The Pirate football team claimed a 3-peat Northern Conference championship with a resounding 49-21 victory at Bakersfield Saturday. Quarterback Jake Luton had 343 yards of total offense, 271 in the air and 72 on the ground, and accounted for five touchdowns, three passing and two rushing, leading the charge to VC's fourth conference title in the past five seasons. Isaiah Brown had another solid day, as well, with 103 yards rushing and a touchdown for Ventura (7-2, 4-0).
The VC defense set up the first score of the game as defensive lineman Michael LeBlanc recovered a Renegade fumble at the VC 39-yard line at the 12:25 mark of the first quarter. Luton directed a seven-play, 61-yard drive for the game's first score, hitting Logan Javernick with a 12-yard pass for the touchdown. Collin Root's kick was good to make it 7-0.
Following a Bakersfield punt on the next possession, the Pirates drove 60 yards in four plays for another touchdown. The drive was punctuated with a 29-yard pass from Luton to Elijah Alexander. With Root's PAT, Ventura led 14-0 with 6:56 still left in the first quarter.
The Pirate "D" came up big again on the next possession, picking up the second takeaway of the period. Three plays into the BC drive the 'Gades put the ball on the grass again, with Malik Alatasi Haynes pouncing on the loose ball for Ventura at the Bakersfield 32-yard line.
The Pirates wasted little time with the short field as Brown scored on a 2-yard run two minutes later to make it 21-0 before the end of the first quarter.
Bakersfield finally got on the board early in the second quarter to make it 21-7. Later in the period, Ventura answered with a Luton 2-yard carry to paydirt punctuating a 10-play, 65-yard drive. Brown had key runs of 17 and 14 yards in the drive, helping set up the score.
Late in the quarter, VC was pinned at its own 3-yard line on a punt. On the first play out, Luton hit Cam Taylor for a 52-yard pass and run that almost went the distance. Nine plays later, Luton hit Javernick with a 20-yard touchdown pass, and Root's kick set the halftime score at 35-7.
Any hopes of a Bakersfield comeback were dashed on the first possession of the second half when Alvin Pacheco returned an interception 65 yards to the house for the pick-six. Root's kick made it 42-7 with 12:42 still left in the third quarter.
Following a BC touchdown on the ensuing drive, the Pirates answered with another long drive for a score. VC marched 90 yards down the field in 10 plays, culminating in Luton's 8-yard dash to the end zone. Big plays of the drive included Luton completions to Jonte Broski of 38 and 15 yards and a 17-yard completion to Kendric Mallory. Root's PAT made it 49-14 at the end of three quarters of play.
Bakersfield scored an inconsequential touchdown late in the game to set the final score at 49-21.
Brian Burt and Tyler Peralta helped the VC ground game with 65 and 63 yards rushing, respectively, as Ventura outgained the Renegades 590-388. Ventura also won the time of Possession battle 30:58-29:02. Nine different Pirates had pass receptions in the game with none totaling more than three catches.
Defensively, Kendrick Bradley had seven tackles to lead the Pirates while Mark Zavala and Josh Govea each had six stops.
The win was the 50th victory for head coach Steve Moosagian at Ventura College, tying him with current VC defensive backs Coach Terry Morris. Mooshagian presented Morris with the game ball following the contest for his dedication to the program.
The victory, coupled with a Cerritos loss against Moorpark, also clinches outright the Northern Conference title for VC for the third year in a row with one game remaining. It is the Pirates fourth title in the past five seaons and the 14th overall in program history.
The Pirates travel to Cerritos on Saturday Nov. 12 for the regular season finale at 6:00 pm. VC will then be one of four teams in the Southern California Football Association playoffs beginning Nov. 19. All of the Pirates' remaining games can be seen live on the VC Sports Network.