Pirates fall to Moorpark in overtime

MOORPARK -- The Orange Coast College football team, dropped its season-opener on Saturday night against host Moorpark College, 27-21 in triple-overtime.

In the immortal words of New York Yankee great Yogi Berra, it was "deja vu all over again" for the Pirates against the Raiders as the kicking game came up short and it proved to be the difference. 

OCC missed four field goal attempts -- three in overtime -- on Saturday. In last year's season opener, Coast missed an extra point in regulation and ended up losing in overtime, 23-20.

Larenzo Williams helped put the Pirates out in front early in the first quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run -- his first of two touchdown runs of the night. His second score -- a 3-yard TD run, came with 8:50 left in the second quarter and put the Pirates up 14-7.

Moorpark tied the score early in the fourth quarter before OCC quarterback Cameron Biedgoly connected with Spencer Ludin on a 60-yard touchdown strike, putting the Pirates ahead, 21-14 with 10:30 left.

But the Raiders used a 99-yard touchdown completion from Nick Davis to Iheanyi Obinna with 5:45 remaining in the game to even the score at 21.

OCC defensive back Stan Johnson came up with an interception with 3:30 left, giving the Pirates the ball inside the Raiders' 40-yard line. Four plays later, Coast was on the MC 2-yard line with a chance to win. 

But the Raider defense stopped a pair of running plays by the Pirates for a combined loss of six yards and a false start infraction pushed the ball back to the MC 13, setting up a field-goal attempt of 30 yards, which missed wide left.

Both teams missed field-goal attempts in the first overtime and after another Raider misfire on their second drive of OT, the Pirates had another chance at victory. 

But once again, the Raider defense stiffened and forced the Pirates into a long field-goal attempt, which missed its mark wide-left from 47-yards out.

In the third OT, Coast started with the ball, but three incomplete passes and a false start penalty again forced the Pirates into a 47-yard field-goal attempt, which sailed wide left.

Moorpark took over and on 4th-and-14, Davis connected with Lucas Civita on a 19-yard completing, giving the Raiders first-and-goal from the 10. 

Two plays later, Davis plowed in from a yard out to give the Raiders the win.

OCC will return to action on Saturday at LeBard Stadium against Pasadena City College, beginning at 7 p.m.