Ventura Lights Up Oxnard, 57-32

The flashing lights and wailing siren of a police cruiser enlivened the Ventura High sideline Thursday night, but the only people in trouble were the Oxnard Yellowjackets.

Behind the running of quarterback Erik Olson and fullback Eric Blair, Ventura overwhelmed Oxnard, 57-32, in a Channel League game in which each team had police escorts in honor of the youth deterrents program, Cops ‘n Jocks. Ventura finished in a three-way tie for the title with San Marcos and Buena.

Olson ran into the end zone twice in the first four minutes of the second half to put the Cougars (5-5, 5-2 in league play) on cruise control after they led, 29-26, at halftime.

“We stuck with the run pretty much because my shoulder got banged up in the first half and we knew we could do whatever we wanted on the ground,” said Olson, who carried nine times for 77 yards and two touchdowns.

Olson clipped the Yellowjackets’ wings for good with a stumbling 45-yard run up the middle 3 1/2 minutes into the third quarter.

“That wasn’t the way the play was called,” said Olson, who improvised with a quarterback draw after spying room in the midst of the Oxnard defense. “You hope it works out right or else you’re going to be in real trouble when you get back to the sidelines.”

On a night with chilly temperatures and a large rectangle of mud in the center of the field, a low-scoring game was to be expected. However, both teams came out firing in the first half.

The teams traded touchdowns in the first half, but Oxnard missed three of four extra points and trailed at intermission.

Yellowjacket tailback David Cameron (17 carries for 109 yards, four touchdowns) found the end zone on a 25-yard pass from Taj Lewis, 45 and 21 runs from scrimmage, an 81-yard kickoff return and a two-point conversion. Lewis completed 10 of 23 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown. He also threw two interceptions.

Aiding Olson, Ventura got a pair of touchdown runs from Blair (12 carries for 201 yards) and Aaron Davis (13 carries, 127 yards) and an 11-yard scoring reception from Ramsey Jay.

Olson was appreciative of both his backfield and line.

“(Blair and Davis) are good backs, but our line makes them great,” Olson said. “There are 57 points on the board. We have to be doing something right.”

Oxnard opened the scoring on a 25-yard pass play from Lewis to a wide-open Cameron on the right sideline. Five minutes later, Ventura answered when Olson threw an 11-yard scoring strike to Jay.

A minute later, Oxnard climbed back on top with 45-yard quarterback draw by Lewis from shotgun formation. Ventura forced the game’s only deadlock with 2 1/2 minutes to play in the first quarter on a six-yard run by Davis.