Pirates Claim Citrus Cup For Record 10th Straight Year

The 50th edition of the Citrus Cup game between VC and Moorpark had just about everything. There were fake punts, onside kicks, turnovers and big plays. But in the end, it was Pirate head coach Steve Mooshagian doused with ice water as Ventura retained the Cup for a series record-tying 10th straight year with a 49-27 victory at Moorpark Saturday night. Quarterback Jake Constantine passed for 279 yards and four touchdowns, Thomas Duckett rushed for 85 yards and a score and Jesse Lemonaire recorded three quarterback sacks to lead the Pirates (6-2, 3-0) to victory.

Ventura leads the all-time series against the Raiders 29-21.

The game got off to an inauspicious start for the Pirates who fumbled on the third play from scrimmage deep in Moorpark territory. The Raiders took full advantage of the turnover, scoring a touchdown on the next play for a 7-0 lead, their first advantage against the Pirates in seven years.

VC had an answer, however, taking the ensuing drive 64 yards in 11 plays to even the score. Duckett had five carries for 34 yards on the drive, and Constantine passed for the rest, including a 5-yard scoring strike to Jared Thomsen. The touchdown was set up by a Raider offsides penalty on 4th-and-3 for Ventura from the Moorpark 10-yard line as the Pirates were setting up a 27-yard field goal attempt. Cooper Garcia remained perfect on the season with the extra point kick.

The teams traded punts before Moorpark took a big risk with a fake punt from their own 29-yard line on a 4th-and-1 late in the first quarter. The Pirate defense stopped the trickery with Praise Villiamu making the stop, giving the offense a short field. VC took full advantage as Constantine hit Sam Flowers with a 23-yard pass play and Duckett finished the final six yards on the ground, finding paydirt with one second left in the period. Garcia's kick made it 14-7 VC at the quarter break.

Following another Moorpark punt, the Pirates began asserting control. VC drove 87 yards down the field in 11 plays for another score, with a Raider pass interference penalty and a 28-yard Constantine pass to Naquis Caldwell setting up the touchdown. Constantine finished the drive with a 12-yard pass and run to Dominic Benson and Garcia converted the kick for a 21-7 advantage.

After the Raiders used 6:03 of the clock in a drive for a touchdown, VC had just 1:16 remaining.  Constantine and the Pirates worked the 2-minute drill to perfection as VC matriculated down the field toward the end zone. The Pirate signal caller was 7-8 on the 62-yard drive, adding a 2-yard touchdown pass to Kendric Mallory with three seconds remaining as the exclamation point.  Garcia's kick gave Ventura a 28-14 lead at halftime.

The Pirates defense forced a 3-and-out by the Raiders to open the second half.  VC's offense gained nine yards on its first three plays from scrimmage, setting up a 4th-and-1 at the MC 49-yard line. The Pirates went for the first rather than punting the ball away. Constantine's pass fell incomplete, turning the ball back to the raiders on downs at midfield.

Fortunately, The VC defense held fast, forcing another 3-and-out, and the Pirates got the ball back, albeit at the Ventura 8-yard line.

The Pirates were able to drive 92-yards down the field to the end zone in 11 plays.  The big play of the drive came on a 4th-and-2 from the Raiders' 46-yard line when Lemonaire took a direct snap on a fake punt and rushed 27 yards down field for a first down. Gil Scott Jackson finished the drive with a 10-yard gallop for the touchdown. Garcia's kick made the score 35-14 for Ventura.

The Ventura defense remained tough on the ensuing possession, forcing yet another 3-and-out by the Raiders. Lemonaire's quarterback sack on 3rd-and-10 provided the emphasis for the "D".

Following a Moorpark punt and a penalty on the return, the Pirates, once again, matriculated down the field for a score. Duckett provided the spark with a 35-yard run to start the drive and Constantine finished it with a 16-yard pass and run to Flowers for the touchdown. Garcia's kick gave Ventura a 42-14 advantage with 1:14 left in the third quarter.

On the kickoff, Ventura surprised everyone with an onside kick, recovering the ball. An offsides penalty on the kick nullified the Pirate recovery, however, and VC kicked the ball deep to the Raiders as a result.

Moorpark, to their credit, kept up the fight.  On the ensuing drive they used a 54-yard pass play to set up a 14-yard score.  The extra point was blocked and the Pirate lead was trimmed to 42-20, still in the third period.

The Raiders then took their turn with the onside kick, recovering the ball and taking possession at the Pirate 48-yard line.  The Ventura defense held fast once again, despite the short field, forcing the Raiders into a 4th-and-6 at the VC 26. On the play, Jarryl Taylor forced a quarterback hurry, as MC's pass attempt was incomplete, giving the ball back to Ventura.

Following a pair of punts, the Pirates went on offense at their own 40-yard line midway through the final stanza. Three plays later, Quarterback Ricky Town hit Connor MacArthur on a short pass, and MacArthur did the rest of the work with his legs. The Pirate receiver used a great cutback to spring himself free for a 55-yard catch and run for a touchdown. Garcia remained perfect on PAT tries, and Ventura led 49-20.

The Raiders added one more score late in the game, but it had no effect on the result as the Pirates won convincingly 49-27.

Constantine completed 26 of 37 passes on the night without an interception. As a team, VC outgained Moorpark 555-262 with 246 yards passing and 209 yards on the ground. 10 different Pirates caught a pass in the game, including eight receptions by Mallory for 51 yards and a score. flowers had four catches for 67 yards and a touchdown and Benson also caught four passes for 39 yards and a TD.

Defensively, Lemonaire had eight tackles, including three sacks and two quarterback hurries, and Steven Nolasco had six stops. Alvin Pacheco and Kenny Turnier each recorded five tackles in the game.

The victory for Ventura sets up a winner-take-all match up against Bakersfield on Saturday Nov. 4 at the VC Sportsplex. The Pirates and Renegades are tied atop the Northern Conference standings with two games remaining. A VC win would clinch at least a share of the conference title and the conference's automatic playoff berth while a BC win would put the Renegades in the driver's seat for the conference crown. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 pm at the Sportsplex and the game can be seen live on the VC Sports Network.