Buena Bullies Rival Ventura

To say that Buena High ran Ventura out of town would be accurate except for one geographical complication--both schools are located in the same town.

But Buena’s ground game was flawless and anything but forgiving in a 49-28 victory Thursday over Ventura that clinched the Channel League championship for the Bulldogs before an estimated 9,000 fans at Ventura High.

Freddy Keiaho rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown, and D.J. Blackledge rushed for 107 and three touchdowns. Then the second half began.

Keiaho finished with 207 yards rushing and four touchdowns in 24 carries; Blackledge with 171 yards and three touchdowns in 24 carries.

The Bulldogs (9-1, 4-0 in league play) were especially efficient in the first quarter, as Blackledge and Keiaho took turns slicing up the Ventura defense.

No passes were attempted on the opening drive. There was no need. Keiaho rushed for 46 yards in five carries and Blackledge had 35 yards in five carries, including a two-yard touchdown run 3:19 into the game.

The extent of Buena’s problems in the first quarter were two illegal procedure penalties. And, horror of all horrors, one incomplete pass by Loughman.

The Bulldogs outscored Ventura in the quarter, 14-0, and outgained them, 188-0.

Buena even put itself in position to score 1:10 into the second quarter, Keiaho bulling in from a yard out for a 21-0 lead.

“It’s huge,” said Coach Rick Scott of Buena. “I don’t know if I can put it in words. It was important that we won and won decisively. It was important that our big guns played well.”

It was a domineering performance for Buena, it was devastating for Ventura. It was. . .

“Surprising,” said Keiaho. “It all comes down to the offensive line. They don’t get much attention, but they’re the ones who make the whole thing work.”

Ventura running back Tyler Ebell, who wrote “Payton 34” on one of his shoes, in memory of the recently deceased Walter Payton, rushed for 151 yards and three touchdowns in 25 carries.

Only recently recovered from a thigh injury that forced him into a mid-season slump, Ebell looked more like the player that surpassed 100 yards rushing in each of the Cougars’ first five games.

But Ebell was the only working option for the Cougars (9-1, 3-1), who passed for 11 yards last week against Hueneme and had similar problems against Buena.

Quarterback Scott Ellis completed four of 10 passes for 48 yards, with one interception.

“Their lines, both lines just ate us up,” Ebell said. “We didn’t play up to our potential like we thought we would.”

Buena’s only loss was a 42-27 setback to Westlake in the season opener.

“We slipped up against Westlake, but maybe we can atone for that,” Scott said.

Buena can expect a top-five seeding in the Southern Section Division IV playoffs, which begin next week.

Scott said that regardless of who won Friday’s game, the rivalry is one of the best.

“I [coached in] the Hart-Canyon rivalry,” Scott said. “I’ve done the Newbury Park-Thousand Oaks rivalry. I really feel there are some ingredients here that just make this a better rivalry.

“The kids here have all known each other since they were eight, nine, 10 years old. This is the purest form of school against school. Nobody went out and recruited any people. We’re both playing the hand that we’re dealt.”