Orange County Community College Football : OCC Is Next Test for Rancho Santiago’s Burns

Rick Burns didn’t figure to be the starting quarterback at Rancho Santiago College this season.

Burns, a sophomore, struggled in the spring drills and didn’t improve much in the summer. He lacked consistency. Some days he would throw well, but mostly he struggled.

Still, Burns never gave up. He just kept working and hoping that his accuracy and touch would improve.

Burns finally started to have better practices during the fall, and he played very well in the team’s scrimmage with El Camino Sept. 5. After the scrimmage, he was moved ahead of Wade Clester to become the starter.

Burns was impressive in the season opener as he led Rancho Santiago to a 27-17 nonconference victory over Fullerton Sept. 12.

Burns was 18 of 27 for 253 yards, throwing mostly short passes. He did go long a few times, including one to Mark Dye for a 94-yard touchdown play in the fourth quarter.

Dye, who had gone behind the Fullerton defender, caught the ball near the Rancho Santiago 30 and went the rest of the way to complete the longest touchdown pass in Orange County community college history.

“I think that game (Fullerton) answered a lot of questions in people’s minds about me being able to play,” Burns said. “Although I never really lost confidence in myself, I knew I had to prove I could play. But Fullerton was only one game. I know I have to be consistent every week.

“Wade keeps telling me I can’t have a bad game because he’s right there behind me ready to step in.”

Rancho Santiago (1-0) will open the Mission Conference season at Orange Coast (1-0) tonight at 7:30.

“You can throw out all the completions and the clutch plays and long touchdown. The neat thing to see was how he took control of the huddle,” said Rancho Santiago Coach Dave Ogas. “You could really see the team come together and follow him. He did a great job.”

In other Mission Conference games:

Saddleback (0-1) vs. Grossmont (1-0) at Grossmont High School, 7:30 p.m.--Saddleback rushed for a net 15 yards in 32 attempts in its 21-16 loss to El Camino last Saturday, but quarterback Howard Gasser was 19 of 39 for 252 yards and a touchdown. “Our goal is still to win the conference,” Saddleback Coach Ken Swearingen said. “There’s a lot of learning taking place, and if we have to lose one game, it’s best to lose a nonconference game.” Grossmont, which defeated Mt. San Antonio, 30-23, last Saturday, is led by sophomore quarterback Mike Jordan, who passed for 270 yards and 3 touchdowns against Mt. SAC. This is Saddleback’s 200th game in its history, and the Gauchos have a 159-35-5 record.

In nonconference games:

Fullerton (1-1) at Taft (2-0), 7 p.m.--Taft, the top-ranked team in the state, secured that ranking by defeating second-ranked Sacramento City, 50-21, last Saturday. “Taft has a tremendous football team,” Fullerton Coach Hal Sherbeck said. “We are going to have to play flawless football to leave Taft with a victory.” Fullerton defeated Taft, 20-6, in 1985 at Taft, but lost last season at home, 51-27. Victor Williams, who started the season as the No. 3 quarterback, appears to have the edge at quarterback now, but Sherbeck said he still isn’t sure who will be his starter in the conference opener in two weeks. Williams was 14 of 19 for 133 yards last week in Fullerton’s 21-14 victory over El Camino. Andy Greer rushed for 111 yards in 19 carries.

Ventura (0-2) vs. Golden West (0-2) at Orange Coast College, 1:30 p.m.--Golden West enters its final nonconference game still looking for its first victory and hopes the sunlight might help. Golden West fell behind Bakersfield, 24-7, rallied to tie, but lost, 31-24, two weeks ago. Golden West led OCC, 17-6, in the middle of the third quarter and lost, 28-26, last week. Golden West was 2-0 at this time last season and went on to win its first seven games before losing three of its final four. The last time Golden West started the season 0-2 was in 1978, and the Rustlers finished the season 9-2.