A Team Effort Works : Prep playoffs: Peninsula’s James Durroh gains 251 yards, shares credit after 20-14 victory over Ventura.

To see what a little teamwork can do, Peninsula High tailback James Durroh suggests examining the particulars of his team’s 20-14 Southern Section Division III victory over Ventura on Friday night.

The record shows the host Panthers rushing for 359 yards and gaining 14 first downs.

According to Durroh, numbers such as those prove that everybody was doing their job.

“There was not one missed blocking assignment the whole night,” said Durroh, who carried 30 times for 251 yards and two touchdowns.

“The blockers were attacking hard and opening up holes for all the backs. I saw a couple blocks out there that were just real impressive. I really had to commend the guys making them.”

Peninsula (9-2), the Bay League co-champion, took an early lead, fell behind, then rallied behind a strong running game and a defensive effort that shut out Ventura (8-3) in three quarters.

The Panthers drove 99 yards in 14 plays to score the winning touchdown.

The series began when Peninsula cornerback Christian Ritter intercepted Mike Ellis’ pass in the end zone before being tackled at the one-yard line.

One play later, Durroh took Scott Gordon’s pitch deep in the end zone and sprinted to the right sideline before turning upfield 34 yards.

After keeping the drive alive with a big third-down gain, fullback Taso Papadakis put Peninsula ahead, 18-13, with a four-yard touchdown run. Gordon then sneaked into the end zone for the two-point conversion.

Trailing, 14-6, the Panthers tightened the score when Durroh broke lose for a 54-yard run, and then scored five plays later.