Often times in football the team that makes the fewest mistakes prevails. That was very evident Saturday as the Ventura College football team had five turnovers, some at crucial moments, in their 52-28 loss at defending state champion Mt. San Antonio College. Quarterback Brandon Jones threw for 266 yards, and running back Chris Beeson ran for 69 yards, but the mistakes sent the Pirates to their first loss of the season.
Despite the fact that Mt. SAC, ranked No. 20 in the state, came into the game with an 0-2 record, and VC, ranked No. 8, was undefeated through two games, observers anticipated a battle from the onset. After the Pirates booted the opening kick-off out of bounds, the Mounties marched 65 yards in just four plays, scoring on a 38-yard run to take an early 7-0 lead.
Mt. SAC returned the favor on the ensuing kick, and VC took the ball at the 35 and matriculated to the end zone in 10 plays, with Isaiah Brown punching the ball into the end zone from a yard out. Jake Lanski added the extra point to tie the score barely four minutes into the game.
The real fireworks of a wild first quarter began on VC's next kickoff, as the Mounties returned the kick 91 yards to paydirt.
Ventura answered just over two minutes later when Jones connected with Sylas Mottley for a 42-yard scoring strike. Lanski's kick tied the score at 14-14, with 7:58 remaining in the opening period.
The Mounties slowed things down on the next possession, eating up over five minutes of game time in their 13-play, 75-yard scoring drive, taking a 21-14 edge.
On the first play from scrimmage on the next drive, VC threw an interception deep in their own territory that was returned to the end zone. The Mounties held a 28-14 lead at the end of the first quarter.
After a combined 42-point opening period, the game settled down in the second quarter. the Pirates managed the only score of the period when Jones hit Jesse Bray for a 40-yard touchdown pass and run at the 10:06 mark. Jesse Kelly kicked the PAT.
Late in the period, Ventura was marching for what would have been a game-tying touchdown when a fumble at the Mt. SAC 2-yard line ended the threat. VC went into halftime trailing 28-21.
Neither team could get much offense going early in the third quarter. After exchanging punts, the Mounties got on the board with a 37-yard touchdown pass with 10:13 on the clock.
At the end of the ensuing Pirate drive, the Mounties muffed a VC punt and Britto Tutt recovered in the end zone for a Ventura score. Lanski's kick brought VC back to within 35-28, but they would get no closer.
The Mounties closed the third quarter with a field goal, and turned two Pirate turnovers into 14 points in the final stanza for the 52-28 final score.
While VC posted 412 yards total offense to Mt. SAC's 482, and ran 73 plays to the Mounties' 69, the turnovers caught up in the end. Mt. SAC also dominated the ground game, 237-83.
Ventura had seven players catch passes, with Nick Rodriguez hauling in 10 for 155 yards.
Grant Bouma, Mark Zavala and Iyah Weir-Soley all had eight tackles for the Pirate defense.
Ventura has little time to worry about the loss, however, as they begin defense of their 2014 Northern Conference title Saturday Sept. 26 against Cerritos. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 pm at the VC Sportsplex. Fans who cannot attend can see the action live on the VC Sports Network.