COSTA MESA — Who’s afraid of the big bad “woof?”
The Orange Coast College football team would tell you it was not fear that was created by visiting Grossmont players hooting, chanting and singing in unison during pregame, halftime and, alas, while running off the field with a 21-13 Southern Conference National Division victory Saturday at OCC.
But so repeated and fundamental were the errors committed by Pirates players and coaches, one might suggest something spooked the hosts.
The errors of commission included three muffed punt receptions, one severely blown coverage that resulted in an easy 45-yard touchdown pass, and having a punt and a conversion kick blocked, the former setting up a 30-yard touchdown drive to open the scoring.
But the errors of omission were just as galling for the Pirates’ supporters, who routinely saw defensive substitutions go awry, leaving 10 or 12 players on the field, causing penalties, wasted timeouts and a lack of proper alignment.
Through it all, however, Orange Coast (4-3, 0-3 in the division), ranked No. 8 in Southern California and No. 14 in the state, had a chance to at least force overtime into the final 81 seconds.
The Pirates trailed, 14-6, when a fourth-and-10 pass inside the Grossmont 10-yard line appeared to go off the hands of would-be receiver Chris Reihanifam with 1:48 remaining.
A completion would have set up first-and-goal. Instead, the Griffins (5-3, 3-1), ranked No. 11 in SoCal and No. 24 in the state, took over and promptly expanded the lead when tailback Garen Demery bolted 72 yards around the right side for a touchdown that led to a 21-6 cushion.
OCC sophomore defensive end Dean DeLeone, whose speed allows him to line up as a deep man on kickoff returns, justified this faith by taking the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown to keep hope alive for the Pirates.
But OCC’s ensuing onside kick failed to go the necessary 10 yards, allowing Grossmont to take over and run out the final 1:21, then continue vocalizing as it celebrated, making a postgame shake of hands a luxury both teams decided they could do without.
Some OCC players, reacting to the echoing cries of Griffins players as they moved into and out of their locker room beyond the north end zone during pregame and halftime, gestured with both arms, rotating inward at the elbows, as if to indicate their wishes for Grossmont to bring it on.
