Football: Gridiron clash turns 50

Tony Altobelli

FULLERTON - In 1948, Citation won the Triple Crown in horse racing,

the NBA was in its second season of existence, American Bob Mathias won

the decathlon in the first Summer Olympics in 12 years and Orange Coast

and Fullerton colleges met for the first time in football.

Fifty years later, OCC and the Hornets meet again for their annual

clash tonight at 7 at Cal State Fullerton.

Fullerton leads the 50-year rivalry, 28-18-3, after taking last year’s

contest, 34-24.

OCC has won six of the last 10 meetings between the two schools, after

going winless in the eight meetings before that.

In fact, from 1976-89, Fullerton dominated the series, winning 11 of

13 contests between the two schools.

Speaking of streaks, OCC is trying to halt its six-game opening-game

losing streak with a win tonight.

Taylor attributes a slightly tougher opening-day schedule than in the

past for OCC’s six-game drought.

There’s no better team that OCC could play in the opener than

Fullerton, especially after last year’s loss to the Hornets.

It was last year’s game with Fullerton that OCC honored longtime coach

Paul Briggs for 50 years of outstanding work on the gridiron.

In the game, OCC had leads of 14-3 and 21-14, before Fullerton scored

17 unanswered points to take the lead for good.

“You sophomores remember that Fullerton game last year, when we felt

we let that game get away from us,” Taylor told his team after their

scrimmage with Santa Monica last Friday.

Adding to the moment, tonight’s game marks the debut of Pirate Coach

Mike Taylor, who took over for 13-year head coach, Bill Workman.

“It’s not really nervousness that I’m feeling,” Taylor said. “It’s

just the unknown of starting a new season.”

With both offenses taking it to each other, the deciding factor might

come on the defensive side.

“We’re just gonna have to be ready for anything they throw at us,”

Taylor said. “I’ve heard talk about a ‘vanilla-flavored offense’ but I’m

not buying into that.”

On a team dominated with sophomores, OCC’s defense carries a bulk of

the squad’s experience, led by defensive captain, free safety Bobby

Johnson.

Taylor expects to start six sophomores, including Johnson, last year’s

second-team, all-conference selection Kent Anderson, linebacker, Andrew

Medley, and cornerbacks, Robert Pallotto and Woody Otis.

“Not just defense, we’re going to have to be ready on both sides of

the ball,” Taylor said. “In a first game, making sure that guys are in

the right position and right formations, especially with a heavy load of

freshmen out there. That’s the unknown I’m most concerned with.”

Taylor said his team is anxious and ready to get the season underway.

“It’s a long wait for that first game,” Taylor said. “I’m looking

forward to that weekly schedule and getting into that routine.”