Steve Virgen
COSTA MESA - Orange Coast College football coach Mike Taylor
laughed at the idea. With a talented recruiting class, one of the best in
his 16 years on staff, do these Pirates have the ability to energize the
community and attract crowds?
"I would like to see Orange Coast College football be like it was back
in the 70s," said Taylor, recalling the days when football fans would
fill the stands at LeBard Stadium. "I would like to see community college
football like it was back in the 70s when Orange Coast was national
champs in 1975 and also like it was with the great Fullerton teams in the
60s. I don't know if community college football is ever going to be like
that again."
If there is a chance for the crowds to return to OCC, Taylor and his
coaching staff did their best to make it happen.
The Bucs have actually increased their talent and depth at every
position, and versatility within leaves them with no weakness, such as
with injuries to their receivers, their depth at tailback has some
runners serving dual roles as ball carriers and pass catchers.
The incoming talent will bring much excitement, Taylor believes, but
the Bucs' potential success hinges on the leadership of its returning
sophomores, who experienced a memorable season last year, especially
quarterback Nick Higgs.
The 6-1, 195-pound signal caller from Hesperia began last year as the
team's fourth-string quarterback. But, he overcame obstacles and led OCC
to a Mission Conference Central Division co-championship and Strawberry
Bowl appearance.
"We were able to sneak up on people last year," Higgs said. "But
that's not going to happen this year. If we just play together like we
did last year, we should be fine. We have a lot of good athletes out
here, we just have to get the unity and heart that our team had last
year."
Here's a position-by-position breakdown:
Quarterback: Nick Higgs is 1,931 yards from being the school's
career-leading passer, but that goal hardly seems important for the
sophomore. His most important focus is bringing the team together and
providing leadership.
A team-first player, Higgs also realizes his starting role is not a
total lock. He said nothing is ever concrete and he should know after
rising from unknown status last year.
"I would love to break the record because that would be a great honor
to hold the school record," Higgs said. "But if it happens it happens.
I'm not going out there just to break it. I want us to do whatever it
takes to win."
