West Coast Showdown Football Preview: Golden West vs. Orange Coast

Golden West (3-4, 2-0) vs. Orange Coast (3-4, 1-1)

When/where: 6 p.m. Saturday at Orange Coast

Key Rustlers: Fr. SS Manase Time; Fr. MLB Joseph Inda; So. QB Adam Vance; So. WR Zimari Manning.

Key Pirates: So. QB Kody Whitaker; Fr. WR Joey Cox; Fr. RB Derrick Hunt; Fr. DE Daniel Garcia.

Breakdown: The 49th edition of the rivalry game between the Pirates and the Rustlers, recently dubbed the West Coast Showdown, is as intriguing a matchup as the series has had in years…The Rustlers, who have won two straight, are ranked No. 21 in the state and No. 8 in Southern California…OCC is ranked No. 15 in Southern California…The Pirates upset Golden West, then ranked No. 1 in the state, last season, 17-14, to end the Rustlers’ five-game winning streak in the series…Golden West holds a 25-21-2 advantage in the series…Whitaker has thrown for 1,296 yards and 13 touchdowns, with five interceptions…Golden West has thrown three interceptions as a team...The Rustlers have a plus-four turnover ratio, while OCC is minus-two…Time leads the Rustlers with 50 tackles, while Garcia has a team-best 39 for the Pirates…Golden West ranks No. 4 in the 37-school Southern California Football Assn. in scoring defense (19 points per game), while OCC is No. 12 at 25 per contest…Offensively, OCC is No. 13 in the SCFA in yards per game (380.7), exactly 100 yards better than the No. 31-ranked Rustlers…Golden West has sole possession of first place in the Southern Conference, while OCC is in a four-way tie for second…OCC is the home team.

— Barry Faulkner