TONIGHT’S COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOOTBALL : Miranda’s Ritual Prepares Him to Be a Winner at OCC

When it comes to pregame rituals, few are more elaborate than Efriam Miranda’s.

Miranda, a defensive lineman at Orange Coast, spends the week practicing and going over films, but on Friday he shifts to another gear.

After practice, he and some friends go to a Tustin High game. As a Tiller, he won all-league honors in 1991. Miranda then goes home to watch an inspirational movie, such as “Rocky,” “The Karate Kid” or “Vision Quest.”

After a good night’s sleep, his mother makes him a big breakfast and he watches “Saved by the Bell.”

After that, he is off to the gym for some relaxing time in the Jacuzzi. Next he moves to the wading pool, where he goes over the moves he uses to avoid offensive linemen.

The image of a man, about 6-feet tall and nearly 250 pounds, thrashing about as if he’s avoiding blocks and making tackles isn’t very typical in most health club pools.

“There are all these (swimming) classes going,” he said. “And they just sort of look at me in a weird way.”

He then returns home, watches some college football, then gets ready. He makes a final stop for dinner on the way to OCC.

All his mental work is paying off well for the Pirates this season.

Miranda, spurred on by his quickness and desire, is third on the team in tackles with 48. He is also tied for the team lead in sacks with four.

Miranda came to OCC after Tustin went 13-1 his senior season. The Tillers’ only loss was to Sunny Hills in a Southern Section title game played at OCC.

“Had we won that final game I probably wouldn’t being playing right now,” Miranda, 20, said. “All I wanted was a championship.”

As it was, when Miranda came to OCC he decided to sit out a year to get a head start on classes and weight lifting.

He returned to the team last season, and despite being slowed by a leg injury that forced him to miss a game, was a second-team all-Mission Conference selection.

“That was the best decision I ever made,” he said about sitting out a year. “When I came out the next spring, everyone said that I was just going to quit before the season started . . . Taking that year off gave me perspective on exactly what I had to do to get in shape.”

In tonight’s 7 o’clock Mission Conference Central Division games:

Orange Coast (5-2, 2-0) at Riverside (3-4, 2-0)--OCC comes in with a five-game winning streak; Riverside has won three in a row. The winner gets the inside track to the divisional title. Jeff Clayton of OCC has rushed for a conference-best 882 yards. OCC leads the conference in rushing at 233.9 yards per game and Riverside is second at 233.

OCC leads the conference in rushing defense, allowing 72 yards per game. The Pirates are also first in overall defense, giving up 278 yards per game.

Rancho Santiago (2-4-1, 0-2) vs. Golden West (3-4, 1-1), Orange Coast--It’s homecoming for Golden West, which has won the last two meetings between the teams and leads the series, 9-7. Golden West has been averaging 18 points per game but Rancho Santiago has given up 40 per game. Rancho Santiago’s Donnie Bladow has rushed for 751 yards.

Saddleback (4-3, 1-1) vs. Fullerton (3-4, 0-2), Cal State Fullerton--Saddleback’s Scott von der Ahe, a sophomore linebacker, needs 13 tackles to become the Gauchos’ all-time leader. Damon Psaros (1990-91) is No. 1 with 182. Fullerton’s Ryan Roskelly is third in the conference in all-purpose yardage, at 158 per game.