With the Northern Conference title sewn up, all that remained for the Pirate football team was to run the table on the conference schedule. Those hopes were dashed Saturday night as VC (6-4, 5-1) once again found Bakersfield College a difficult place to play in their 25-19 loss to the Renegades.
Bakersfield took the opening kickoff and drove to the red zone before Dylan Boyce came up with a clutch interception at the Pirate 5-yard line. VC was unable to sustain a drive on their first possession, but Isaiah Jackson's punt pinned the Renegades deep, on their own three. Three plays later, Jalen Oats picked off the BC quarterback, giving the Pirates a short field on their second possession.
The Pirates were unable to punch the ball into the end zone, but did score on Jake Lanski's 29-yard field goal with 5:48 remaining in the opening quarter. However, a scuffle broke out after the play, and VC's offensive tackle Greg Hughes was ejected for retaliating against a BC player in the melee. (That ejection will most likely result in Hughes' ineligibility in the Pirates' playoff game next week.)
The renegades answered with an 11-play, 68-yard drive for a touchdown, and held a 7-3 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Not to be undone, the Pirates regrouped, putting together a scoring drive of their own, 12-plays and 80 yards, capped by Marc Evans' eight-yard touchdown pass to Juan Soto. Lanski's kick made it 10-7 for VC with 10:34 left in the first half.
BC answered with a game-tying field goal with 5:46 on the clock. Ventura punted on the next possession, giving Bakersfield great field possession on the Pirate half of the field. BC ran three plays before Jackson produced VC's third interception of the half, giving the Pirates the ball at the 29-yard line. Ventura cashed in the turnover with half-closing drive to another Lanski field goal, and the Pirates led 13-10 at halftime.
The last drive was not without pitfalls, however, as VC's starting quarterback Evans took a hard hit on the last play of the drive, knocking him out for the rest of the game.
Ventura went 43 yards on five plays to open the third quarter, resulting in Lanski's third field goal of the game and a 16-10 advantage. The renegades answered, however, with a touchdown drive of their own, taking a 17-16 lead with 8:23 on the clock.
After a punts from both teams, the Pirates, behind quarterback Jalen Brady and running back Paul harris broke through early in the fourth quarter for another Lanksi field goal and a 19-16 lead with 10:40 left in the game.
Bakersfield had an answere once again, however, driving 75 yards in nine plays, punctuated by another trip to the end zone. BC held a 25-19 advantage with 6:49 remaining.
Ventura had been in this position so many times before over the past four seasons, and looked to find a final answer and cap their second undefeated conference campaign in three years. It was not to be, hwoever, as VC's potential game-winning drive stalled just 17 yards from undefeated glory. Bakersfield held on for the 25-19 victory.
Harris led the Pirate offense with 161 yards rushing on 19 carries. Evans was 14-18 through the air in the first half for 105 yards and a score. Lanski was 4-4 on field goal attempts and Aaron Lacombe had nine catches for 61 yards.
Defensively, Ja'Quez Avent and Mike Cirino each had five tackles to lead the Pirates.
Despite the loss, Ventura records its second conference championship in three years, and will advance to its fourth straight bowl game, a school record. VC will play, most likely on the raod, on Saturday Nov. 22 in the Southern California Football Association semifinals, with a chance to move on in the playoffs for the fourth time in school history.