The Pirate who persevered

Rolling out to his right with the game, and perhaps any future aspirations in football on the line, Orange Coast College sophomore quarterback Chris Debowski relied on the things that had allowed him to keep buckling his chin strap in three largely discouraging seasons since starring at Fountain Valley High.

On this play, the last of a double-overtime victory over visiting Fullerton on Oct. 20, much as he had shown in the long, bumpy ride to the controls of the Pirates’ offense, Debowski was all about patience and perseverance.

So, when his initial reads came up empty, he merely kept drifting toward the sideline, waiting for an opening, similar to the one that, at long last, had come for him just five days prior.

Whether that opening would ever come was an ongoing torment for Debowski ever since he took his final snap at Fountain Valley in the fall of 2004.

When an initial tryout ended in rejection at Saddleback College, Debowski decided to give it another try at Orange Coast.

The catalyst behind that decision was former Fountain Valley teammate Mike Musso, who had been a freshman receiver at OCC in 2004. But, just two weeks after urging his former high school friend to join him at OCC, Musso was killed in a car accident.

Hit hard by the tragic loss of his friend, Debowski greyshirted the 2005 season, returning in 2006 as the backup to Kekoa Crowell.

After Crowell was injured in the regular-season finale, Debowski started and played the whole way in the Pirates’ 29-20 loss to Mt. San Antonio in the U.S. Bank Beach Bowl. He completed 11 of 19 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception.

Energized by his success on the field, Debowski was in the weight room two days later, intent on adding muscle to his then 6-foot, 165-pound frame.

Throughout the spring and summer, Debowski was the starting quarterback, as he bulked up to 200 pounds and became, among teammates, one of the most popular Pirates players.

But just prior to the start of fall practice, Debowski broke the middle finger on his right, throwing, hand while helping his girlfriend move.

Then, days into practice, Sean Hakes, a former All-State performer and blue-chip recruit out of Nolan Catholic High in Fort Worth, Texas, who redshirted as a freshman in 2006 at Akron, showed up at OCC. Hakes, who had turned down scholarship offers from Mississippi, Colorado State and Bowling Green before picking Akron, was viewed as a signal-calling savior.

“When they brought [Hakes] in, I was a little worried about that,” Debowski said. “He was 6-3, 225 and had everything people are looking for.”

Debowski tried to continue playing despite his injury, but an awkwardly bent fingertip on the finger that guided his release, as well as the expected emergence of Hakes and fellow freshman Taylor Hughes, the Newport-Mesa Offensive Player of the Year out of Corona del Mar High, conspired to drop the player his teammates call “Debo” to third on the depth chart.

“It was pretty tough, because the whole offseason, I figured I was going to be the starter,” Debowski said. “Then, in one week, it just changed. I went from being the starter to No. 3 and it was pretty drastic. I just figured I had to wait for my chance. There was nothing else I could do.”

Inconsistent play at quarterback and a generally slow start by the offense allowed Debowski to re-emerge in the fifth game, Sept. 29 at Mt. SAC. Debowski started and drove the Pirates down the field for an early field goal. But a series of turnovers that included a Debowski interception at the OCC five-yard line and a Debowski fumble recovered at the OCC eight-yard line, helped the Mounties earn a 20-3 first-half lead in an eventual 34-3 win that Debowski watched from the bench in the second half.

He came off the bench to lead a late touchdown drive in a 22-10 loss at Palomar the next week, and was told Monday leading to the Fullerton game that he would start against the Hornets.

“I felt like I’d missed my chance, a little bit, in the Mt. SAC game,” Debowski said. I was just hoping I’d get another chance.”

Debowski, who wears No. 13 because it was the number Musso planned to use for the 2005 season, said he felt support from several friends on the team, but lacked the confidence to assume his familiar leadership role.

“So may times, I’d want to say something, but I wondered ‘Will guys listen to me as the No. 3 quarterback,’ ” he said. His confidence, which had been one of his major strengths, also faltered.

“It definitely wavered,” he said. “It wavered a lot. Even as I started to get healthy, I was the No. 3 guy and I hadn’t been throwing a lot. Looking at it from the coaches’ viewpoint, I wondered if I’d put myself in either. For the first time, I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to do this.”

He said he never considered quitting, but was bolstered by consistent support from his parents and his older brother, Ryan Breska, another Fountain Valley quarterback who went on to play collegiately at Purdue and Utah.

But once he was in the huddle with the first team, he began to relax and perform. And the OCC offense began to produce.

“I’m very confident when I play,” he said. “I’m very relaxed in the huddle. I like to crack a joke, here and there, to help keep the guys relaxed, too. To me, this is the best game on Earth, but it’s just a game. You’ve got to have fun playing this game, so I try to keep things light.”

Things got heavy against Fullerton, as Debowski threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in regulation, which ended with the score tied, 20-20.

Both teams scored on their first overtime possession and Fullerton took a 34-27 lead by scoring to open the second overtime.

Debowski opened OCC’s final possession with three straight incomplete passes, before converting on fourth-and-10 with a 12-yard strike to Nathan Barnett to the Fullerton 13. A roughing-the-passer penalty moved the ball to the six.

Tailback Kevin Ah-Hi scored off right tackle on the next snap and Taylor and his staff elected to go for two points and the win.

Debowski’s heroics began with a flashback.

“When I was a junior [at Fountain Valley], we tied Mission Viejo by scoring on the last play of the game,” Debowski said. “So, we went for two and we ran that exact same play. That time, I tried to run it in and I got hit and stopped [short of the end zone]. Watching the play later on film, I saw Musso was open in the back of the end zone. When that play was called [against Fullerton], the first thing I thought of was Mike. Maybe Mike helped me get through that one. I don’t know.”

Rolling to his right, Debowski was determined to wait for an open receiver.

“Had I not already had that experience [against Mission Viejo], I might have tried to run it in,” Debowski said. “But I was trying to be patient. If someone was covered, I figured they couldn’t cover everyone that long. I just wanted to string it out and see what happened.”

Taylor said it was difficult to watch.

“[Debowski] waited and waited,” Taylor said.

Eventually, Debowski saw Barnett flash open just past the goal line and zipped the ball to him to spark a wild celebration.

“It was amazing [Debowski] was able to get the ball into such a small window and Barnett made a great catch,” Taylor said. “If he had tried to run it in, he probably wouldn’t have made it.”

Debowski said the victory, only the second on the field this season for OCC, which had a season-opening loss reversed by forfeit to take a 3-4 record, 1-1 in the Mission Conference American Division, into its home game Saturday against El Camino, was sweet vindication.

“I was so sore, [receiver Justin Hodge] basically had to carry me to my car,” Debowski said. “But I felt great. I honestly didn’t think I was going to get a chance to play this year, so I’m happy to get something. And it turned out to be a lot, so I’m happy about it.”

Debowski, who finished 22 of 42 for 251 yards passing against Fullerton, said he has never heard of a guy getting a scholarship from one game.

But he is hoping to string together enough highlights to interest some four-year school, even if its a bowl subdivision program.

“He’s a good student and a guy with no baggage, who is a real team guy,” Taylor said. “He uses everything to maximize his ability. And he leads with a smile on his face and confidence in his eye. I’ve talked to some schools about him.”

If a scholarship offer doesn’t come, Debowski isn’t about to give up now.

“I’ll just work out in the offseason and try to get as good as I can again, then try to go somewhere as a walk-on and earn a scholarship,” he said.

Still willing to be patient and persevere.

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at [email protected].