Moorpark Bowls Over Valley

Freshman Carl Richardson rushed for a school-record 307 yards and four touchdowns, and Moorpark College kept alive its hopes for a bowl-game bid with a 29-23 victory over Valley in a Western State Conference Southern Division game Saturday night at Moorpark.

The Raiders (6-4, 4-1 in division play) claimed a share of the division title, as well as recording their sixth victory, making them eligible for postseason play.

The state Commission on Athletics on Monday will announce pairings for junior college bowl games. Teams must have at least six victories to be eligible.

“Basically, this was about winning a championship,” Moorpark Coach Jim Bittner said. “That was the motivation. If we get a bowl, we get a bowl. But it’ll be a real shame if we don’t get to go because every team that beat us is going to a bowl game.”

Moorpark prevailed only after thwarting a Valley drive in the final seconds. The Monarchs (6-4, 2-3) began at their 20-yard line with three minutes to play and marched to the Moorpark 18 with 16 seconds remaining.

Tom Racius, who connected with Randall Lane on a 19-yard touchdown pass three minutes earlier to pull Valley to within 29-23, overthrew Leaford Hackett on fourth down.

Richardson, who rushed for 220 yards and six touchdowns last week against Harbor, gave Moorpark a 29-17 lead late in the third quarter with a three-yard touchdown run.

The carry raised Richardson’s rushing total to 286 yards, tying him briefly with Dana Griffin, who rushed for a school-record 286 yards against Santa Barbara in 1987.

Richardson, from Rio Mesa High, carried 37 times and also had touchdown runs of 87, one and six yards.

Richardson, despite rushing for 876 yards and 13 touchdowns before Saturday, has spent the season splitting time with a handful of backs. Against Valley, Richardson got the call on all but two carries, including a handoff to the tight end.

“I don’t care how much I carry it, as long as we win,” Richardson said. “But I’ll take 30 carries. We’ve been switching on and off with our backs. But it’s the line that’s doing it.”

Richardson and Valley’s Jamian Barbour traded breakaway runs and goal-line dives during a first half that ended with Moorpark leading, 16-10.

Early in the second quarter, Richardson made several sharp cuts and ran 87 yards for a touchdown to give the Raiders a 10-3 lead.

Valley answered with a 14-play, 90-yard drive that included a 28-yard run by Barbour and a one-yard touchdown run by Barbour on fourth down to tie the score.

Moorpark went ahead, 16-10, on its ensuing drive that culminated with a one-yard touchdown dive by Richardson.

The drive’s big play was a 49-yard completion from Calvin Zinck to Lawrence Lovett for a first down at the eight-yard line.

Zinck completed six of 13 passes for 106 yards. Racius, the WSC’s leading passer, was 22 of 37 for 254 yards and two touchdowns.

Barbour, who had five runs of at least 10 yards, finished with 155 yards in 34 carries.