By John M. Sherrard
(COSTA MESA) After a tough loss to undefeated Fullerton College last week, the Mounties bounced back with a 35-19 win over host Orange Coast College Saturday night in a nonconference game.
Mt. SAC jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and never trailed in the game en route to its last game out of the division.
Mt. SAC raised its record to 3-2, while OCC fell to 2-3.
National Conference, Central Division action begins October 15 against Long Beach City College at Covina District Field.
"I'm very pleased with the team stepping up with multiple injuries on our team," Mt. SAC coach Bob Jastrab said.
The Mounties, who are ranked 7th in So Cal, were led by running backs Edgar Segura and Sateki Finau with 114 and 99 yards, respectively.
Segura, a sophomore, carried the ball 18 times for two touchdowns, while Finau, also a sophomore, had 15 carries and a TD.
Mountie freshman quarterback Richard Stammetti passed for 188 yards and was 15 of 29, including two interceptions and rushed for 32 yards. Freshman wide receiver Tavonn Salter and sophomore receiver Michael Davis each had 79 (3 catches) and 50 (2 catches) yards receiving respectively for the Mounties.
The first Mt. SAC TD was set up with good field position after freshman wide receiver DeAndre McKinley brought a punt back to the OCC 17-yard line.
Five plays later, freshman Keshon Flemings scored on a 5-yard TD for a 7-0 lead at 11:37.
The TD run was Flemmings' first of the season for the Mounties.
Just over two minutes later, after a long 78-yard drive, Segura (18 carries, 2 TDs in the game) rushed for a 16-yard touchdown to lead 14-0.
After a Pirates TD to trail, 14-6, in the first quarter each team scored again in the second for a Mt. SAC 21-12 halftime advantage.
Segura ran in his second TD of the half on a 10-yard run after another long (11 plays, 93 yards) Mountie drive that began late in the first quarter.
A big play occurred at the end of the second quarter with the Mounties holding the 21-12 lead and the Pirates threatening to take their first lead of the game.
OCC had the ball on the Mt. SAC 34 and completed a pass to the Mounties 1-yard line, but fumbled the ball out of the end zone.
Mountie sophomore defensive back Michael Johnson made a big play to stop OCC.
"The play of the game was when Johnson hit the ball out of the running back's (Booker-Curin) hands at the one-yard line and it went out of bounds for a touchback," Jastrab said.
Each team failed to score in the third quarter, with the Mounties having five possessions and OCC four.
However, the Pirates closed to within, 21-19, at 10:26 of the fourth quarter, but that was the closest they would get the remainder of the game as the Mounties scored on consecutive possessions to stretch the lead to 35-19.
After a long 34-yard reception by Salter and an 18-yard catch by sophomore tight end Alvin Pole'o to the OCC 1-yard line, Stammetti ran the ball in from the 1-yard line for his first score of the season.
Late in the game Finau gave the Mounties a 35-19 lead with a 26-yard score.
For the fifth consecutive game, kicker Brandon Gracia was perfect on extra points (5 for 5). The sophomore has kicked 41 consecutive extra points going back to the second game of last season and leads the team this season in scoring with 42 points.
Defensively, sophomore defensive back Koa Haynes and freshman DB Davion Bullock each had an interception in the game and sophomore linebacker Kyle Woolard-Hilton had a sack. It was his eighth of the season, which is tops in the state.