Pirate Football Earns Share of Conference Championship.

The Ventura College football team hosted rival Bakersfield College and came away with a 37-28 victory. The Pirate ground attack carried them to the victory with Chris Beeson going for 210 yards on 28 carries, while DJ Martin went for 175 on 15 carries. Beeson scored three touchdowns with Martin putting in one score. Mark Zavala collected 12 tackes and three and half sacks.

With their playoff hopes alive and a potential conference championship in the balance, VC took the field to face off with the Renegades of Bakersfield College. A win guaranteed the Pirates a share of the SCFA Northern Conference crown, yet if College of the Canyons knocked off Cerritos, VC had a chance at an outright title and a berth in the State playoffs. Bakersfield has long been a thorn in the side of Ventura and this night found itself to be no different.

Ventura took the opening kick and needed just one play to score their first touchdown of the evening when Martin scampered 47 yards to put the Pirates on top 6-0 with Jake Lanski drilling home the extra point VC was up 7-0. Ventura aided the Renegades with three personal foul penalties including a roughing the punter to extend the ensuing drive which BC turned into seven points and a tie game 7-7. The Pirates responded late in the first quarter at the end of a seven play 80 yard drive when Beeson went in from 7-yards out for a 14-7 Ventura advantage.

BC, who was 2-7 heading into the game, was not about to go quietly and responded to tie the game at 14-14. Ventura with one of the top passing attacks in the state and closing in on a school record for passing yardage could not get their aerial attack going. Yet, the consistent ground game from Beeson and Martin allowed the VC offense to chew up yardage and put points on the board. Beeson capped a five-play, 68-yard drive when he went in from 17 yards out. Holding a 21-14 advantage with under four minutes left in the first half the Pirates could not contain the Renegades passing game as they scored with just :23 left in the half for a 21-21. 

Locked in a dogfight headed into the second half which was to be expected with these two teams. Ventura was able to go back on top when Beeson went in for the third time in the game from 1-yard out to finish off a seven play 53 yard drive. The advantage was short lived when BC scored just over two minutes later on a deep pass to tie the game up at 28-28. The Pirates went on a drive deep into Renegade territory before stalling out, but Lanski hit from 24 yards out and gave the Pirates a 31-28 advantage.

Just before the fourth quarter opened, the VC defense stiffened up holding the Renegades without points and the Pirate offense marched down the field yet again but stalled deep in BC territory. Lanksi was called on and hit from 27 yards out to extend the Pirate advantage 34-28. When Ventura took over with just over eight minutes left on the clock they set about grinding out a ball control drive going 53 yards on 10 plays using up 5:32 of game clock before Lanski snuck in a 24 yard field goal which bounced off the upright after a Renegade defender got a hand on the attempt, but was unable to fully block it. 

The game was not sealed away yet though as Bakersfield went down the field aided by a big fourth down conversion to get into Pirate territory. Yet, after back to back sacks by the Ventura defense and a short pick up on third and long, the Renegades faced a fourth and 10. Ventura's secondary which had allowed nearly 400 yards passing was called on to make a play and made it at the most important time when they broke up a BC pass attempt along the sidelines to seal the victory.

Ventura's defense was paced by Zavala's impressive night, but as a team they registered seven total sacks with Tre Haynes adding two sacks. Additionally they collected 13 total tackles for a loss with Zavala having four, Haynes with three and Malcolm Williams added two. Devonte Smith collected two pass break ups and Ereck Wilson Jr. was responsible for the fourth down break up late in the game to seal the win. 

As the team celebrated their win and a share of the conference title, their future destination for next week was still in doubt. Later in the evening, word came in that Cerritos defeated Canyons to share the title with VC.  The Falcons receive the conference's spot in the SCFA playoffs while the Pirates will look to host a bowl game on Saturday Nov. 21.  Details for the Pirates' post-season game will be released on Sunday Nov. 15.