Orange Coast Shuts Down Long Beach

Strong first-half performances by quarterback Donnie Smith and tailback Adrain Steen helped Orange Coast beat Long Beach, 26-0, in a nonconference game Saturday night at Veterans Stadium.

Steen, a returning all-conference running back, had 85 yards in 14 carries in the first half and finished with 111 yards in 20 carries. Steen didn’t appear slowed by a hip pointer he suffered last season.

Smith struggled in his only two starts last year, but was far better as a sophomore Saturday. He completed 12 of 15 passes for 93 yards in the first half, including two for touchdowns and was 16 of 22 for 156 yards when he left the game late in the third quarter.

His second touchdown pass was for 13 yards to Lindsey Yowell, who outdueled two Long Beach defenders for the ball. The score came with 3 minutes left in the first half and gave OCC a 21-0 lead.

Smith also completed a five-yard touchdown pass to Brian Higgins with 6:35 left in the first quarter. Smith tossed the ball into the corner of the end zone and Higgins left his feet to catch it.

The score was set up when Sedric Shorter sacked Long Beach quarterback Cle Collins to force a fumble, and Vince Legaspi recovered the ball at the Long Beach 22.

Shane Sherman scored OCC’s first-half touchdown on a one-yard dive with 8:10 left in the first half. OCC twice failed from a yard out before Sherman scored on fourth down.

OCC added a 35-yard field goal by Carlos Ornelas and a safety in the third quarter. The safety came when the ball was snapped over the head of Long Beach punter Chad Stuart and out of the end zone.

OCC defeated Long Beach, 30-0, in the season opener last year.