Second-half surge lifts Pirates to 27-3 win over Huskies

COSTA MESA -- The Orange Coast College football team found its offensive stride in the second half and rolled to a 27-3 nonconference win over visiting East Los Angeles College on Saturday night inside Dick Tucker Field.

Sophomore quarterback Kody Whitaker came into the game to start the second half and helped the Pirates score on their first three possessions to blow the game open. Whitaker finished the game with 145 yards passing and three touchdowns on 10-of-16 passing. Receiver Joey Cox caught a game-best five passes for 72 yards and three touchdowns for OCC, while A'Brae Booker-Curin and James Rutledge each pulled down four catches for a combined 131 yards.

OCC's defense, led by nine tackles from Brandon Safford and a seven-tackle, one-sack, one forced fumble and two QB-hurry performance by Charlie Morris, held the Huskies to just 193 yards of total offense for the entire game.

ELAC quarterback Jonathan Santos was 17-of-35 for 104 yards and an interception, while no other offensive player gained more than 40 yards for the entire game.

Both teams struggled to find the offensive footing during a scoreless first quarter, but the Pirates pieced things together on their opening drive of the second quarter, capping off a nine-play, 60-yard drive with a 22-yard touchdown strike from starting QB James Harrelson to Cox, putting the Pirates up, 7-0. Harrelson played the entire first half and threw for 115 yards on 9-of-24 passing with an interception.

It stayed 7-0 through the first half before the Pirates took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards on 10 plays as Donald White plowed in from a yard out to make it 13-0 after the missed PAT.

After OCC lineman Daniel Garcia picked up a botched ELAC offensive snap, Whitaker and the Pirates made the Huskies pay. Five players later, Whitaker hooked up with Cox for an 8-yard TD strike to make it 20-0.

ELAC's best offensive drive of the night came on the next series as the Huskies used 13 plays to go 43 yards, which culminated with a 37-yard field goal by Vicente Luis Juan.

But back came the Pirates as the tandem of Whitaker and Cox again hooked up -- this time for a 16-yard TD connection -- making it 27-3.

OCC will return to action on Saturday at College of the Canyons, beginning at 6 p.m. The Pirates will return to the newly-named Dick Tucker Field on Saturday, Sept. 17 for a 6 p.m. matchup with Ventura College. Prior to the game, the Pirates will honor and officially dedicate the longtime great ex-OCC football coach with a field dedication ceremony.