Pierce Hangs On Against Rival Moorpark, 31-28

Moorpark College’s no-huddle offense proved to be not enough offense Saturday night against Pierce College.

The quick-fire passing combination of Moorpark quarterback Ken Lutz and Dan Russell delivered four touchdowns, but the Raiders lost, 31-28.

In front of 2,100 spectators at Shepard Stadium, Pierce extended its victory streak over Moorpark to 10 games and extended its winning streak at home to 12.

“We went with two of our big-play guys in the end,” Brahma Coach Jim Fenwick said. “And it worked. I didn’t know if it would, but it did.”

It sure did.

After Moorpark had charged back from a 24-7 halftime deficit to lead, 28-24, Pierce charged ahead with a 75-yard touchdown pass from Steve Haddad to Greg Eskridge, which put the Brahmas ahead to stay.

It was Eskridge’s only reception of the night.

“I feel great right now,” Eskridge said after the game. “Steve just read the play really well and got the ball to me, right on target. It seemed like everything just came together on that play.”

Moments before, it looked like only Moorpark had it together. When Kyle Opp scored on a five-yard pass from Lutz to put the Raiders in front by four points, the team suddenly looked as if it could pull it out.

Earlier, there seemed no doubt that Moorpark would win.

Lutz and Russell looked to be in top form, especially when Russell dazzled the crowd by catching a 20-yard pass that nearly sailed over his head.

Unfortunately for Moorpark, hanging on by the fingertips became the Raiders’ rule of thumb for the rest of the game.

“I thought we played pretty well, but Pierce just played better,” Moorpark Coach Jim Bittner said.

Indeed. The Brahma defense, which was supposed to be huffing and puffing while the Raiders’ fast-moving offense blew them down, kept pace all night.

“I don’t think their no-huddle offense is going to be a problem for us,” Brahma linebacker Anthony Quaglino said before the game. “Our defense is in pretty good shape.”

Aerobics classes made the Pierce defensive line more than ready for Moorpark’s live version of fast-forward football flicks. It managed to sack Lutz three times in the first half.

While the Brahma defense was sacking the quarterback, the Brahma offense was stacking up points.

After tailback Tyrone Beaulieu ran a punt back 65 yards in the first quarter, he and Davis ground out tough yardage. Davis scored on a nine-yard run to even the score at 7-7 with 8:59 left in the quarter.

In the second quarter, the Brahma defense took over. After sacking Lutz twice within the first five minutes, they then yielded the spotlight back to the offense.

Haddad executed a spectacular flea-flicker, handing the ball to Beaulieu, who passed it to Carlton Hines, who reversed and handed it back to Haddad, who then threw 34 yards to tight end Mark Setterberg, who caught it at the one-yard line. Haddad ran it over to put Pierce up, 14-7.

That fancy football footwork fired up the Raiders on their next possession. Lutz rifled two passes of 11 and 19 yards. A draw play proved good for another 14 yards, a third first down, and put the Raiders within scoring range.

Brahma Carl Carter’s interception of a Lutz pass at the 20 quickly turned the game back around for Pierce.

And less than a minute later, the Brahmas scored again.

On second down and 11, Beaulieu took the ball on a Haddad pitch-out, almost fumbled it, dribbled it, skipped over the mound of bodies and ran 85 yards for a touchdown. With the extra point good, Pierce was up 21-7.

But the Brahmas weren’t finished yet. When a wayward Lutz pass to Russell was recovered by Pierce at the 15-yard line, the Brahmas seized the opportunity for a field goal. Ross Hersh’s effort was good for three, and the Brahmas retired at the half with a comfortable 24-7 lead.

Beaulieu rushed for 174 yards on 19 carries, but he and Davis weren’t the only Brahma running backs penetrating the Raider defense.

Fullback Bruce Moore, who verbally committed to Moorpark last summer then showed up at Pierce’s first practice, had his first starting opportunity in the Brahma backfield Saturday night.

He made the most of it, rushing for 105 yards on 17 carries.

“The way I feel right now is indescribable,” Moore said. “I was pumped up more for this game than our first three.”

Pierce had an impressive ground attack and a total of 313 total rushing yards. It had 446 yards of total offense.