Moorpark Still Perfect After Mauling Ventura

It had to be tempting for Moorpark College Coach Jim Bittner to underestimate Ventura College, winless going into Saturday night’s game.

But Bittner spent last week resisting temptation. He was more impressed with Ventura’s 15-4 record against his Raiders, ranked No. 5 in the state by JC Grid-Wire, than its record this season.

Bittner should have put more stock in his own team’s undefeated record, which it kept intact with a 51-21 win in its Western State Conference opener at Ventura’s Larrabee Stadium.

Moorpark (4-0) scored touchdowns on its first two downs to surge ahead, 14-0, before four minutes had elapsed.

The Raiders took a 24-14 lead into the third quarter and went ahead, 31-14, when defensive back Jeff White scored on a 35-yard interception with 6:37 left in the quarter. Running back Ernie Tupua scored on a one-yard touchdown run, the first of his two touchdowns, to put Moorpark ahead, 38-14, going into the final quarter.

The Moorpark defense, which has set school records for consecutive shutout games (2) and scoreless quarters (11), set up the first Raider touchdown. White recovered a wild snap over the head of Ventura punter Troy McNair on the Pirate 1-yard line. Running back Mike Daniels scored on the next play, Moorpark’s first down from scrimmage, with 13:21 remaining in the first period.

Running back Kenny Durr, who was involved in two of Moorpark’s three first-half touchdowns, threw a 55-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Manny Escobar on the Raiders’ next play. Durr took a handoff from quarterback Dan Nagelmann and launched the touchdown with 11:42 left in the first quarter. Durr connected with Escobar again for a touchdown in the final period, a 44-yard play.

Ventura (0-4) closed the gap to 14-7 at the start of the second quarter when quarterback Steve Mytinger hit Robert Worsley with a 19-yard scoring pass.

Moorpark came back 24 seconds later on Durr’s 85-yard touchdown burst. Durr broke through the line and pranced up the right sideline to put the Raiders ahead, 21-7, with 12:15 left in the half.

Daniel Eastman’s 36-yard field goal increased the Moorpark lead to 24-7 before Ventura closed the gap on Mytinger’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Lamont Fields with two minutes to go in the half.

Durr rushed for 120 of the Raiders’ 156 first-half yards.