Coast opens division play at Long Beach

Bryce Alderton

Orange Coast College football coach Mike Taylor reminded his team to

focus on Saturday, not a week or two down the line.

The Pirates, coming off a 36-6 victory Oct. 4 over previously

undefeated Santa Ana, are rested from a Mission Conference-wide bye

week last Saturday and gear up to face host Long Beach City at 5 p.m.

today at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach in the first American

Division matchup for both teams.

Coast (3-2, 1-2 in conference) and Long Beach (1-4, 1-2) are both

members of the American, which, along with the National Division,

features six of the conference’s 12 teams.

Freshman defensive tackle Ryan Davis has recovered from a strained

medial collateral ligament in his right knee that caused him to exit

an eventual 24-9 loss to Fullerton Sept. 27. Davis was one of four

Pirates to intercept Dons’ passes two weeks ago.

“Guys are ready to play and the morale is good,” Taylor said.

“Long Beach is better than their record shows. They have good

receivers and good speed, but have given up a lot of points and been

hurt on special teams.”

The Vikings rank last of the 12 conference teams in total offense,

averaging 255.4 yards per game. They have scored 61 points, but given

up 169.

The Vikings have had gained 880 yards passing compared to 397

rushing. Freshman quarterback Jason Washington has completed 56 of

125 passes and averages 155 yards per game, good for fourth in the

conference.

“They will have to throw the ball to beat us,” Taylor said.

But Washington will be met with some stiff competition from the

Coast pass defense, which has allowed the fewest passing yards (559)

of any conference team, 173 less than the closest competitor -- Mt.

San Antonio, now No. 1 in total defense. Coast ranks second in the

conference in that category after securing the top spot through the

first four games.

OCC starting free safety Nick Dominelli leads the team with 50

tackles and has four interceptions in as many games, including a

14-yard return for a touchdown against Fullerton. Dominelli ranks

fifth in the conference in interception return yards with 60. Strong

safety Una Latu has made 40 tackles and recovered two fumbles, as has

Davis.

Freshman linebacker Joe Mitchell ranks second on the team with 47

tackles and freshman end Justin Williams leads Coast with 7 1/2

sacks, and he missed 1 1/2 games with a knee injury.

“We have to get after [Washington], which we plan to do, and make

them earn their yards,” Taylor said. “We need to limit turnovers and

the offense needs to control the football and score points.”

OCC’s offense woke up two weeks ago against Santa Ana with four

touchdowns, including two runs by sophomore quarterback Kelika Higa,

who completed eight of 16 passes for 93 yards and no interceptions.

Santa Ana Coast tallied just five offensive touchdowns through its

first four games. It’s Higa’s job to lose since freshman Beau Budde

tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee against

Fullerton. Budde has begun rehabilitating the knee after successful

surgery, Taylor said.

“Sometimes there is a silver lining when a kid get hurt, which

gives an opportunity for another kid to step up and be the guy,”

Taylor said of Higa. But Taylor will think of Budde for the rest of

this season and beyond.

“[Budde’s] dad [former NFL lineman Brad Budde] is a physical

therapist, so he will be back and ready to start spring ball,” Taylor

said. “Some of his teachers called to see how the surgery went. He is

a good student.”

Coast boasts a steady running attack with Josh Black and Chris

Vega alternating at tailback. Vega has carried 60 times for 288 yards

-- a 4.8 average -- and ranks 10th in the conference. Black has

amassed 266 yards on 52 carries (5.1 average) with two touchdowns.

Black carried 18 times for 102 yards and a touchdown against Santa

Ana.

Freshman wide receiver Justin Humalon has fully recovered from a

sore hamstring, Taylor said, and gives Higa another target in

addition to primary wide outs Jermaine Snell and Coleman Menke. In

just two games, Humalon has caught eight balls for 94 yards and is

averaging 4 receptions per game, good for seventh in the conference.

“He made a touchdown catch [in practice Wednesday] where he used

one hand to pull down a pass,” Taylor said.

The road doesn’t get any easier for Coast.

The Pirates travel to face Mt. San Antonio next Saturday, then

will host Palomar Nov. 1. Mt. Sac (5-0) and host Palomar will face

each other in each team’s American Division opener at 1 p.m. today.

“It doesn’t get any easier and then Cerritos rolls into town [Nov.

7],” Taylor said. “We are taking it one week at a time. We can’t

worry about two weeks from now.”