The annual "Battle of the Bell" showdown between Golden West College and rival Orange Coast College will be played a few days early this season, as part of a special lineup of six Southern California Football Association (SCFA) games scheduled for Thursday night.

Kickoff for this year's rivalry game is set for 6 p.m. at OCC's LeBard Stadium. Tickets to the contest in Costa Mesa can be purchased online in advance at Orange Coast College's online ticketing website. | TICKETS

The game will also be live streamed by the OCC Athletic Department. | LIVE STREAM

The Rustlers will look to continue their dominance over the Pirates having won six straight rivalry games since the 2016 season. Golden West has won 10 of the last 11 overall with the Pirates' last victory in 2015. In last year's Battle of the Bell, Golden West cruised to a 41-7 triumph at home in both teams' 2022 season-opener. 

Golden West enters the contest with a 4-1 overall record. The Rustlers have won three straight games since their lone loss to defending SCFA champion Riverside in Week 2.  

Prior to last week's bye, Golden West rallied for a 31-21 win over Citrus. Trailing after three quarters, the Rustlers put up 14 points in the fourth to pull out the victory. Jae'Sean Pete ran for 75 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the offense.

The Rustlers will look to remain unbeaten in the National Central League as they bring a 2-0 mark to the game.

Orange Coast is off to a rough start this season with an 0-5 overall record. The Pirates were blown out by East Los Angeles 51-7 before entering the bye week. OCC has been outscored by a combined 257-78 margin over its five contests with opponents averaging 51.4 points per game.