Steve Virgen
WALNUT - Someone forgot to tell the Orange Coast College football
team it was playing the No. 4 team in the nation. Someone forgot to tell
the Pirates they got shut out last week, and that they have only scored
nine points in three games this season.
Someone, actually OCC Coach Mike Taylor, told his players they could
beat Mt. San Antonio. He never stopped believing.
The Pirates never stopped playing.
And with one second remaining, Rob Pate knocked in a 33-yard field
goal to shock host Mt. SAC, 26-25, Saturday night.
The Mounties are No. 4 in the nation according to the J.C. Grid-Wire
rankings.
"We're not totally different," said Taylor of his team's play in
comparison to the previous week. "The same bodies are playing, the same
numbers. We didn't go out and hire a bunch of mercenary football players
this week. It was just a case that these guys believed in themselves and
they knew they needed to win."
OCC scored nine points in the last 3:22 remaining as quarterback Nick
Higgs played his first full game of the season and connected with Justin
Dale for a 21-yard touchdown to pull within two.
"We were due. We knew that we could score," Higgs said of the Bucs'
offense that had scored just one touchdown coming into the game.
The Pirates tried to tie the game with a two-point attempt, but
Michael Adams intercepted Higgs' pass.
OCC then went for an onside kick and Mt. SAC recovered. And the
Pirates sent the Mounties three-and-out.
With two minutes remaining, OCC began the game-winning drive from its
own 34-yard line. The Bucs converted on two fourth downs on a 16-play,
66-yard drive capped by Pate's field goal. Pate said he saw someone block
the field goal, but he had kicked it so hard it still went through.
"I played JV last year at Edison High. And I just hope my coach sees
this in the paper," said Pate, who kicked the first game-winning field
goal of his career. In the third quarter, he made a 42-yarder to increase
the Bucs' lead to 10-6. Pate was actually the team's backup kicker
because starter Steve Terwiske was out with a hip flexor.
"This was the biggest game of my life," Pate said.
The victory was just as huge for OCC (1-3), Taylor said.
"This is the biggest win we've had in a long time at Orange Coast," he
said. "Beating the No. 2 team in the state and it was in their place.
(The Mounties) knew they were in a dogfight at the half. We told our kids
that it was going to be a tough second half and it turned out to come
down to a field goal."
