OCC Welcomes a Weekend Off

The two-week break community college football teams receive from the end of the regular season until their bowl games is very much welcomed at Orange Coast College.

Otherwise, the Pirates might have had to hold tryouts for a new quarterback.

OCC had lost starter Greg Angelovic and his backup, Donnie Smith, during its final three games, and there is no third quarterback on the roster.

Nevertheless, the Pirates were able to win their final four games and earn a spot in Saturday’s Orange County Bowl doubleheader. OCC (8-2) will meet El Camino (7-2) at 7 p.m., and Riverside (8-2) will play Pasadena (8-2) at 1 p.m.

In other years, things haven’t gone so well for OCC Coach Bill Workman. In three of his first four seasons at the school, the Pirates have lost their starting quarterback and finished .500 or worse.

The trouble started this season in the eighth game, when Angelovic, a right-hander, bruised his throwing shoulder in OCC’s 45-35 victory over Fullerton. Angelovic is close to 100% again and should start Saturday. He was 90 of 154 for 1,187 yards, seven touchdowns and eight interceptions this season.

Smith, who missed practice last week, should be ready as well.

“The added week has really helped,” Workman said. “Hopefully we can stay healthy for one more game. That’s all we need.”

Smith took over in the ninth game, and OCC defeated Riverside, 13-12, to take over first place in the Mission Conference Central Division. He was 24 of 55 for 248 yards this season and is also the punter, averaging 36.5 yards per kick.

Still, OCC had to defeat Golden West in its final game to win the division title. The Pirates called on Smith again, but he went out with a concussion near the end of the first half.

Angelovic was pressed into duty and led the Pirates to a pair of second-half touchdowns and a 17-6 victory. But he did it mostly on the ground. He threw only three times, but one was good for a victory-clinching touchdown.

“We were down to half a quarterback,” Workman said. “But he did the job.”

There are four other community college bowl games taking place Saturday in Southern California.

Taft (7-1) and host Bakersfield (10-0) will meet in the Shrine Potato Bowl. This contest will be a major factor in determining the 1990 J.C. Grid-Wire national champion.

Bakersfield is ranked first and Taft third in the nation.

In other games Saturday: Antelope Valley (7-2-1) plays Palomar (6-4) in the Hall of Fame Bowl in Balboa Stadium in San Diego; Glendale (8-2) plays at Citrus (8-2) in the Southern California Bowl, and Moorpark (8-2) plays host to Santa Monica (8-2) in the Western State Bowl.

The Golden West women’s volleyball team plays host to Southwestern at 7 tonight in the second round of the Southern California Regional playoffs.

The winner will be one of four teams from Southern California to advance with four teams from Northern California to the state tournament Friday at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria.

Golden West (20-3) is led by sophomore outside hitter Joli Eberhart, who was voted the most valuable player of the Orange Empire Conference.

Eberhart was joined on the first team by teammates Stacia Allen, Kysha Green and Brenda Irby.

Reiko Matsumoto of Orange Coast and Kari Calliham of Cypress were also named to the first team.

It isn’t often that a college looks forward to a scheduling conflict, but the Orange Coast men’s basketball team is hoping for one Saturday night. If it comes to pass, it would mean OCC is playing in the championship game of the 20th Denny’s/Miles Eaton Tournament while the Pirates’ football team will be a few hundred yards away playing in the Orange County Bowl.

The tournament opens Thursday when Los Angeles Valley takes on MiraCosta at 2 p.m. Imperial Valley plays Long Beach at 4 p.m., Orange Coast plays Santa Barbara at 6 p.m. and Marymount takes on Mt. San Jacinto at 8 p.m.

The championship semifinals are at 6 and 8 p.m. Friday.

Andy Strouse was picked as the most valuable player of the Orange Empire Conference by a vote of the conference’s soccer coaches. Strouse, from Edison High School, also received the award last season.

Strouse led OCC with 22 goals and 13 assists. Irvine Valley’s Martin McGrogan was selected coach of the year.

Members of the first team: Darin Courter, Jason Hooper and Kevin Villar of OCC; Aaron Ryan, Scott Smith and Brad Wilson of Irvine Valley; Keith Barnes and Hector Vasquez of Fullerton; Kevin Martin of Golden West, and Charles Higley of Cypress.