OCC Works Overtime for Victory Over Santa Ana

Greg Smith intercepted Grant Wagner’s pass in the third overtime and returned it 80 yards to seal Orange Coast’s 53-41 victory over Santa Ana in a Mission Conference football game Saturday at Santa Ana Stadium.

Orange Coast (5-3, 3-0 in conference) took the lead when James Dawkins scored on a one-yard run in the third overtime. Quarterback Nick Higgs’ pass on the two-point conversion failed, and the Pirates led, 47-41.

Smith’s interception ended Santa Ana’s next overtime possession.

The teams traded field goals in the first overtime, and Santa Ana (1-7, 1-2) took the lead in the second overtime when Wagner hit Derrick Barnes with a five-yard touchdown pass. Orange Coast tied it, 41-41, when Higgs passed 13 yards to Ben Fredrickson for a touchdown.

Trailing in the fourth quarter, 31-21, Santa Ana tied it at 31 on Wagner’s 49-yard touchdown pass to Blake Harano followed by Jose Perez’s 28-yard field goal with 3:17 remaining.

Dawkins finished with 72 yards in 18 carries. Wagner completed 21 of 40 passes for 228 yards and four touchdowns, and had three passes intercepted. Fredrickson caught seven passes for 57 yards, and Justin Dale had three receptions for 114 yards.

Steve Warfield had 21 carries for 68 yards for Santa Ana. Higgs completed 18 of 38 passes for 228 yards and four touchdowns. Barnes caught eight passes for 77 yards, and Harano finished with seven catches for 109 yards.

In other conference games:

Fullerton 47, Golden West 37--Fullerton quarterback Jeff Crooks had career highs in rushing (133 yards) and passing (239 yards) as the visiting Hornets (3-5, 2-1) scored 19 fourth-quarter points in the comeback victory. Fullerton trailed, 31-28, early in the final period, but Crooks, who completed 10 of 21 passes, helped erase the deficit with two touchdown passes. Golden West is 0-8, 0-3.

Palomar 52, Saddleback 14--Palomar quarterback Andy Goodenough completed 23 of 29 passes for 340 yards and four touchdowns for Palomar (5-3, 2-1). Jason Whieldon threw for 206 yards and a touchdown for Saddleback (2-6, 1-2).

In the Orange Empire Conference men’s water polo tournament:

Golden West 10, Orange Coast 9--Michael McDay scored three goals for the Rustlers (27-2). Steve Dugger and Doug Jacobe scored three goals each for Orange Coast (17-13).

In the OEC womens’ water polo tournament:

Golden West 9, Orange Coast 2--Anna Korobova scored four goals for the Rustlers (29-1), top-ranked in the state.