Pirates handle Huskies
The Orange Coast College football team will venture to College of the Canyons on Saturday to put its one-game 2016 winning streak to the test.
But in the aftermath of a 27-3 season-opening home victory over East Los Angeles on Saturday night, the Pirates will first take some time to appreciate a peak performance from its defense.
The Pirates allowed the Huskies to venture into the red zone just once, and cross midfield just three times in 14 possessions. OCC had an interception, a fumble recovery and stopped the visitors all four times they went for it on fourth down.
East Los Angeles managed just 83 yards on 32 rushing attempts and netted just 110 passing yards as OCC allowed the fewest points it has surrendered since blanking Compton in the second game of the 2006 season, a span of 102 contests.
“The offense can tend to struggle at times, but the defense is always there to have their back,” said OCC sophomore safety Zoauntarrious Brunt, one of two returning defensive starters from the 2015 team that went 7-4 and earned the program’s first bowl berth since 2006.
Said OCC Coach Kevin Emerson: “Our defense just does a great job swarming to the ball and making plays. And our safeties [Brunt and fellow starter Sherrod Paige] are really tough. Those guys are free hitters. Teams don’t block safeties too often, so if they get all over it, it’s tough to move the ball.”
Brunt was one of six Pirates with at least five tackles, while freshman middle linebacker Brandon Safford led the winners with nine.
Freshman cornerback Sharky Reza had seven tackles, all unassisted, and procured the Pirates’ only interception.
Freshman defensive end Daniel Garcia had seven tackles and OCC’s only fumble recovery, which set up a five-play, 22-yard touchdown drive that made it 20-0 midway through the third quarter.
The OCC offense needed its defense to hold things down, particularly during a first half in which it managed just seven points.
“I liked the second half, but I didn’t like the first half very much,” said Emerson, who coordinates the no-huddle scheme that averaged 32.1 points per game last season. “The offense took the first half off, basically. We need to be much better than that.”
Freshman starting quarterback James Harrelson, in his first collegiate game and making his first start at any level in at least four years (he was a varsity backup at San Juan Hills High), was nine for 24 passing for 115 yards and one touchdown, with one interception, in the first two quarters.
Sophomore Kody Whitaker, who threw for nearly 2,100 yards in 2014 and was granted a medical redshirt year last season due to injury, took the controls after halftime.
Whitaker, who appeared more comfortable and had more zip on the ball than Harrelson, guided the Pirates on an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to start the second half. It was the first of three straight touchdown drives led by Whitaker, who finished 10 of 16 for 145 passing yards and a pair of touchdown tosses.
Freshman receiver Joey Cox caught touchdown passes of 22, eight and 16 yards and finished with a team-best five receptions for 72 yards.
OCC, which had 12 yards on four first-quarter possessions that included three three-and-outs and one third-down interception, finished with 359 total yards and 25 first downs, 11 more than the Huskies.
OCC had 260 yards through the air.
“Kody has played in the last two years, where [Harrelson] is just getting back into it,” Emerson said. “[Harrelson] is a very promising young man and he will have more opportunities. We’re just going to play it week-to-week and see what happens [at quarterback].”
East Los Angeles, which was 2-8 last season and has now lost eight straight, produced its only points on a 37-yard field goal late in the third quarter. The score came one play after a would-be nine-yard touchdown pass was nullified by a holding penalty.
OCC’s defense, guided by first-year coordinator Carl Lopez, stopped 14 plays at or behind the line of scrimmage and allowed gains of three yards or fewer on 14 more plays.
Orange Coast 27, East Los Angeles 3
SCORE BY QUARTERS
East LA 0 0 3 0 – 3
OCC 0 7 20 0 – 27
SECOND QUARTER
OCC – Cox 22 pass from Harrelson (Lewis kick), 9:33.
THIRD QUARTER
OCC – White 1 run (kick blocked), 11:03.
OCC – Cox 8 pass from Whitaker (Lewis kick), 8:29.
ELA – Luis Juan 37 FG, 4:46.
OCC – Cox 16 pass from Whitaker (Lewis kick), 0:16.
INDIVIDUAL RUSHING
ELA – Sheltin, 11-38.
OCC – Simon, 16-48.
INDIVIDUAL PASSING
ELA – Santos, 17-35-1, 104.
OCC – Whitaker, 10-16-0, 145, 2 TDs; Harrelson, 9-24-1, 115, 1 TD.
INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING
ELA – Douglas, 6-24.
OCC – Cox, 5-72, 3 TDs.
