Ventura Weathers Rally by Oxnard in 43-32 Win

Welcome to Oxnard’s Houser Field, high school football’s theater of the absurd.

A fog blew in just before Friday night’s Ventura-Oxnard game, casting the field in a strange haze.

What followed was a dizzying array of long runs, fumbles, broken plays and trick plays, all of which added up to a 43-32 win for Ventura in a Channel League game.

In the end, it was a spectacular ground game that proved decisive. Ventura’s Jack Hammond rushed 21 times for 218 yards and two touchdowns. Backfield mate Derek Swafford ran 16 times for 121 yards and two more touchdowns.

Oxnard (3-3, 1-2) countered with quarterback Larry Bumpus, who completed nine of 15 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. He also ran five times for 87 yards. But his magic wasn’t enough.

The unusual evening began with the opening kickoff, Oxnard trying to fool Ventura (4-1-1, 2-0-1) with a squib kick. The Cougars’ Alex Juarez was so stunned that he returned the bouncing ball 77 yards for a touchdown. After a trick-play, two-point conversion, the score was 8-0. The Cougars scored almost as easily on their next two possessions. Hammond ran 72 yards for a score and a 16-0 lead.

And when Oxnard fumbled the ball back to Ventura, Swafford ran 12 yards for a touchdown. The score was 22-0.

But Oxnard came roaring back. Dan Duchai ran 16 yards for a second-quarter score.

Then Bumpus ran for a broken-play, 66-yard touchdown in the third quarter. When Bumpus passed nine yards to Peter Vargas early in the fourth quarter, Oxnard had closed the gap to 22-20.

The teams continued to trade touchdowns.

Ventura reached the Oxnard three-yard line, but Swafford fumbled the ball away. It was Swafford’s third fumble.

Oxnard’s Kenyon Lewis replied with a 53-yard touchdown run. It all came down to the last minute. Oxnard, trailing 36-32, recovered an onside kick.

But a Bumpus pass was intercepted by Jason Griffith. On the next play, Ventura quarterback Trevor Rumsey ran 52 yards for the clinching score.

“Wasn’t it fun?” Ventura Coach Harvey Kochel said.

Lewis finished with 19 rushes for 162 yards. Duchai ran nine times for 77 yards. Oxnard’s Brooke Johnson led all receivers with five catches for 78 yards and a touchdown.