Coasters: On the Verge

Steve Virgen

The Orange Coast College football team, a fluke or for real? We’ll

find out in about two months.

But, judging on their aggressive recruiting in the offseason and their

focus of building from last year, the Pirates will not be pretenders.

One of Coach Mike Taylor’s greatest recruits is running back Niles

Mittasch from Oregon. Mittasch, a 6-foot, 195-pound speedster, earned

all-state honors as a tailback and a free safety last fall. He scored 42

touchdowns in 13 games for Churchill High.

Oregon State was set to offer him a full-ride scholarship, but he

didn’t score high enough on his SATs.

Commitments are difficult to determine in juco football, but Mittasch

said he has enrolled in fall classes at OCC and he is anxious to play for

the Pirates. In July, he will be looking for an apartment near the

school.

Just how did Taylor pick up on an out-of-state kid with this much

talent?

Sometimes, it’s about who you know, such is the case of Mittasch. His

high school football coach was Jack Wigmore, Taylor’s brother-in-law.

Wigmore told Mittasch of the community college with the up-and-coming

football team and its down-to-earth coach. Mittasch visited during his

spring break and was convinced that the time away from home would bring

him focus to regain Division I status.

His biggest challenge, surprisingly enough, might be playing time.

Taylor’s recruiting might result in a crowded backfield. Mittasch is

aware that there will be other players vying for the position he covets.

“That’s something I need to have in college in order for me to be

good,” Mittasch said from his home in Oregon in a phone interview last

week. “In high school, I really didn’t have a challenge. This is

something I’m looking forward to. It will give me something to work

harder for.”

If his success in high school is any indication, Mittasch will be a

star for the Pirates.

At Churchill High, Mittasch had an outstanding senior season and he

did it mostly in minimal action as he was pulled out of games because he

and his team built big leads. However, he once scored six touchdown runs

in one game.

In 13 games, Mittasch rushed for 1,564 yards on 180 carries (8.7 yards

per rush; 120.3 yards per game) and scored 34 touchdowns. He also

recorded 34 receptions for 725 yards (21.3 per catch) and six touchdowns.

He scored a touchdown on about every fifth touch.

“We could have gave him the ball more to pad his stats,” said Wigmore,

who played at Mater Dei High before moving on to Washington State. “He’s

elusive. He’s a really gifted athlete. Of all the kids I have coached,

he’s definitely right up there with Chris Miller (former NFL

quarterback).”

Mittasch seems to be on the fast track to success at Orange Coast.

While in Oregon, Mittasch became friends with Oregon’s feature running

back and possible Heisman hopeful Maurice Morris, the nation’s community

college career rushing, carries and all-purpose yards leader, after his

two years with Fresno City College.

Morris, who compiled 3,708 yards on 593 carries and amassed 4,487

all-purpose yards while playing for Fresno, advised Niles to make the

most of his time at Orange Coast.

“Maurice said to stay on the books, even though there’s a lot of

girls, that can wait,” said Mittasch, who had his haircuts by Morris’s

dad. “Maurice told me: ‘You’re on a mission and football is more

important. This is the step to get you to that higher level. What are you

going there for, football or girls?’ ”

If Mittasch keeps a level head does he think he can break Morris’s

juco records?

“It’s possible, anything can happen,” Mittasch said. “Hopefully, (OCC)

runs the ball a lot. If I could run the ball, a lot can happen.”

Mittasch also said he might extend his talents to OCC’s track team in

the spring. His PR in the 100 is a 10.82 and in the 200, a 21.9.

In Oregon, Mittasch also spread the word about OCC and two of his

friends might join him as Pirates. Stan Duke, who plays soccer, and Jason

Brooks, another football player, might follow Mittasch and continue their

careers with Coast.

Mittasch could receive a definite challenge in Aaron Hack, if he also

plays for the Pirates. Taylor says Hack, who played high school football

in Texas, is 6-1, 210 pounds and runs the 200 in 20.95. After watching

film on Hack, Taylor said, “he looks like Eric Dickerson.”

In JCFootball.com’s California Preseason Top 25 rankings, Orange Coast

is at No. 15. The Pirates would have probably ranked higher, but the

linebacker trio of Martin Janzon, Justin Blackard and Dustin Davis is

gone.

However, the offense features returnees quarterback Nick Higgs and

receiver Jonathan Jackson. Also, OCC strengthened itself with what can be

a great recruiting class.

“The recruiting is going very well,” said Taylor. “With all the

improvements on campus, the interest level is up.”

Taylor also noted, OCC’s bowl appearance and the Mission Central

Division co-championship has boosted interest, but Taylor said the team,

which finished 7-4, still has to win more games this season in order to

maintain the rich recruitment flow.

Yet, already, the Pirates’ hopes are riding high because of local

players, whom might play for OCC, including:

Newport Harbor High’s Travis Trimble (fullback), Mitch Gray (wide

receiver), Nick Moghaddam (offensive and defensive tackle); Estancia’s

Andy Romo (wide receiver/running back) and twins Kenny (quarterback/free

safety) and Danny (tight end/linebacker) Valbuena; Costa Mesa’s Antony

Grubisich (offensive and defensive line) and Alvin Nguyen (LB); Irvine’s

Dave Doomey (WR/DB) and Andy Howe (LB); Laguna Beach’s Will Blodgett

(WR); Mater Dei’s Robert Fernandez (DL); and Corona del Mar’s Aaron

Hacker might choose to redshirt next season, Taylor said.

Even OCC’s male athlete of the year, Tyler Townsend, is interested in

Pirate football. Townsend, the swimmer who broke the national junior

college record (48.1) in the 100-meter butterfly, says he is giving up

swimming because “it’s just too much training,” he said.

“I have athletic ability more geared toward football,” said Townsend,

who is 6-6, 215 pounds and plans to play at tight end. “I’ve retired from

swimming. I’ve been doing it for a long time. I’ve reached a point to

where I don’t want to do it anymore. I’m not going to do something that

I’m not going to give 100%.”

OCC’s athletic director Fred Hokanson says he’s enjoying his new job.

Though some might think the summer session would result in relaxation,

Hokanson is definitely at work.

“This is the first summer I’ve worked in 30 years,” Hokanson said.

Perhaps the most important work on his agenda is the hiring of three

new coaches. Already, OCC hired John Knox for the track and field team.

Applications for the assistant football coaching position closed on June

8, and Hokanson says the new coach will be announced before July.

After re-opening the head men’s basketball position last month, the

application process closed Friday. The interviewing will take place in

July and the hiring will be announced by the end of the month. Last

year’s coach, Mark Hill, is still working as the interim.

The OCC football team is not the only squad reaping the benefits from

the school’s facility improvements and teams’ successes. The Pirates’

baseball team is also on the verge of a great season in 2001-02. Scott

Beerer is definitely excited, saying Coast will be a powerhouse next

season.

The Newport Harbor High product recently agreed to a draft-and-follow

agreement with the Texas Rangers after they selected him in the 23rd

round of the Major League Amateur Draft.

Beerer may not be the only MLB hopeful on the Pirates next year. There

is a possibility OCC will have two more MLB-drafted players on its roster

next season, Beerer said.

Also, Pirates’ Coach John Altobelli gave seven players the option to

play for another program, because they wouldn’t receive ample playing

time with Coast. They will more than likely take him up on that and could

end up in local schools, possibly in the Orange Empire Conference.

Winning will not come easy for the Pirates’ football team this fall.

Included in the Bucs’ schedule in successive weeks are El Camino, Mt. San

Antonio and Pasadena City. El Camino is ranked No. 6 in the state and Mt.

SAC is No. 10.

The Bucs will play at No. 2 Palomar on Oct. 27, tentatively scheduled

for 1 p.m.

OCC FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Aug. 31 - Santa Monica (home, scrimmage) 1 p.m.

Sept. 8 - at East Los Angeles 7 p.m.

Sept. 15 - LA Harbor (home) 1 p.m.

*Sept. 22 - At El Camino 7 p.m.

*Sept. 29 - Mt. San Antonio (home) 7 p.m.

*Oct. 6 - Pasadena CC (home) 7 p.m.

*Oct. 20 - Golden West (at OCC) 7 p.m.

**Oct. 27 - at Palomar 1 p.m.

**Nov. 3 - Santa Ana (home) 1 p.m.

**Nov. 10 - Fullerton (home) 1 p.m.

**Nov. 17 - at Saddleback 7 p.m.

*Mission Conference nondivision game.

** Mission Conference Central Division game.