Ventura Hangs Tough Until Kick Return Sparks Second-Half Moorpark Surge, 42-6

Swanson Nunnery dialed up a third quarter wake-up call for the Moorpark College football team Saturday night and the result was a 42-6 victory over Ventura in a Western State Conference game.

A 15-yard touchdown run by Ventura’s Mike Gee pulled the visiting Pirates (0-6, 0-5 in conference play) within a point of Moorpark, 7-6, with 12 minutes 15 seconds left in the third period.

But Nunnery returned the ensuing kickoff 93 yards, bouncing off several tacklers in the middle of the field before sprinting up the right sideline and into the end zone.

“That gave us a tremendous boost,” Moorpark Coach Jim Bittner said. “I know it got me excited. The whole bench got excited.”

Moorpark (5-0-1, 4-0-1) capped the victory with four more touchdowns. Fullback Gilbert Carrillo (107 yards rushing in 10 attempts) scored on runs of one and 78 yards. Brian Vellmure added a touchdown with a 32-yard interception return, and David McDivitt scored another on a three-yard blast.

“We were up and excited and then deflated in about 20 seconds,” said Ventura Coach Dick James of Nunnery’s momentum-swinging score. “I’m sure it was a heartbreak for the kids.”

Bolstered by strong punting from Jason Ybarra and Graeion Brown and some big hitting from Brian Righetti, Chris Lambert and Jeff Onstot, Ventura kept the Raiders backed up most of the first half.

Corey Tucker, Moorpark’s starting quarterback, completed only three of eight passes for 39 yards with an interception in the first half. He was finally replaced by Todd Preston, who sparked the Raiders with a five-minute, 71-yard drive.

Preston capped the 12-play march, scoring on a nine-yard run with 2:43 left in the half.