LAAU ASOAU and Demetrius Lalofau celebrrate with their prize after winning the Battle of the Bell
By Adam Stites
Sun managing editor
The Victory Bell remains in the possession of the Golden West Rustlers after the football team defeated its rivals, the Orange Coast Pirates, 27-20 in a thrilling, come-from-behind win on Saturday, Nov. 5. at LeBard Stadium.
The team needed 21 unanswered points in the second half and two fourth quarter interceptions to make up for a 20-6 halftime deficit.
Led by quarterback Raymond Huizar, the Rustlers offense had three consecutive scoring drives that each went for more than 70 yards to capture the lead.
It was the Pirates that struck first, hitting a 39-yard field goal five minutes into the game and extending their lead with a 38-yard touchdown run by Dominic Betts.
The Rustlers struck back quickly and cut into the lead when Michael Pierre found the end zone from one yard out, but a missed extra point left the deficit at four.
Betts, who broke the single season rushing record for the Pirates during the game, scored again to extend the lead to 11 with a 57-yard run.
A 46-yard field goal by OCC’s Jackson Dionne with three seconds left in the half made the score 20-6 at the break.
Huizar was the hero of the second half for the Rustlers and started his heroics with a 14-yard touchdown to Ryan Watson on the opening possession of the second half. The scoring continued when Huizar found Jared Cohen for a nine-yard touchdown on GWC’s next possession to tie the score at 20.
On their third possession of the second half, the Rustlers earned their first lead of the game.
After a 40-yard rush by Victor Moananu in the final play of the third quarter gave Golden West the ball in Pirates territory, Huizar found Cohen again, this time from nine yards out.
Suddenly trailing after having led for the majority of the game, OCC had two potentially game tying drives deep into Rustlers territory, but the Golden West defense held strong.
An interception by Aaron Aviles thwarted the first drive on the GWC five-yard line and Roth Mendoza sealed the victory with an interception in the end zone with just 1:01 showing on the clock.
After the game head coach Nick Mitchell said that GWC was able to run the ball better in the second half and Huizar settled in to take what the defense gave him.
The win improves the GWC record to 3-1 in conference play with their final game coming against College of the Desert on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. in Palm Desert.
