On the strength of a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown and a kickoff return to paydirt, SoCal No.7-ranked Ventura College held on for a 33-30 win against No. 11 El Camino at Redondo Union High School Saturday evening. Mike Cirino scooped up a blocked field goal and ran it back 70 yards to give VC (1-1) a 27-14 lead early in the fourth quarter, and Paul Harris gave the Pirates a 33-28 advantage with 3:57 remaining in the game with an 89-yard kickoff return for six points to lead to the Pirate victory.
After the teams traded punts on the first two possessions of the game, El Camino took advantage of a short field for the first score of the game, a touchdown at the 10:26 mark of the opening quarter. Ventura responded with a nine play 40-yard drive that resulted in a 39 yard field goal by Jake Lanski for a 7-3 Warrior advantage with 7:35 left in the first.
In the second quarter, defensive back Cirino intercepted an El Camino pass at the Pirate 25-yard line, and VC made the Warriors pay with a nine play 75-yard drive punctuated by a 25-yard scoring strike from freshman quarterback Jalen Brady to Josh Holderfield with 7:49 left in the half. Lanski's PAT gave the Pirates a 10-7 lead.
Culminating the next drive, on fourth-and-goal from the VC 8-yard line, El Camino pulled off a fake field goal, converting a touchdown to take a 14-10 lead at the 4:15 mark.
At the end of the half, the Pirate defense stopped the Warriors on a fourth-down attempt at the VC 47-yard line, giving the Pirates 47 seconds to work with before halftime. Brady completed four passes, leading Ventura to the Warrior 8-yard line before Lanski converted a 25-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter. The Pirates trailed 14-13 at intermission.
Ventura controlled play in the third quarter. Early on, Aaron Stanton exploded for 79-yard touchdown run around the right corner that was called back for a holding penalty. Following a pair of punts, VC posted the only score of the period, an 85-yard pass and run from Brady to Chris Marshall, putting VC ahead 20-14 midway through the quarter.
Late in the third stanza and early in the fourth, El Camino came storming back with a 14-play 58-yard drive. The Ventura defense stopped the drive at the Pirate 22-yard line, forcing a Warrior field goal attempt. Svondo Bradley broke through the line and blocked the kick, and Cirino scooped up the ball for a 79-yard touchdown return. Lanski's kick put the Pirates ahead 27-14 with 13:57 left in the contest.
The Warriors were not out, by any means, however, as they responded with a 13-play 86-yard drive for a score in 4:11, cutting the margin to 27-21 with 9:40 left on the clock.
Following a missed Pirate field goal, the Warriors went 80-yards in five plays to take a 28-27 lead with 3:28 remaining in the game, setting up Harris' game-deciding kick return.
El Camino had one last gasp, driving to the Pirate 18-yard line in the final minute before the VC defense forced three incomplete passes to turn the ball over on downs. Ventura ran down the final 47 seconds of the game with Brady running out the final seven seconds before stepping out of the end zone giving El Camino a two-point safety, but preserving the 33-30 Ventura victory.
Brady, who started the game following a 3-quarterback rotation in the season opener, solidified his position with 315 yards passing, including a pair of touchdown strikes. Stanton led VC on the ground with 32 yards on 18 carries, and he had a 79-yard scoring run called back by penalty. Marshall led the Pirate receivers with 138 yards on eight catches, including a score. Matt Singleton led the Ventura defense with 11 tackles.
Ventura returns to the friendly confines of the VC Sportsplex for their home opener on Saturday Sept. 20. Their opponent may not be so friendly, however, as preseason No. 2 Mt. San Antonio comes to town fresh off their win over No. 1 Fullerton. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 pm.