JuCo Football: Dons rally past Pirates

COSTA MESA — The Santa Ana College football team scored on the final play of regulation and had the first and only score in overtime to earn a 45-38 victory over host Orange Coast in a Southern Division thriller Saturday night.

The Dons scored on the third play of overtime, when Brett Hurley sprinted 15 yards off left tackle for the game-winning touchdown.

OCC’s subsequent overtime possession ended when freshman quarterback Cameron Biedgoly was sacked on fourth down at the Santa Ana 34-yard line. Biedgoly fumbled on the play and a Pirate offensive lineman was quickly tackled in the backfield after recovering.

The dramatic loss overshadowed a remarkable performance by Biedgoly, who threw for 417 yards and five touchdowns in his first collegiate start. Biedgoly completed 28 of 50 passes without an interception.

OCC (3-4, 1-2 in conference) appeared to make the pivotal play with 34 seconds left in regulation, when Biedgoly scrambled, then hit Tyler Duncan behind the secondary for a 65-yard scoring pass to take a 38-31 lead.

But an excessive celebration play helped the Dons start their ensuing possession on their own 42. A late hit out of bounds after a run later put Santa Ana on the OCC 29.

Four plays later, on fourth down with two seconds left, Santa Ana quarterback Beau Perry threw the ball up in the end zone, where Joshua Webb leaped above a defender and cradled the ball to his chest while falling to the turf in the end zone with time expired.

Dons’ kicker Dillan Freiberg, a Newport Harbor High product, booted the conversion kick to knot the score and force overtime.

OCC seized a 31-14 halftime lead behind four touchdown passes from Biedgoly.

But Santa Ana (5-2, 2-1) rallied in the second half, closing within a touchdown with 10 third-quarter points, despite losing starting quarterback Hayden Gavett to a right knee injury on the final play of the first half.

Webb knotted the score by darting and dashing through defenders for a 55-yard screen pass for a touchdown with 4:30 left in regulation.

But the two teams each managed a touchdown in the final 34 seconds of regulation to add to the drama.

OCC hurt its cause with 21 penalties for 165 yards, while Santa Ana was penalized just six times for 51 yards.

OCC sophomore tailback Robert Penny had 118 yards on 28 carries to surpass the 100-yard plateau for the fifth time this season.

Tyler Duncan wound up with 204 receiving yards on eight catches, while Cameron Oliver had five catches for 88 yards for the Pirates.

Special teams also hurt OCC, which gave up a 98-yard punt return for a touchdown to Webb. In addition, Santa Ana’s Julian Boulware picked up a blocked field goal and returned it 98 yards for a touchdown to pull the Dons within 31-24, with 2:01 left in the third quarter.

OCC amassed 586 yards of total offense, while Santa Ana produced 462.

The Dons were led by sophomore running back Areseo Lakey who had 155 yards on 17 rushing attempts.

Perry came off the bench to throw for 147 yards, completing nine of 18 passes.

barry.faulkner@latimes.com

Twitter: @BarryFaulkner5

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Santa Ana 45, Orange Coast 38

SCORE BY PERIODS

Santa Ana 7 – 7 – 10 – 0 – 7— 45

OCC 7 – 24 – 0 – 0 – 0 — 38

FIRST QUARTER

OCC – Oliver 47 pass from Biedgoly (Dionne kick), 1:36.

SA – Lakey 2 run (Freiberg kick), 0:00.

SECOND QUARTER

OCC – Penny 5 pass from Biedgoly (Dionne kick), 12:05.

OCC – Duncan 45 pass from Biedgoly (Dionne kick), 10:17.

OCC – Keller 6 pass from Biedgoly (Dionne kick), 4:24.

SA – Webb 98 punt return (Freiberg kick), 0:54.

OCC – Dionne 25 FG, 0:02.

THIRD QUARTER

SA – Freiberg 30 FG, 8:36.

SA – Boulware 98 blocked field goal return (Freiberg kick), 2:01.

FOURTH QUARTER

SA – Webb 55 pass from Perry (Freiberg kick), 4:16.

OCC – Duncan 68 pass from Biedgoly (Dionne kick), 0:34.

SA – Webb 23 pass from Perry (Freiberg kick), 0:00.

FIRST OVERTIME

SA – Hurley 15 run (Freiberg kick).

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

SA – Lakey, 17-155, 1 TD;.

OCC – Penny, 28-118.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

SA – Perry, 9-18-0, 147, 1 TD.

OCC – Biedgoly, 28-50-0, 417, 5 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

SA – Webb, 3-96, 2 TDs.

OCC – Duncan, 8-204, 2 TDs; Oliver, 5-88,1 TD.