Orange Coast College

OCC put scare in Saddleback, but Gauchos prevail in OT

Saturday, October 21, 2006

COSTA MESA - While Orange Coast showed no fear against the state's No. 1 team, the Saddleback Gauchos showed why they've earned the penthouse suite in the rankings.
Falling behind 17-0, the Gauchos showed the determination of a No. 1-ranked team and pulled out a 23-17 overtime win against a spirited Pirate squad on Saturday at LeBard Stadium.
P.J. Gates' 9-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Nick Nelson in overtime gave the Gauchos (7-0, 2-0 in Mission Conference National Division) their first, last and only lead of the game and it came when it mattered -- at the end of the game.
It looked like the Pirates (5-2, 0-2) were going to not only defeat the nation's No. 2 ranked team, they were going to run away with it early.
The game could not have started any better for the Pirates as Nathan Barnett returned the opening kickoff 99 yards for the game's first touchdown and a 7-0 OCC lead following Brock Jaramillo's extra point.
Saddleback started off completely out of sync as three first-quarter possessions resulted in zero points and three turnovers (two fumbles and one interception), giving OCC great scoring opportunities.
However, the Gauchos' defense picked up the slack dropped by their offense and held the Pirates to a turnover on downs and a punt to minimize the damage of the first two turnovers.
OCC's best offensive series helped propel them to a 14-0 lead as a seven-play, 68-yard drive was capped off by a 7-yard touchdown run by Andrew Banks.
Poor field position by the Gauchos resulted in great field position by the Pirates following a Saddleback punt, but again, the Gaucho defense stepped up and held the Pirates to a 44-yard field goal by Jaramillo, giving OCC just a 17-0 lead.
OCC's defense was putting on its own impressive display, holding the conference's top-ranked offense (41 points per game) to zero points for nearly the entire first half.
OCC once again had the ball in the Gaucho "red zone" but had to settle for another field goal attempt, but this one -- a 33-yard attempt by Jaramillo -- missed wide right and suddenly, Saddleback sprung to life.
Four plays later, Nelson hit Maurice Clark for a 65-yard touchdown and instead of a 20- or 24-point lead, the Pirates led by only 10.
That lead got smaller in a hurry as Banks fumbled on the first play of the following series, giving Saddleback the ball on the Pirates' 30-yard line with 2:15 left in the first half.
OCC's defense again stepped up and Saddleback settled for a 34-yard field goal by Eric Carr, cutting the Gauchos' deficit to 17-10 at the half.
Both teams' defenses again controlled things for most of the third quarter before the Gauchos evened things up. Following a shanked OCC punt, Saddleback took advantage and tied the game on a 26-yard touchdown pass from Nelson to Clark with 47 seconds left in the third.
Saddleback nearly took the lead midway through the fourth, but defensive standout Chris Assily, who finished with 12 tackles (seven solo), intercepted a Nelson pass in the end zone, keeping the game tied at 17.
OCC could not muster up a decent scoring drive in the fourth. Following a missed 47-yard field goal attempt by Gaucho kicker Scott Russell (short) and a stalled OCC drive in the final minute of the fourth, the game headed into overtime.
The Pirates started with the ball and got as close as the Gauchos' 3, but the drive came to a halt when a 20-yard field-goal attempt by Jaramillo missed wide-right.
Needing only a field goal to win, Saddleback used the running game to get to the OCC 9-yard line before Nelson and Gates hooked up for the game-winning score.
OCC looks to turn things around on Saturday (Oct. 28) at home against Santa Ana, beginning at 5 p.m.