Pirates too much for Raiders

Orange Coast College introduced all of its 2015-16 athletic teams at halftime of the Pirates’ nonconference home football game against Moorpark on Saturday night.

But not before the OCC football squad made an introduction of its own, unveiling a dominant presence that has been virtually nonexistent in more years than most Pirates’ followers can remember.

Sophomore quarterback Mason Dossey threw three first-half touchdown passes and the Pirates scored on five of their six first-half possessions on their way to a 31-0 intermission lead.

OCC, which had allowed 75 points in two losses to open the season, returned two interceptions for touchdowns and went on to record a 38-8 victory that rivaled the most impressive performance during the tenure of second-year coach Kevin Emerson.

The 31-point first half matched the most points scored in the opening two quarters during the Emerson era (OCC led Saddleback, 31-21, at halftime last season). The 30-point victory margin was the second largest for OCC in the last 24 seasons. Only a 49-10 thumping of Los Angeles Pierce last season provided a bigger final cushion for the Pirates in the aforementioned period that spans 234 games since a 56-6 drubbing of San Diego City in 1991.

“It’s the way it’s supposed to be,” Emerson said. “In the first half, we were running on all cylinders. We went out and executed and when you go out and execute the game plan and everyone is on the same page, good things happen.”

OCC marched 78 yards on 14 plays with opening kickoff to take a 7-0 lead, then sophomore cornerback Derrick Worthy jumped a pass route on the first snap after the ensuing kickoff for a 26-yard interception return to double the lead.

It was Worthy’s second pick-six in three games this season.

“The coaches told us to come out and play fast and physical and swarm to the ball and we feel like that’s what we did,” said Worthy, who was one of four Pirates to procure interceptions.

Sophomore cornerback Joseph Jackson capped the scoring with a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown near the end of the third quarter.

Freshman strong safety Brandon Worthy halted Moorpark’s first second-half possession by intercepting at his own 29-yard line and returning it 42 yards.

Freshman middle linebacker Mark Cushing also had an interception on a deflected pass, helping stymie a Moorpark team that earned a 39-31 home triumph over the Pirates last season and had won all three previous meetings between the two programs.

The only time the Raiders penetrated beyond the OCC 42-yard line was during its 76-yard touchdown drive that culminated in a 27-yard pass with 9:49 left in the third quarter.

“[Pirates’ defenders] came out and attacked the ball,” Emerson said. “We’ve really tried to put an emphasis on 11 hats to the ball and we swarm. We are really trying to increase their perseverance to the ball.”

After freshman Dan Bjurman’s 33-yard field goal capped a 17-point first quarter, OCC composed second quarter scoring drives of 94 yards on nine plays and 60 yards on 10 plays. It finished off the half with an eight-yard scoring pass from Dossey to sophomore Stefan Derrick with seven seconds left before the break.

Derrick, who had 202 receiving yards in last week’s 34-31 home loss to highly regarded Cerritos, led OCC receivers with five catches for 63 yards. Derrick caught a 12-yard touchdown toss to open the scoring.

Dossey was 12 for 16 in the first half for all of his 132 passing yards, before taking the final 10 minutes off to savor the victory. He also rushed for 53 yards on nine attempts.

OCC posted a 239-84 advantage in total offense in the first two quarters, before Moorpark closed the gap after halftime.

After pulling within 31-8, Moorpark held on fourth-and-one at the OCC 29 to spark some momentum. But Brandon Worthy intercepted four plays later and OCC controlled the game from that point.

Linebackers Cushing (12 tackles) and Mike Hayden (11) led the OCC defense that stopped 11 Moorpark plays at or behind the line of scrimmage, including sacks by Hayden and Jonathan Jennings that both produced fumbles.

OCC defensive linemen Joshua Odigie, Cody Meddaugh and Preston Hendry, as well as Cushing, had additional tackles for losses to add to the dominance.

*

Orange Coast 38, Moorpark 8

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Moorpark 0 0 8 0 – 8

OCC 17 14 7 0 – 38

FIRST QUARTER

OCC – Derrick 12 pass from Dossey (Bjurman kick), 7:55.

OCC – Worthy 26 interception return (Bjurman kick), 7:45.

OCC – Bjurman 33 FG, 2:38.

SECOND QUARTER

OCC – Watts 15 pass from Dossey (Bjurman kick), 5:14.

OCC – Derrick 8 pass from Dossey (Bjurman kick), 0:07.

THIRD QUARTER

M – Lacombe 27 pass from Hammack (Hammack run), 9:49.

OCC – Jackson 50 interception return (Bjurman kick), 0:30.

INDIVIDUAL RUSHING

M – Johnson, 13-50.

OCC – Rodriguez, 13-80; Dossey, 9-53.

INDIVIDUAL PASSING

M – Hammack, 15-27-4, 151, 1 TD.

OCC – Dossey, 12-18-0, 132, 3 TDs.

INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING

M – Lacombe, 6-72, 1 TD.

OCC – Derrick, 5-63m 2 TDs.