The Ventura College football team handled host Bakersfield College its first loss of the season in 98-degree heat on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Memorial Stadium in Bakersfield.
LaRevious Woods ran for 119 yards and a touchdown and Jeremiah Barrios had a game-clinching interception as the No. 7-ranked Pirates improved to 2-1 with a 21-13 road win.
“I felt like we were in control,” Ventura head coach Steve Mooshagian said. “We were just a little slow to start.”
Down 7-0 early, the Pirates outscored their former Western State Conference foes 21-3 over a 30-minute span in the middle of the game. Twelfth-ranked Bakersfield had entered the game 2-0.
Woods’ 2-yard run with 5:33 left in the first quarter pulled VC even, 7-7. Damon Wrighster’s 20-yard TD pass
to Kaden Glover gave the Pirates their first lead, 14-10, with 1:56 left in the first half.
Glover, the former St. Bonaventure and Thousand Oaks High tight end, caught four passes for 59 yards.
“It was his coming-out party,” Mooshagian said. “He made some nice plays and played well on special teams, too.”
Braden Graham’s 1-yard run capped an eight-play, 60-yard drive that extended the VC lead to 21-10 with 5:42 left in the third quarter.
“Once we got going, we played pretty well,” Mooshagian said. “Both quarterbacks did a nice job. Fresh Woods had another good game.”
Bakersfield pulled within 21-13 in the fourth quarter and was driving for the game-tying score when Barrios intercepted a first-and-10 pass on the Ventura 27.
Graham completed 15 of 24 passes for 170 yards and an interception. Wrighster completed 10 of 13 passes for 104 yards, a TD and an interception.
Ben Bohlman caught five passes for 76 yards and Jude Walker caught five passes for 71 yards.
Former Ventura High receiver Jack Cunningham, coming off a hamstring injury, caught his first collegiate pass.
Ventura hosts cross-county rival Moorpark College (0-3) in the annual Citrus Cup game on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 6 p.m.
“I think Moorpark is a good football team,” Mooshagian said. “They have guys at every position.”
Chaffey College 43, Moorpark College 27
Within three points after three quarters on the road in Rancho Cucamonga, the Raiders were outscored 21-8 in the fourth quarter to fall to 0-3 on Saturday, Sept. 12.
Quarterback Sirawn Evans ran for two scores and Kala Karratti kicked two field goals as Moorpark led 13-0 in the second quarter and 19-14 in the third quarter.
Host Chaffey scored three straight touchdowns in a seven-minute span bridging the third and fourth quarters to take control.
Evan completed 13 of 20 passes for 92 yards and Ja’Tyrian Moore caught eight passes for 97 yards and a TD as Moorpark was held to 184 yards of total offense.
MC (0-3) visits Ventura on Saturday for the annual Citrus Cup game.
CLU idle
Cal Lutheran University was off. The Kingsmen (0-1) host the University of Puget Sound in their home opener on Saturday, Sept. 19, at 1 p.m.
Joe Curley covers football for The Star. He can be reached at joe.curley@vcstar.com. For more coverage, follow @vcspreps on Twitter/X, Instagram/Threads, Facebook, Bluesky and TikTok.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ventura College football beats the heat, Bakersfield to reach 2-1
