Orange Coast Tops Palomar in Football

Quarterback Nick Higgs connected with Vince Strang on a 21-yard touchdown pass with 4 minutes 5 seconds remaining to help Orange Coast defeat Palomar, 21-17, in a Mission Conference football game Saturday at OCC. It was the Pirates’ fourth consecutive win.

Palomar led, 7-0, early in the first quarter after Keiki Misipeka scored on a five-yard run. Higgs then found Jonathan Jackson for a 40-yard touchdown pass to tie it a few minutes later.

The teams entered the fourth quarter still tied, thanks to a third-quarter goal-line stand by the Pirates.

Palomar had first and goal at the Orange Coast three-yard line and tried four straight running plays to no avail. Orange Coast took over on downs at the one.

The Pirates (4-3, 2-0) scored next in the fourth quarter when offensive lineman Adam Fisher returned a blocked field goal four yards for a touchdown and a 14-7 lead.

Palomar (4-3, 1-1 in conference) answered with a touchdown pass of 45 yards from quarterback Andy Goodenough to Deondre Alexander and later got a 42-yard field goal from Cesar Hernandez, before Higgs and Strang combined for the game-winner.

Higgs completed 12 of 26 passes for 230 yards and wide receiver Justin Dale had three receptions for 109 yards for Orange Coast.

In other conference games:

Fullerton 34, Saddleback 14--Quarterback Jeff Crooks passed for 187 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 91 yards for the visiting Hornets (2-5, 1-1).

Crooks completed only five of 19 passes, but two of them went for 80- and 58-yard touchdowns to Guy Porter. Byungwoo Yun kicked field goals of 43 and 47 yards for the Hornets.

Saddleback (2-5, 1-1) remained scoreless until the fourth quarter, when Keller Christensen scored twice on one-yard runs.

Gaucho starting quarterback Jason Whieldon completed only seven of 19 passes for 27 yards, but reserve Mike De Falco completed five of 10 for 68 yards.

Santa Ana 33, Golden West 28--Coach Dave Ogas got his 100th career win at Santa Ana as quarterback Grant Wagner threw for 291 yards and five touchdowns to lead the visiting Dons (1-6, 1-0).

Wagner connected on touchdown passes of 21, 19 and 31 yards to receiver Derrick Barnes and also found David Hatch for touchdown strikes of 17 and three yards.

Rustler quarterback Anthony Zaragoza kept Golden West (0-7, 0-2) in the game, completing 20 of 40 passes for 310 yards and a touchdown and also scoring on a seven-yard keeper in the fourth quarter, but Santa Ana never trailed.

The Dons took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter on two Barnes touchdown catches.

The Rustlers answered when they recovered their own fumble in the end zone to make the score 14-6. The extra-point attempt failed.