All-Conference selections go to 11 for Pirates in 2017
COSTA MESA -- Eleven Orange Coast College football players earned All-Northern Division, Southern League honors this season, as voted on by the league's head coaches at their annual postseason meeting.
Leading the way for the Pirates were first-team selections James Rutledge and Max Spruill as well as punt return specialist Deaquan Wojciechowski.
Rutledge, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound wide receiver out of Lawton, OK, pulled in 57 receptions for 825 yards and seven touchdowns for the Pirates in 2017. Both of those stats were the second-highest among all Southern League receivers, trailing only Saddleback's Clinton Allen (76 receptions, 1,218 yards). Rutledge's seven touchdown grabs were tied for the third-most in the Southern League.
After earning second-team honors as a freshman last year, Rutledge was the go-to pass-catcher in 2017 and against Grossmont on Oct. 21, he broke a 30-year school record with 229 receiving yards, surpassing former Pirate Junior Tagaloa's previous best of 209 set in 1987. 
Spruill, a 6'3, 290-pound offensive lineman out of Newport Harbor was the anchor of an offensive line that helped generate nearly 3,400 yards of total offense and 22.6 points per game for the Pirates in 2017.
Wojciechowski, a 5'10, 170-pound freshman from Lawton OK, led the Pirates with 920 all-purpose yards and his 102.2 yards-per-game average was fifth-most among in the Southern League. His 771 kick return yards led the Southern League, as did his 33 kickoff return attempts.
Coast also had eight more players earn second-team honors and they include ...
- Kyler Hack (6'5, 300, OL, Palo Verde HS) -- Another steady offensive lineman for coach Kevin Emerson's Pirates.
- Nico Jackson (6'2, 215, RB, El Toro HS) -- 793 rushing yards (third-most in the Southern League), 11 TDs on 176 carries.
- Rexford Demazeliere (6'3, 210, TE, Bretheran Christian HS) -- Caught 36 passes for 385 yards and four TDs in 2017.
- Daniel Garcia (5'11, 230, DL, Servite HS) -- Finished 2017 with 41 tackles (32 solo) with 6.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss.
- Mason Mataafa (6'5, 235, DL, Costa Mesa HS) -- Solid lineman who had 27 tackles (12 solo) with 2.5 sacks).
- Brandon Safford (6'0, 225, LB, Shaker HS) -- Fought through injures and in just five games, he racked up 32 tackles (21 solo).
- Nicholas Ebanks (5'8, 180, DB, Canoga Park HS) -- Second on the team with 44 tackles (34 solo) and led OCC with four interceptions and seven pass breakups.
- Josh Nelson (5'10, 190, DB, Tesoro HS) -- Notched 30 tackles in eight games with a pair of interceptions and six pass breakups.
