Junior College Football: Big comeback propels OCC past Fullerton

YORBA LINDA — The biggest win of Orange Coast College football coach Kevin Emerson’s two-season tenure unfolded suddenly and surprisingly on Saturday night.

The Pirates, who earned their first win in three games last week, scored 24 second-quarter points to erase a 14-0 deficit and stun host Fullerton College, ranked No. 10 in the state and No. 5 in Southern California, 31-23, at Yorba Linda High.

The win, in the Southern Conference opener for both teams, was fueled by explosive offensive plays, as well as dozens of little plays on which the Pirates merely did what was required.

It’s OCC’s first win over the Hornets (2-2) since 2007, ending a five-game losing streak during which Fullerton had outscored the Pirates, 240-95.

The status quo appeared thematic in the first quarter, when the Hornets scored on their first and third possessions to take a 14-0 lead.

But OCC generated momentum with three prolific plays, as well as some unlikely good fortune, on its way to a 10-point halftime lead that proved too much for Fullerton to overcome.

Sophomore receiver Stefan Derrick began the OCC turnabout by turning a pass from sophomore quarterback Mason Dossey into a 71-yard touchdown catch and run with 10:34 left in the second quarter. On the play, two Hornet defensive backs collided with one another, leaving Derrick alone to finish his sprint to the end zone.

Dossey and Derrick hooked up for 49 yards on OCC’s next possession, which led to a three-yard touchdown run by sophomore tailback Daniel Rodriguez. Dan Bjurman’s second of four conversion kicks knotted the score with 6:16 left before halftime, but the Pirates were far from finished.

Two plays after a Fullerton punt, sophomore tailback Kyle White bolted 80 yards off left tackle to give OCC the lead for good.

And when a shotgun snap ricocheted off a Hornet receiver in motion and was recovered by cornerback Joseph Johnson at the Fullerton 11-yard line with 28 seconds left before intermission, OCC immediately sent its field-goal unit on the field. Bjurman, a Corona del Mar High product, connected on the 30-yard gift with 25 seconds left and the Hornets plodded with humility to the halftime locker room.

After two Tavis Guerra field goals pared the Fullerton deficit to 24-20 with 10:25 left in the game, OCC showed it wasn’t about to let this one slip away.

The Pirates marched 75 yards on 15 plays to score the clinching touchdown with 3:06 left in the game. The drive consumed more than seven minutes on the clock.

OCC sophomore fullback Ian Pogue capped the procession with a one-yard touchdown run. Five plays before his dive into the end zone, Pogue also gained one yard on fourth-and-inches to extend the drive.

Fullerton answered by driving to the OCC nine-yard line, but the defense forced the hosts to settle for a field goal with 1:13 remaining.

After Derrick recovered the ensuing onside kickoff, OCC got one more first down and ran out the clock.

Derrick finished with five receptions for 127 yards, while White finished with 128 rushing yards on 12 carries.

Dossey completed 14 of 25 passes for 179 yards and no interceptions, as OCC procured the game’s lone turnover.

Defensively, freshman end Preston Hendry and sophomore tackle Joshua Odigie were each in on three sacks, as the Pirates sacked Fullerton quarterback Trey Tinsley five times.

The OCC defense produced five more tackles for losses on running plays, as Fullerton earned just 112 of its 406 offensive yards on the ground.

Tinsley completed 30 of 42 without an interception, but the most productive pass plays went for 30 and 25 yards. Twenty times, OCC defenders tackled receivers for gains of 10 or fewer yards and linebackers Mark Cushing, Mike Hayden and Christian Webb joined the ball-hawking secondary to help preserve the win.

Cornerbacks Derrick Worthy and Jackson, as well as safeties Brandon Worthy and Zoantarrious Brunt were consistently in position and the OCC front four included contributions from end Cody Meddaugh and Matthew Andre.

It’s only the second time since 2009 that OCC has won two straight games.

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Orange Coast 31, Fullerton 23

OCC 0 24 0 7 – 31

Fullerton 14 0 3 6 – 23

FIRST QUARTER

Ful – Butler 13 pass from Tinsley (Guerra kick), 11:25.

Ful – Brito 6 run (Guerra kick), 3:06.

SECOND QUARTER

OCC – Derrick 71 pass from Dossey (Bjurman kick), 10:34.

OCC – Rodriguez 3 run (Bjurman kick), 6:16.

OCC – White 80 run (Bjurman kick), 2:29.

OCC – Bjurman 30 FG, 0:25.

THIRD QUARTER

Ful – Guerra 28 FG, 6:41.

FOURTH QUARTER

Ful – Guerra 22 FG, 10:25.

OCC – Pogue 1 run (Bjurman kick), 3:06.

Ful – Guerra 26 FG, 1:13.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

OCC – White, 12-126, 1 TD.

Ful – Thomas, 8-58.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

OCC – Dossey, 14-25-0, 179, 1 TD.

Ful – Tinsley, 30-42-0, 294, 1 TD.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

OCC – Derrick, 5-127, 1 TD.

Ful – Oliver, 7-40.