Big year for Betts

Orange Coast College freshman running back Domenic Betts has been named Co-Offensive Player of the Year to highlight Pirates recognized on the All-East Conference football selections.

Betts, whose 1,772 rushing yards and 20 regular-season rushing touchdowns both led the state, set the OCC single-season rushing yardage record, topping the previous mark by more than 300.

Betts, who had 109 yards and one touchdown on 16 receptions, was joined on the first-team offense by OCC sophomore center Alex Davis and freshman kicker Jackson Dionne.

OCC punter Ricky Carroll was a first-team choice on defense, while Santa Ana sophomore Andrew McDonald, a Newport Harbor High product, repeated as the first-team quarterback.

McDonald completed 169 of 273 passes for 2,033 yards. He threw 22 touchdown passes and had seven interceptions. He also rushed for four touchdowns and 46 yards and his 61.9% completion rate ranked No. 9 in the state.

Dionne made 10 field goals, including boots of 53, 51 and 48 yards. His 51-yarder in the third overtime was a game-winner at Southwestern and he kicked a game-winning 24-yarder in the final minute of the season finale at Santa Ana.

Carroll averaged 39.5 yards on 42 punts to rank No. 8 in the state.

Davis, a 6-foot, 275-pound center, helped OCC post the state’s second-most productive rushing offense (279.2 yards per game). OCC led the 37-school Southern California Football Assn. in that category, besting the runner-up, Glendale, by more than 50 yards per game.

OCC had five second-team selections, including four on defense.

Freshman outside linebacker Aaron Jones, freshman middle linebacker Nick Cody, sophomore cornerback Evan Law and sophomore end Ross Pitsenberger represented OCC on the second-team defense.

Pirates sophomore tackle Kyle Donaldson was a second-team choice on offense.

Jones led OCC (4-6, 2-3 in conference) with 86 tackles, while Cody had 85 tackles, three fumble recoveries and one interception.

Law intercepted three passes to go with his 22 tackles. His 15 passes broken up tied for fourth most in the state.

Pitsenberger, who played tackle as a freshman, had 35 tackles, 2.5 sacks and seven quarterback hurries.

— Barry Faulkner