OCC faces stern test in Mt. SAC

Bryce Alderton

Orange Coast College football coach Mike Taylor said tonight’s

opponent -- Mt. San Antonio -- is the best team OCC has faced this

season.

It’s hard to argue with his assessment.

The Mounties are 6-0, 4-0 in the Mission Conference (1-0 in the

American Division) and ranked No. 4 in the nation. They boast the

conference’s top offense, averaging almost 391 yards per game, and

defense, allowing just 221.2 yards per contest.

“They have a big offensive line, their quarterback [Adam Ernst] is

adequate, their running back [Cazmir Hill] is very good and they have

three wideouts who have committed to Pac-10 schools,” Taylor said.

“We will have to play our best game to win.”

Hill ranks third in the conference in rushing yards per game (118)

and has found the end zone eight times.

The Mounties’ receiving corps features Delaine Walker (24 catches

for 322 yards and five touchdowns) and Scott Mitchell (18 receptions

for 236 yards and three touchdowns). Walker’s touchdown-to-catch

ratio of 21% ranks first in the conference while Mitchell’s 17% is

third.

But the Pirates provide a stern challenge to the Mounties’ passing

attack. Coast allows the fewest passing yards per game (124.8) and

has intercepted opposing quarterbacks nine times.

Sophomore free safety Nick Dominelli has five interceptions in

five games for 60 return yards. Only Palomar’s Josh Hargis has more

interceptions with six in six games.

Mt. SAC boasts a height advantage with its wideouts. Mitchell

stands 6-foot-4 while Walker is 6-3. Coast’s starting cornerbacks

Marcus Angeles (5-9) and Kelvin Beatty (5-11) will be tested, Taylor

said.

“We are trying to get Angeles on a stretcher to make him taller,”

Taylor said.

OCC (4-2, 2-2) also won its first American Division game last week

-- a 17-14 triumph over Long Beach. But the victory was hardly smooth

sailing. OCC trailed, 7-0, at the half before scoring 17 unanswered

points in the final two quarters.

Coast’s defense, rated second in the conference, gave up 295 yards

to Long Beach, almost 68 more than its season average.

“In the first half [against Long Beach] we had some cobwebs from

the bye week, so we need to play for 60 minutes,” Taylor said.

“Sometimes, teams play better when there is more urgency involved.”

Coast sophomore quarterback Kelika Higa completed 6 of 10 attempts

for 110 of his 201 passing yards in the second half against Long

Beach. Higa’s 201 yards against the Vikings was 100 more than his

season average.

Two of Higa’s main targets have been Justin Humalon and Jermaine

Snell. Humalon has caught 14 passes for 190 yards and ranks eighth in

the conference in yards per catch (13.6) while Snell (14 receptions

for 186 yards) is 10th (13.3).

“[Higa] will have to get rid of the ball because Mt. SAC will come

after him,” Taylor said.

Chris Vega (fifth in the conference with 4.7 average yards per

carry) will be Coast’s featured tailback this week with Josh Black

nursing a high ankle sprain suffered against Long Beach.

Black, who ranks fifth in the conference in all-purpose yards

(rushing, receiving, punt and kickoff returns) with 714, hadn’t taken a snap in practice as of Thursday.

“He may run back a kick,” Taylor said.

Mt. SAC also boasts the conference’s top punt returner in Darryl

Moore (272 yards) while Daniel Nembhard has tallied 272 yards on 10

kickoffs -- a 27.2 average -- good for third in the conference.

Coast, Mt. SAC and Golden West each won their American Division

opener and with just three games remaining in the regular season

after today, talk of the postseason bowls and playoffs has begun. The

winners of the conference’s American and National Divisions will

automatically qualify for a bowl game, with the possibility of

advancing as one of the four teams from Southern California to

qualify for the state playoffs. Four teams from Northern California

will make up the eight-team draw.

“There aren’t many bowl games,” Taylor said. “We need to take what

we can, move the ball and score some points.”