COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOOTBALL ROUNDUP : Premature Celebration Costs OCC the Victory

Orange Coast’s players, coaches and fans watched in disbelief Saturday after a 24-22 loss to Riverside in a Mission Conference Central Division football game.

Riverside won it on Doug McDaniel’s 45-yard field goal with four seconds left to complete a stunning final minute.

Just 17 seconds earlier, the Pirates appeared in control when Gene Adair kicked a 35-yard field goal to put his team ahead, 22-21.

All of OCC’s players watched Adair’s kick from their knees. Several then bolted onto the field to stage a frantic celebration.

The display cost OCC a 15-yard penalty, and most likely the game.

Kicking from his 20 instead of the 35, Adair hit a low liner that Julius Fletcher returned eight yards to the OCC 45 with 21 seconds left.

Scott Pearne completed a 17-yard pass play to an open Darvis Fletcher, who got out of bounds at the OCC 28 with eight seconds left.

McDaniel then kicked the field goal, causing another celebration. Riverside was also penalized, but time ran out as OCC’s Christian Moore was tackled after a six-yard return.

“I thought we got it done,” OCC Coach Bill Workman said. “But then we got 15 yards for celebrating and that’s exactly why we lost the game. I just can’t believe it.”

It was the fourth consecutive victory for Riverside (4-4, 3-0), in first place in the division. The loss ended a five-game winning streak for OCC (5-3, 2-1).

The loss was especially painful for the Pirates, who appeared to have overcome early mistakes.

On the Pirates’ first play, quarterback Todd Mather attempted a screen pass that was intercepted by defensive lineman Kevin Mawyer. Mawyer stumbled 14 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 Riverside lead with 14:41 left in the first quarter.

OCC came right back. Mather completed a 42-yard scoring pass-play to Chris Quinn midway in the first quarter, and Jeff Clayton scored on a 14-yard run to make it 13-7 with 11:57 left in the half.

Riverside took the lead, 14-13, on Anthony Richardson’s three-yard run midway in the second quarter.

The Tigers moved ahead, 21-13, on a 16-yard pass from Maurice Lee to Mike Holm with 11:27 left in the third quarter.

OCC got back in the game when Anthoni Davis blocked a punt with 7:43 left. OCC took over at the Riverside 33. Six plays later, Clayton leaped into the end zone from two yards on fourth down to cut the lead to 21-19. The conversion attempt with 5:16 to play failed.

In other Mission Conference Central Division games:

Golden West 24, Rancho Santiago 14--Vance Senteno scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter to lead Golden West to the homecoming victory.

Rancho Santiago led, 14-3, late in the third quarter on Mike Castelberry’s 53-yard interception return before the Rustlers got down to business.

Walker threw 26 yards to Cal Daniels to set up a one-yard Senteno dive that made it 14-10 with 11:54 left.

Parham Ghorban picked off a Gabe Garcia pass, and Golden West drove 65 yards to go ahead on Senteno’s 29-yard run.

A Rancho Santiago punt with 3:59 left resulted in a touchback, and the Rustlers needed only to run out the clock. But Senteno, who had 155 yards, 127 in the fourth quarter, ran 80 yards on the next play to put the game away.

Golden West is 4-4 and 2-1 and in a three-way tie for second in the division with Saddleback and Orange Coast.

Saddleback 20, Fullerton 12--Reggie Carter ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns for Saddleback. Gaucho linebacker Scott von der Ahe became the school’s leading tackler, making 15 to give him 182 for his career.