Ventura Tramples Rio Mesa

From the outset, things moved quickly in Thursday night’s Channel League football game between Ventura and Rio Mesa high schools.

Ventura tailback Jeramie Jackson returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. And Jackson’s straight-ahead speed was nearly matched at the end of the first quarter by a pair of streakers who ran in one end of Larrabee Stadium and out the other.

The teams combined for 49 points in the first half. And though things downshifted slightly in the second half, another 28 points were scored before Ventura claimed a 43-34 victory.

The combined 77 points were the most scored in an 18-game series that Ventura leads, 13-5, and in which it has won the last six games.

Ventura (7-2, 5-1 in the league) rushed for 314 yards, 187 by Jackson and 125 by fullback Vinny Loffelmann, who ran for three touchdowns.

Rio Mesa (6-3, 3-3), helpless on defense, at least came close to its scoring average of 37 points.

The Spartans were led by running back Jay Flores, who rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown, and quarterback Farhaad Azimi, who completed 10 of 21 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown. He threw one interception. Azimi also had two short runs for touchdowns.

Jackson bobbled the opening kickoff, then plucked it off the turf at his 10-yard line and raced down the middle of the field for a touchdown.

Rio Mesa answered on its first possession, marching 80 yards in eight plays and scoring on a three-yard run by Azimi. Azimi failed to find a receiver on a two-point conversion attempt and Ventura led, 7-6.

Ventura went up 14-6 on a 52-yard pass from Mike Anderson to Jeff Collins, but Rio Mesa again answered.

The Spartans produced a 13-play, 73-yard scoring drive, capped by a nine-yard run by Jay Flores and an Azimi run on the conversion for a 14-14 tie.

Rio Mesa was helped considerably when Ventura roughed punter Jeff Edwards on fourth-and-13 at the Cougars’ 47-yard line, gaining an automatic first down.

Ventura struck again 46 seconds later. Jackson returned the kickoff 57 yards to the Rio Mesa 36 and on the Cougars’ second play from scrimmage, Loffelmann scored on a three-yard run.

Two minutes and 12 seconds later, Ventura was celebrating again.

The Cougars took a Spartan punt and scored on their first play, an 82-yard run by Jackson. Collins’ extra point kick gave Ventura a 28-14 lead.

Rio Mesa closed out the first-half scoring with another lengthy drive, traveling 54 yards in 10 plays and reaching the end zone on a six-yard touchdown pass from Azimi to Edwards.

Azimi’s extra point made the score 28-21.

In the second half, Rio Mesa scored on a one-yard run by Azimi and a 35-yard run by Flores.

But Ventura stayed ahead by blocking a punt out of the end zone for a safety and two one-yard runs by Loffelmann.

Rio Mesa’s Jeff Edwards caught six passes for 87 yards.