Pirates not really perfect

TORRANCE — With the start of Mission Conference National Division play, the margin for error narrowed for the Orange Coast College football team Saturday at El Camino College.

But, unfortunately for the Pirates, their propensity for turnovers increased beyond any manageable degree.

The result was a 31-17 loss to El Camino (5-1, 1-0 in the National Division), that will leave the Pirates (5-1, 0-1) trudging uphill in their battle for the division title.

OCC, ranked No. 4 in Southern California, rallied to take a 10-7 halftime lead, after the Pirates’ defense, ranked No. 1 in the 12-team conference, surrendered its first points in the opening quarter all season.

But El Camino tied the score, 10-10, with a field goal on its first second-half possession and four of the next five OCC possessions ended in turnovers to allow the Warriors to pull away.

El Camino turned a pair of interceptions thrown by Orange Coast sophomore quarterback Kekoa Crowell into a 24-10 lead going into the final period.

The hosts went 75 yards on nine plays after Lamar Chapman picked off Crowell, who had thrown just one interception the first five games, with 9:08 left in the third quarter.

Crowell then had a would-be screen pass tipped by charging linebacker Vuna Tuihalamaka, and the ball floated into the arms of defensive tackle John Finau, who returned it five yards to the Pirates’ 35-yard line.

Three plays later, Jamicah Bass powered over left tackle for a touchdown that made it 24-10.

OCC advanced into El Camino territory on its next two possessions.

But a punt and a fumble ended those scoring threats.

When the Pirates got the ball next — at their own four after a punt and a penalty — Crowell, being closed in on by the El Camino pass rush in the end zone, flipped the ball into the hands of James Wheeler, who hauled it in and returned it eight yards for the capping touchdown with 2:47 left.

OCC drove 70 yards on six plays for a touchdown with the ensuing kickoff, but it was too little, too late.

“[The Warriors] made some plays and we made some turnovers,” said Orange Coast Coach Mike Taylor, whose team’s plus-13 turnover margin had helped it post the program’s best start since 1991.

“You have to be a real good football team to beat [the Warriors], and we just didn’t perform in the second half like we needed to.”

Crowell finished with three interceptions and 153 passing yards, but his playmaking ability was relied upon heavily, since the Pirates struggled running the ball.

OCC produced 100 rushing yards on 29 attempts and 10 of freshman tailback Andrew Banks’ 15 rushing attempts were held to two or fewer yards.

The Pirates had three running plays gain more than 10 yards, two on Crowell scrambles of 13 and 14 and another, for 11 yards, on an end-around by receiver Damola Adeniji.

And while the four OCC turnovers put the defense in difficult position, El Camino also put together sustained drives against the highly-touted unit.

El Camino quarterback Boo Jackson completed his first seven passes, including all six in the Warriors’ seven-play, 72-yard touchdown drive on its opening possession.

Jackson, who is now 2-0 as a starter, completed 18 of 33 for 201 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions.

Jackson used eight receivers and was one of his team’s nine ballcarriers as the Warriors produced 25 first downs and 408 yards of total offense.

Crowell was 13 of 23 passing with two TDs.

He rushed for 44 yards on seven attempts to lead all OCC ballcarriers.

Ryan Wolfe and Steve Lajkowicz had sacks and middle linebacker Jason Carpenter picked up a fumbled lateral pass and returned it 21 yards to halt an El Camino drive that reached the Pirates’ 19-yard line in the second quarter.

Orange Coast cashed in that turnover when Brock Jaramillo kicked a 45-yard field goal.

On the Pirates’ next possession, it needed six plays to march 66 yards for the go-ahed touchdown, a 30-yard Crowell pass to A.J. Moskus with 1:16 left before intermission.

But the vaunted defense OCC had displayed in the first five games was overcome by a productive and opportunistic El Camino offense.

The Pirates will try to rebound against Saddleback, ranked No. 1 in Southern California.

The two will collide Saturday at OCC.