Owens keyed OCC-GWC gridiron rivalry

After being the only child in the Coast Community College District for 18 years, Orange Coast College, in Costa Mesa, got a little brother in 1965 with the inception of Golden West College, in Huntington Beach.

The intertwining history between the two neighboring schools began the next year when the Pirates and Rustlers faced off on the gridiron for the first time.

“It was a natural rivalry right from the start,” former longtime OCC football coach Dick Tucker said. “That was a game we always wanted to win no matter what.”

Today, Orange County community college football will celebrate the 40th anniversary of one of its most storied rivalries.

Orange Coast will try to hold on to the “Bell” — the trophy awarded to the winning team — for a third consecutive year when they face off against Golden West College at 5 p.m.

“Golden West has a tendency to keep it on their sideline during the game and the kids ring it,” Orange Coast Coach Mike Taylor said. “We figure that the bell on the night of the game is kind of on a neutral site and when the game’s over it comes to the sideline of the winner.”

By 1966, Orange Coast was a well established football program that had already won a state championship. Eager to build up their athletic program, the Rustlers hired Orange Coast assistant coach Fred Owens to become the new Athletic Director at Golden West.

It is easy to see how two schools that share a border, recruit from similar high schools and play in the same football stadium would become arch-rivals, but the single most contributing factor may have been the defection of Owens.

“Because Fred had been so close to our staff here and was an alumnus, he got the rivalry going with just his mere presence at Golden West,” marketing and community relations director at OCC Jim Carnett said. “He really talked it up to his staff that beating Coast is what was important.”

A crowd of 9,700 turned out for the first meeting between the Pirates and Rustlers at LeBard Stadium.

The contest served as much more than a football game between two junior colleges, it was for the pride of the cities and schools represented.

“This game has always meant a lot,” former OCC president and Golden West assistant coach Gene Farrell said. “It was for beach bragging rights.”

Another factor adding fuel to the rivalry was that most of the players on both teams had either played with or against each other at the high school level.

“You not only have kids from the same communities playing against each other, you have kids from the same family going at it,” Carnett said.

Over the years, interest has waned and the importance of the game seems to have lost some of its luster, but back then going to the game on a Saturday night was the thing to do.

“I think we’re a victim of our own society; now there are eight million things to do on a Saturday,” sports information director at OCC Tony Altobelli said.

Altobelli remembers the game being more significant when he was a student at OCC and with the help of the Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club he hopes to restore the historic matchup to its rightful place.

In honor of the anniversary, the game has been named Beach Bowl XL and there will be a tailgate party beforehand.

Even though this is the 39th meeting between the teams, it’s been 40 years since Orange Coast and Golden West first played.

“I’m excited about them reviving the whole rivalry,” dean of physical education and athletics at OCC Barbara Bond said. “It makes the game that much more exciting.”