After a tough loss against the top ranked Fullerton Hornets, the Mt. SAC football team finally returned home to close out non-conference play against Orange Coast College on Saturday, Sept. 30.

Trailing the Pirates 7-12 through the first quarter, Mt. SAC finally took off with a 34-yard touchdown run by freshman Hykeem Massey. Massey’s TD was the first of six unanswered touchdowns from the Mounties.

Four quarters into the game, Mt. SAC prevailed over Orange Coast by a score of 49-19.

The Mounties were without freshman quarterback Jaiave Magalei, however, the offense did not skip a beat as sophomore Richard Stammetti put on an absolute clinic as he completed 13 of 22 passes for 152 yards and three touchdowns. Leading the offense was sophomore receiver Brice Hoenisch, who caught two passes for 62 yards with both catches being touchdowns. Massey rushed for 127 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.

In total, the Mounties had 538 yards of offense, their third time reaching 500 yards this season.

The Mt. SAC defense was flat-out dominant as they held the Pirates to -7 rushing yards and forced six turnovers. Alexander Vainikolo led the defense with eight total tackles and two forced fumbles. Elmer Pauni had two sacks that totaled for 9 yards. Lamar Dawson and La’Tre Jacquess both had interceptions to cap off the defense’s night.

The Mounties ended their non-conference schedule with a record of 4-1 as they head into a bye week. They kick off conference play on October 14 on the road against Long Beach City College, who currently have a record of 3-2.