Ah-Hi, Baichtal lead Pirates over Vikes

COSTA MESA — Orange Coast College tailback Kevin Ah-Hi shrugged and smiled when asked if his last name meant something in another language. But after the 6-foot, 210-pound freshman carried 48 times for 266 yards in the Pirates’ 20-14 victory over visiting Long Beach, one might suggest it could mean “old-school.”

Ah-Hi’s ground assault on the Vikings in the Mission Conference American Division game Saturday was a definite throwback in this age of spread, air-oriented offenses, especially at the community college level. Ah-Hi broke a 20-year-old school record for most carries in a game and came within nine yards of tying the school record for single-game rushing yards set by Bill Harrison in 1956.

Bart Recktenwald held the previous mark for carries with 38 in 1987.

Ah-Hi, who came in with 472 yards on 117 carries this season, handled all 12 plays in the 80-yard touchdown drive that broke a 14-14 tie in the fourth quarter.

Three plays after his would-be 15-yard touchdown run was nullified by a holding pentalty, the New Zealand native who starred at Coeur d’Alene High in Idaho before redshirting at Montana State last season, swept 14 yards around the left side for the game-winning score with 5:09 remaining.

On the scoring play, his fifth touchdown of the season, Ah-Hi followed a kickout block by receiver Cameron Hall, as well as the work of tackle Jordan Taormina and guard Finau Fiaseu, both of whom pulled and lead through the hole. It was only the sixth time he gained at least 10 yards all night. His biggest burst was a 20-yard gain up the middle on the first play of the game-winning drive.

Ah-Hi carried eight times for 60 yards in the Pirates’ 15-play, 93-yard drive that consumed 8:17 in the third quarter.

OCC’s methodical ground game, which produced 18 of the team’s 27 first downs, combined with an opportunistic defense, led by three interceptions from freshman free safety Shad Baichtal, to help the Pirates improve to 4-5, 2-2 in the division.

The Pirates had the ball for 43:53 of the 60-minute contest, and their 80 offensive plays nearly doubled the visitors’ total (41).

Baichtal shared the hero label with Ah-Hi. He twice left his feet to make interceptions in the end zone, then jumped a slant route to pick off Gabriel Thomas at the OCC eight-yard line to halt the Vikings’ final possession with 4:06 left in the game.