Football: OCC WINS IN 6 OTs!

Tony Altobelli

COSTA MESA - Two broken records, four quarters, six overtimes,

eight coin tosses, 90 points, 183 plays, 225 minutes, 948 yards and about

a million held breaths later, Jimmie Banks scored the game-winning

touchdown for Orange Coast College to give the Bucs a thrilling 48-42

homecoming win over Long Beach City Saturday night.

“It took every ounce of energy we had, but we managed to get the job

done,” an exhausted Coach Mike Taylor said after the game. “Our players

rose to the challenge and it paid off for us.”

After both teams matched each other for the first five overtimes,

cornerback Johnnie Peeples, who earlier recovered a blocked punt by

Andrew Medley in the end zone for a Pirates touchdown, intercepted a

Vikings’ pass in the end zone, giving OCC a chance to win the crucial

Orange Empire Conference Northern Division contest..

Banks, who was questionable entering Saturday’s game, scored the

game-winner from 12-yards out, following a key block from wide receiver

David Castleton.

Banks finished with 100 yards on 21 carries and three touchdowns for

the Pirates (4-4, 2-1 in conference).

For sophomore quarterback Jared Flint, he managed to become the

Pirates all-time career passing leader, breaking Alvin White’s record of

3,425 set in 1971-72.

Flint, who threw for 348 yards and three touchdowns for the game, now

has a career total of 3,652. He also became only the second Bucs

quarterback in history to throw for over 2,000 in a single season

(2,108).

“I found out that I was close from one of the coaches during the

week,” Flint said. “Obviously any record that has lasted for so long,

it’s an honor to be able to surpass it.”

White, a 1970 Newport Harbor High grad, played at OCC from 1971-72

before transferring to Oregon State University.

“Upset? No. I’m actually kinda stoaked that someone was able to break

it,” White said on the telephone from his Corvallis, Oregon home after

hearing the news. “That’s what records are there for. Plus with two games

left, Jared should really set the mark pretty high, for some other young,

hotshot to come along and break it.”

It was the longest game in terms of overtimes in OCC’s 51-year

football history. In fact, the Pirates have played only one overtime

game, a 21-14 win over Riverside last year, which was also during

homecoming game.

Surprisingly, it was a defensive struggle throughout most of the first

three quarters, with the game deadlocked at 7-7.

The Vikings (3-5, 0-3), took a 14-7 lead early in the fourth quarter

on the second of Aaron Tyler’s four rushing touchdowns.

That’s when Medley kick-started the Pirates with his punt block, which

recovered by Peeples, tying the game at 14-14.

Despite all of Long Beach City’s points coming on the ground, that was

made possible by quarterback Chad Munson’s 20 completions for 301 yards

passing for the night, with 202 of those yards going to receiver Brandon

Brown.

Another Tyler touchdown gave the Vikings a 21-14 lead, before Flint

hooked up with David Castleton on a 13-yard touchdown pass with 58

seconds left in regulation to tie the game.

Long Beach had a chance to win in the first overtime. After OCC turned

the ball over in its possession, three plays later, LBCC tried a 33-yard

field goal, but missed it wide-left, keeping the game going.

Both teams exchanged touchdowns and extra points in the second

overtime.

In the third overtime, where a two-point conversion attempt is

mandatory, a scrambling Flint found Raymond Ohrel in the back of the end

zone for a 14-yard touchdown, but the Pirates failed on their two-point

attempt.

Long Beach City marched right back to tie the game, but the Vikings’

two-point attempt also was unsuccessful, sending the game into a fourth

overtime.

Pirates cornerback Bobby Johnson picked off a Munson pass to start the

fifth OT, giving the Bucs an excellent chance of winning, but a costly

fumble kept the marathon game going.

Flint hooked up with Ohrel on a 25-yard touchdown pass and then found

Devon Griffin alone in the end zone for the two-point conversion, giving

the Bucs a 42-34 lead.

Not to be outdone, Tyler rumbled in from 10 yards out and on the tying

two-point conversion, Munson connected with Brown on an inside screen

pass to tie the game, again, before OCC pulled out the win.

Castleton and Ohrel each caught six passes and each finished with over

100 yards receiving in the game for the Bucs.

Next up for the Pirates is their home finale Saturday at 1 p.m.

against a very tough Mt. San Antonio that is 3-0 and in first place in

the Northern Division standings.

“Last year we were skunked and skunked badly in this Northern Division

last year and to be able to win a couple of games these last two weeks is

a great feeling, especially for the players,” Taylor said.