Pirate Football Goes Toe-to-Toe with Top Seed

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.

Riverside, who entered the game as the regional playoffs' No. 1-seed, took the opening kickoff and marched 76 yards in eight plays for a touchdown.  A missed extra point limited the Tigers' lead to 6-0.

After the Pirates punted on their first possession, the defense came up big on the next. VC forced a Riverside fumble and CJ Hodgdon recovered on the RCC 35 yard line, setting up a short field for Ventura.

Marquez and the offense took full advantage, visiting the end zone five plays later. After a Tiger penalty on fourth-and-short extended the VC possession, Marquez hit Grear from 21 yards out for the score. LJ Harms' kick was good and the Pirates led 7-6 with 7:38 remaining in the first quarter.

RCC had an answer, however, scoring another touchdown on the next drive for a 13-7 advantage.

Lamonte James took the ensuing kickoff and returned it 24 yards to the VC 35 as Marquez and the Pirate offense returned to the field. Jesse Valenzuela had a 21 yard run early in the drive, and Brown ran for 24 to set up a quarterback sneak by Marquez from the 1-yard line for the score. Harms kick put VC back on top, 14-13.

After another RCC score, the game settled in with both teams punting the ball away. On the Togers' punt, however, Ventura came up with another big play when Tyler Enderle came up with the block that was recovered at the RCC 26. 

After a pair of rushes by Valenzuela and a Marquez completing to Kevin Tate, the Pirates were in position to score and retake the lead at the Riverside 7-yard line. Marquez was intercepted in the end zone on the next play, however, and the tables turned.

The Tigers drove 80 yards in nine plays for another score and completed the 14-point turnaround with the PAT and VC trailed 27-14 with 3:48 remaining in the half.

Ventura responded positively, however, with a scoring drive set up by a 30-yard kick return by Valenzuela and a 57 yard run by Brown. Harm kicked a 25-yard field goal to pull VC to within 27-17.

The Tigers were not content with the 10-point advantage, however, and took just 1:47 to score another touchdown, going into intermission with a 33-17 lead.

Valenzuela, who averaged over 35 yards per return on six kick returns, gave the Pirates great field position to start the second half after returning the kick to the VC 42. Ventura took less than four minutes to drive for a score, completing the possession with a 26-yard touchdown pass from Marquez to Tate, who danced on the sideline to finish inside the pylon on the goal line. Marquez hit Grear on the 2-point conversion and the Pirates climbed back to within one score, 33-25.

RCC had an answer, however, driving 80 yards on 13 plays on the ensuing possession to claim a 15-point margin, 40-25.

After Valenzuela's game-high 52-yard kick return, VC drove for another score, this time a 19-yard pass from Marquez to Grear to paydirt. Harms' kick made it a one possession game once again, 40-32, late in the third quarter.

After a Riverside punt, the Pirates were driving for what could have been a game-tying score when the turnover monster reared its ugly head again. On a 2nd-and-10 play at the RCC 13, Brown rushed for eight yards to the 5-yard line before coughing up the ball. The Tigers recovered in the end zone quieting the VC scoring threat.

Six plays later, Riverside scored on a 39-yard touchdown pass to provide the final margin of victory, 47-32.

Valenzuela added 37 rushing yards to his impressive haul returning kickoffs and Tate totaled eight catches for 84 yards and a score. Hodgdon totaled 11 stops defensively and Dzjon Hal had nine tackles in the game for the Pirates.

Ventura ends the season at 7-4, but the year is not without its highlights.  VC claimed their third straight Northern Conference title and their eighth conference crown in the last 10 seasons. They also made their 11th straight post-season appearance under head coach Steve Mooshagian, their seventh in the SCFA playoffs since 2012.