Moorpark’s 1-2 Punch Knocks Out Valley

With Freddie Bradley and Jamal Anderson in the backfield, Moorpark College redefines the ground game.

Sure, the yardage is being gained on the ground, but it is the defense that ends up being ground down, ground to a pulp.

Bradley and Anderson combined for 321 yards and four touchdowns to lead Moorpark to a 41-10 win over visiting Valley in a Western State Conference opener Saturday night.

“Can’t mess with this one-two punch,” Anderson yelled after Bradley scored a third-quarter touchdown to put Moorpark (2-0, 1-0 in conference play) ahead, 33-3.

Indeed.

“I can’t imagine you’d find two better backs together in junior college,” Valley Coach Chuck Ferrero said. “They’re flat-out great players. They’re just real physical players. They break tackles. That’s the big thing.”

Bradley, wearing No. 22, and Anderson No. 32, look like twins in the backfield, and they probably leave defensive backs with double vision after an attempted tackle.

Bradley finished with 182 yards in 17 carries and Anderson 139 in 16.

“Our running backs are something else,” Moorpark Coach Jim Bittner said.

Anderson and Bradley put the Moorpark offense in gear after the Raiders fell behind, 3-0, in the early going.

For the second week in a row, Moorpark allowed a field goal on its first defensive series. Edward Bunn capped a 16-play Valley drive with a 43-yard field goal.

Moorpark didn’t score until 14 seconds remained in the first quarter, but it scored 27 points in the next 8 minutes 42 seconds.

Bradley kicked off the outburst when he high-stepped through the middle of the line on a six-yard touchdown run.

Valley (0-2, 0-1 in conference play) fumbled two plays into the ensuing possession, and Moorpark’s Ronald Nielsen recovered on the Valley 24.

A holding call on an apparent Kris Dutra-to-Pete Marine touchdown pass pushed Moorpark back to the 34, but on the next play Dutra hit a wide-open Tremmel Hamm over the middle for a 34-yard touchdown.

Moorpark began its next drive on its five-yard line but didn’t stay there long. Bradley broke free down the left sideline for a 66-yard run, and Anderson broke at least six tackles on a bull-rush touchdown from the 19 on the next play.

Bradley hammered off left tackle for a 20-yard touchdown that finished the first-half scoring and put Moorpark ahead, 27-0, at the break.

Bradley struck again in the third quarter when he waded through the line then cruised into the right corner of the end zone on a 38-yard touchdown run.

Valley finally found the end zone early in the fourth quarter. Mark Mengoni hit Marcus Bridges with an 11-yard touchdown pass.

Moorpark scored its final touchdown when Del Marine hit his brother Pete with a 44-yard touchdown pass.

“We’re playing sporadically, but when we play good we play really good,” Bittner said. “There’s a lot of areas we need to improve on.”

Mengoni completed nine of 17 passes for 56 yards with one touchdown and one interception for Valley, and starter Trendell Williams was nine of 16 for 60 yards.