Rustlers rout OCC 58-9 for seventh straight Battle of the Bell game victory

Rustlers rout OCC 58-9 for seventh straight Battle of the Bell game victory
October 12, 2023
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COSTA MESA – Golden West College continued its recent stretch of dominance against its in-district rival Orange Coast College. Playing in a special Thursday night matchup, the Rustlers reigned supreme on both sides of the ball in a 58-9 win over the Pirates at LeBard Stadium.

Golden West retains the Battle of the Bell trophy for the seventh straight season. The Rustlers have now won 11 of the last 12 meetings of the two rivals.

Sophomore wide receiver Nate Jimenez had a huge game on offense for Golden West while sophomore defensive back Marquis Brown was just as impressive.

Jimenez led the Rustlers with just 3 receptions but all of them went for touchdowns. Jimenez scored on TDs of 47, 18, and 9 yards. His final reception at the 7:18 mark in the third quarter extended the Rustlers' lead to 37-0.

Dasani McIntosh (44 yards) and Jonathan Smith (18 yards) also had receiving touchdowns. In limited action, quarterback Parker Awad completed 6 of 9 passes for 182 yards and 3 TDs.

Braden Siri and Skyler Partridge also got in on the action with passing touchdowns. Luther Richesson ran in for a 1-yard TD, and Jad Othman nailed a 46-yard field goal to close out the scoring for the Rustlers.

Brown was a force on defense, coming up with 3 interceptions in the contest. He turned in one of the biggest plays of the season.

With time winding down in the second quarter, Orange Coast drove its way to the Golden West 4-yard line. On second and 2, Brown picked off OCC quarterback Zach Congalton's pass inside his own end zone and ran it back the entire length of the field 100 yards for a touchdown with just one second left before halftime.

Later in the game, Harrison Cofell added a 69-yard interception return for a TD. Cofell's score made it a 44-0 game with 2:16 to go in the third quarter. The four interceptions by the Rustlers' defense were a new season-high.

Orange Coast (0-6, 0-3 NCL) finally broke up the shutout in fourth. With 11:19 to play, the Pirates earned a safety on a botched running play to make it 44-2.

Thursday's victory improved Golden West to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in the National Central League. The Rustlers have won four straight since their Week 2 loss to Riverside.

GWC will get some extended time off until returning to the field on Saturday, Oct. 21 when the Rustlers travel to San Bernardino Valley College for a 1 p.m. league game.