Golden West Coach’s First Victory One to Remember

First victories are often memorable; Golden West Coach Mike Shaughnessy’s was special on several fronts.

His initial victory came Saturday at the expense of rival Orange Coast, 31-0, in a Mission Conference Central Division football game at Orange Coast.

Charles Chatman rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns in 23 carries to help Golden West stop a three-game losing streak. Chatman has rushed for more than 100 yards in three consecutive games.

Golden West leads this series, 16-13-2. This was also the first time Orange Coast has been shutout in 125 games, dating to 1984.

“The players really wanted this first victory,” Shaughnessy said. “They like what we’re doing.”

Golden West (1-3, 1-0) pretty much did everything well against Orange Coast. The Rustler defense was solid for the first time this season.

Calvin Silva had two of Golden West’s six sacks for minus 39 yards. Mike Byers also blocked a punt that set up Golden West’s first touchdown, a two-yard run by Chatman with about four minutes left in the first quarter.

Golden West led at the half, 21-0. No surprise as the Rustlers have outscored opponents in the first half, 62-38.

The trouble came in the second half when Rustler opponents held a 71-7 edge before this game.

Neither team scored in the third quarter, but Golden West got 10 points in the fourth on Kevin Bever’s 30-yard field goal and Brian Baughman’s 79-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Dan Palanca.

Baughman completed 14 of 26 passes for 221 yards with two touchdowns and an interception on a tipped pass.

In other Mission Conference games:

Fullerton 23, Riverside 16--Chris Diaz converted on all three of his field-goal attempts and scored 11 of Fullerton’s 23 points in the Mission Conference Central Division opener for both teams.

After trailing, 16-6, late in the third quarter, the Hornets responded with 17 consecutive points. The Hornets’ scoring was capped by a 35-yard field goal by Diaz.

Riverside (0-4, 0-1) had a chance to win, but the Fullerton defense stopped the Tigers three times with the ball on the 1.

The final play for Riverside was fourth and one, and as they had eight times earlier in the game, the Tigers fumbled and Fullerton (2-2, 1-0) recovered for its fifth fumble recovery to the end the game.

Rancho Santiago 34, El Camino 21--Rancho Santiago scored 24 second-quarter points and rolled to a 34-21 victory over El Camino in a Mission League matchup. Dons’ running back Jermaine Gray rushed 25 times for 228 yards.

Gray opened the second-quarter scoring with a one-yard touchdown run. Jerry Arguello followed with a 37-yard field goal.

Jon Daniels caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Matt Mitchell for a 17-0 Rancho Santiago lead.