would have meant a first down inside the 20-yard line. Instead, a subsequent fourth-down pass failed, the sixth time on eight fourth-down chances the hosts turned the ball over on downs.

A fourth-down pass into the end zone on OCC’s second-to-last possession appeared promising. But a defender arrived just as Cedric Williams attempted to control the catch, breaking it up and giving Ventura possession.

“This is a great football team we played and we played them to the wire,” OCC Coach Kevin Emerson said. “In theory, we were six drops away from beating them, basically. The receivers had a tough day and they are going to have to bounce back.”

Harrelson, who started in place of sophomore Kody Whitaker (out with a concussion) finished 11 for 34 for 100 yards, without an interception.

The OCC running game produced 278 yards, including 101 on 11 first-half carries by Derrick Hunt. But Hunt did not play in the second half (calf bruise) and despite 75 rushing yards from Burrell Walker and 55 more from John Simon, OCC’s offense could not produce any points in the final 39:29.

“We ran the ball great, but you have to work a few passes in there to make it all work,” said Emerson, who noted that Whitaker should return for Saturday’s 1 p.m. game at Santa Monica.

Sophomore safety Zoauntarrious Brunt added an interception for OCC, and, along with fellow safety Sherrod Paige, led the hosts with seven tackles each.

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SCORE BY QUARTERS

Ventura 21 – 0 – 0 – 13– 34

OCC 0 – 7 – 7 – 0 – 14

FIRST QUARTERS

VC – Taylor 26 pass from Luton (Garcia kick), 8:47.

VC – Luton 2 run (Garcia kick), 5:08.

VC – Mallory 3 pass from Luton (Garcia kick), 0:09.

SECOND QUARTER

OCC – Harrelson 5 run (Mickelson kick), 9:30.

THIRD QUARTER

OCC – Reza 34 interception return (Mickelson kick), 14:12.

FOURTH QUARTER

VC – Burt 18 run (kick failed), 14:41.

VC – Broski 7 pass from Luton (Garcia kick), 1:13.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

VC – Burt, 12-111, 1 TD.

OCC – Hunt, 11-101; B. Walker, 14-75.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

VC – Luton, 16-35-2, 179, 3 TDs.

OCC – Harrelson, 11-34-0, 100.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

VC – Javernick, 3-42.

OCC – Booker-Curin, 3-26.