2022 Ventura College Football News
Ventura College student athletes excelled once again in the classroom in 2022-23, achieving an overall 3.29 grade point average in the fall and following that up with a 3.19 overall GPA in the spring semester. A total of 108 Pirates achieved a 3.5 GPA or higher, earning mention on the Dean's List in the fall 2022 term while taking in 12 or more units of study, with 53 student athletes recording a perfect 4.0 GPA. In spring 2023, 110 VC student athletes were named on the Dean's List with 45 posting perfect GPA's.
Ventura College football coach Steve Mooshagian has announced 19 transfers from the 2022 SCFA Semifinalist Pirate football team, 13 of whom were mid-year transfers. Among the transfers and signees, 15 are moving on to NCAA Division I and four to NCAA Division II.
Ashlyn Flinchum and Jesse Valenzuela were named the Outstanding Sophomore Athletes for the 2022-23 year at the VC Athletics Hall of Fame and Student Athlete Recognition Banquet last month. Flinchum was an All-American pitcher for the Western State Conference champion VC softball team in the spring while Valenzuela earned All-American honors as a multipurpose back honors for VC's SCFA Northern Conference champion football team last fall.
Not even Jaylen Watson himself can believe the impact he has had an NFL rookie. Making his first NFL start, the former two-time All-American at Ventura College intercepted Justin Herbert and returned it for a touchdown on “Monday Night Football.” And now he’s set to become the first Ventura College alumni to play in a Super Bowl Sunday, when Kansas City faces Philadelphia in Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona.
Ventura College football alumnus Jessie Lemonier '17 passed away Wednesday at the age of 25. The 2017 SCFA Northern Conference Defensive player of the year transferred from VC to Liberty University in Virginia before signing as an undrafted free agent with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020. He played six games with the Chargers that season and appeared in seven games with the Detroit Lions in 2021. No further details about Lemonier's death were given.
VC running back Jesse Valenzuela earned All-American honors as an all-purpose back as voted upon by the California Community College Football Coaches Association following the 2022 season. The first team All-SCFA honoree as an all-purpose back, kick returner and punt returner also headlined five Pirates on the region III All-State list.
Pirate running back Jesse Valenzuela was named first team-All Northern Conference for the Southern California Football Association in three positions, all-purpose, kick returner and punt returner, to lead seven Pirates named first team All-SCFA in voting by the conference coaches last month. Offensive lineman Caleb Barajas and wide receiver Tim Grear earned offensive nods to join Valenzuela while defensive lineman Jonah Rubadue, defensive end Angelo Jewell, defensive back Marquette Harris and punter LJ Harm also were named first team All-SCFA.
The VC football team went toe-to-toe with Top-ranked and undefeated Riverside Saturday in the Southern California Football Association semifinals, but three red zone turnovers quelled the Pirates' chances at an upset in their 47-33 playoff loss. Ventura's Most Valuable Player of the game Tim Grear had 121 receiving yards and two touchdowns while quarterback Samuel Marquez had 245 passing yards with three scores. JQ Brown gained 147 yards on the ground for Ventura (7-4) and James Tuayemie led the defense with 13 tackles.
Fresh off of rising above a six-way tie atop the Northern Conference entering the final week of the regular season to its third straight conference title, the Pirate football team is headed back to the Southern California Football Association playoffs. Ventura (7-3) has earned the No. 4-seed in the region and will travel to take on No. 1 Riverside (10-0) on Saturday Nov. 26 at San Bernardino Valley College with a 2:00 pm kickoff.
The Ventura College football team moved out to a lead early at East Los Angeles and held of the Huskies late 27-21 to clinch a share of their third straight SCFA Northern Conference title. Chris Reaves had 81 yards receiving on five catches with two touchdowns and Jessie Valenzuela rand the ball 13 times for 140 yards and a score to lead the Pirates (7-3, 3-2). Adrian Soracco and Drew Carter each recorded 11 tackles to lead the defense.
The VC football team jumped out to a 20-0 lead through one-plus quarters of play before holding off a second half charge by Canyons in the Pirates' 23-13 Northern Conference win at the Sportsplex Saturday night. The Pirate defense allowed just 190 yards, 63 on the ground, holding back the Cougars despite six Ventura turnovers in the contest. Adrian Soracco, Jalen Cooper and CJ Hodgdon led the defense with nine, eight and seven tackles, respectively, while VC quarterback Samuel Marquez passed for 266 yards and three touchdowns.
For several years now, the VC-Hancock football game has been decided in dramatic fashion. The 2022 edition of the rivalry lived up to the history as the Pirates scored two touchdowns in the final 2:23 of the game to defeat the Bulldogs 36-31 at the VC Sportsplex Saturday night. Samuel Marquez, the fourth VC quarterback to start a game this season, passed for 365 yards and three touchdowns to lead the effort and JQ Brown rushed for 97 yards and the game-winning score with 25 seconds remaining in the game.
The road is never easy, and Northern Conference play is no exception. The Pirate football team found the road a difficult place to play again on Saturday, dropping a 31-21 decision at Bakersfield. Reserve quarterback Samuel Marquez came on to pass for 143 yards and two touchdowns, JQ Brown ran for 69 yards and had another 25 receiving, and Jesse Valenzuela had 59 rushing yards with a score to lead the VC effort. Defensively, Jett Alldredge recorded 11 tackles and Adrian Soracco had nine. James Tuayemie and CJ Hodgdon each had eight stops.
Despite two lightening delays and a 23-0 deficit 20 minutes into the game, the Pirate football team had a chance in the end Saturday at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Long Beach. But as the rains returned at the end of the fourth quarter, VC's seven-game Northern Conference win streak washed away in their 33-26 setback against the Vikings. Tim Grear racked up 120 receiving yards and a touchdown, and Jesse Valenzuela totaled 126 yards overall with another score to lead Ventura (4-2, 0-1).
The quarterback shuffle continued for the Ventura College football team Saturday producing another victory in their final non-conference tilt. Ezekiel Savage II came in for the injured Nathaniel Frederick late in the first half and completed a 2-point conversion and a 58-yard touchdown pass on his first two throws to boost VC to a 42-37 win over Saddleback at the Sportsplex. Jesse Valenzuela had 269 combined yards, including 120 yards rushing with a score while CJ Hodgdon recorded 14 tackles defensively as the No. 10/9-ranked Pirates moved to 4-1 on the season.
The Pirate football team was down 13-0 midway through the second quarter Saturday night in Rancho Cucamonga before reeling off 21 unanswered points to defeat Chaffey 21-13. Nathaniel Frederick came off the bench to pass for 163 yards and two touchdowns and Jesse Valenzuela rushed for 56 yards and a score to lead the charge. Adrian Soracco had 10 tackles while Jett Aldredge recorded eight stops and grabbed a key interception in the win for Ventura (3-1).
