Pirates plant flag on Dons turf

FOOTBALL.

Orange Coast’s Jackson Dionne split the uprights for a 24-yard field goal with 31 seconds left in the game, allowing the Pirates to defeat Santa Ana College Saturday, 25-22, in the second annual “Victory Flag” contest.

Dionne orchestrated an impressive turnaround after looking lost the first 55-plus minutes of game play. He missed four field goal attempts — two from 48 yards, one from 37 and another from 32.

“I just wanted to get back to the basics. Snap. Hold. Kick,” Dionne said. “The snap was perfect, the hold was perfect and it led to a field goal.”

The one-dimensional offense ran by the Pirates accrued 307 of its 439 total yards on the ground. Running back Domenic Betts ran for 198 yards on 40 carries with two touchdowns.

Betts’ second touchdown gave OCC a 22-15 lead.

“I had great blocking and it was a perfect pitch,” Betts said. “It was too easy to score.”

After receiving the opening kick off, the Dons wasted no time putting points on the board. Receiver Josh Webb connected with receiver Ario Winston for a 79-yard TD on a reverse option, the first play from scrimmage. Seven drives and nearly 30 minutes of game time elapsed before Terrance Holzendorf’s 17-yard TD run made the score 15-7 in favor of SAC.

“At times when you come out fast and hit a play like that it goes against your momentum,” Head Coach Geoff Jones said. “We beat ourselves today, in a lot of different ways.”

The loss was the Dons (5-5) last game of 2011, as the team did not qualify for a bowl game. Last season SAC won the inaugural “Victory Flag” challenge 41-20. OCC (4-6) holds the all-time series lead 31-29-1.

GAME STATS

1 – Josh Webb tossed a 79-yard TD to receiver Ario Winston.
2 – QBs Andrew McDonald and Duke DeLancellotti combined for four INTs.
3 – SAC lost three of its final five games.