TONIGHT’S COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOOTBALL : Orange Coast’s Roberts Stays Jitter-Free for Golden West Game

There will be plenty of reasons for players to be nervous tonight when Golden West College travels to Orange Coast for a 7 p.m. game that will decide the Mission Conference Central Division football championship.

But it’s almost a sure bet that OCC linebacker Kevin Roberts won’t be among those who suffer a serious case of pregame jitters.

Roberts, a six-foot, 215-pound sophomore, says he already has spent too much of his football career worrying about his performance. Now, he just relaxes and tries to do his best. It’s a pretty simple theory, but one that’s working well for him.

Roberts, 19, started to feel pressure about his play this season, so much so that no matter how well he did, the game wasn’t fun.

“I was really getting depressed in the middle of the season,” Roberts said. “Then I just asked myself, ‘Why am I playing this game?’ It is to have fun. I was finding fault even with the good things I did.”

It is more difficult for the OCC coaching staff to find fault with Roberts’ performance. He is one of the fastest linebackers in the conference, and despite missing two games because of leg injuries, Roberts is third on the team in tackles with 67. Linebacker Ernie Goddard leads with 74, and safety Dwayne Armstrong is second with 71.

“He’s one of the good ones,” OCC Coach Bill Workman said. “He’s about the fastest linebacker I’ve coached.”

Roberts has had these feelings of pressure before.

After his solid junior season at Edison High School, great things were expected of him as a senior. Roberts played well, and was picked as the Sunset League defensive player of the year.

But Roberts said the season really wasn’t fun because he was never content with his performance. The feeling lingered so much that he was almost ready to quit football. He played in the Orange County High School All-Star game in the summer. Once again, he was unhappy with his effort.

“I wasn’t too happy,” Roberts said. “I played not to screw up instead of to have fun. I felt a lot of pressure . . . Now I just try to play to have fun.”

In tonight’s Mission Conference Central Division games, all at 7 p.m.:

Orange Coast (7-2, 6-2, 3-1) vs. Golden West (5-4, 4-4, 1-3) at Orange Coast--Motivation won’t be a problem for either team. An OCC victory means the Pirates win the Central Division outright, and get a bid to the Orange County Bowl. For Golden West, it is a chance to ruin it for district rival OCC and stop its own three-game losing streak as well. But if Golden West’s offense continues to turn the ball over as it has lately (10 times in the past two games), OCC should win. Golden West holds a 13-9-2 advantage in the series and OCC hasn’t won since 1987.

OCC quarterback Greg Angelovic is doubtful for the game, but his bruised shoulder has healed some this week. If he can’t start, freshman Donnie Smith will go for the second consecutive game.

Fullerton (7-2, 6-2, 2-2) at Riverside (6-3, 5-3, 2-2)--If Golden West can upset OCC, the winner of this game will get a share of the Central Division title. A victory by Fullerton would also make the Hornets a tough team for bowl committees to ignore.

This game will feature the running game. Fullerton leads the conference with 287 yards rushing a game, and Riverside is second with 274. But if it comes down to the pass, Fullerton has the advantage. Quarterback Eric Robinson is fourth in the conference in total offense. He averages 158 yards in the air and 63 on the ground a game.

Saddleback (5-4, 5-3, 2-2) vs. Rancho Santiago (5-4, 4-4, 2-2) at Santa Ana Stadium--If Golden West can upset Orange Coast, the winner of this game also gains a share of the Central Division title.

Rancho Santiago’s Estrus Crayton needs two yards to reach 1,000 for the second consecutive season. Saddleback Coach Ken Swearingen has switched to coaching the defense for the first time in his 29-year career, and the Gauchos have done well under his leadership. Saddleback is fourth in the 16-team conference, allowing 290 yards a game.