George Orwell had his vision of 1984....

George Orwell had his vision of 1984. Thankfully, it didn’t come to pass.

Ventura High had its own vision the same year. Sadly for the Cougars, it didn’t come to pass either.

The Cougars took an 11-0-1 record into a Southern Section final at the Coliseum. Their roster included two future NFL starters and seven future Division I college players.

They dressed in the Raiders’ locker room. They ran through the tunnel onto the field the way Olympians from around the world did only months earlier. They danced and sang to Lionel Ritchie’s “All Night Long” the way the Titans dance and sing in the recent movie.

It was unforgettable.

And still is, but not for the reasons they would prefer.

Undone by eight turnovers, Ventura lost, 16-14, when Camarillo drove 94 yards in the last four minutes and scored a touchdown on fourth down.

“That game is one of the sorest subjects in sports,” said linebacker Scott Sanders, who played in college, became successful in business and never quite got over what might have been.

Memories are returning in torrents this week. The ’84 Cougars, now in their early 30s, have record-setting tailback Tyler Ebell and his Ventura teammates to thank.

Ventura (12-1) will make its third appearance in a Southern Section championship game tonight at 7:30 at Arroyo Grande (8-4). In 1951, Ventura tied in the final, an outcome that produced neither agony nor joy.

The ’84 team, however, wishes to impart a bit of advice to the current Cougars.

Don’t lose!

Said Roman Fortin, the ’84 quarterback who became a lineman in college and is the San Diego Chargers’ center: “It was a great time in high school, there are so many fond memories. The sad thing was losing that game. If we played them 10 times, we’d have won nine.”

Said Matt McCune, a tackle in ’84 who went on to play at California: “It was a fun team. The last game was not fun. We should have won. We did it to ourselves.”

McCune has watched most Ventura games this season because his father, Phil, is the Cougars’ coach. Phil was the defensive coordinator 16 years ago. He remembers the final the same way.

“We had it won and we let it go,” Phil said.

The halls at Ventura High are haunted by a constant reminder of Camarillo’s victory. Not a ghost, just Gary Litten, the Scorpion tight end who caught the winning nine-yard touchdown pass. Litten is a Ventura teacher and the freshman football coach.

Litten walked into the coaches’ office the other day and was ribbed by Scott Hays, a Ventura teacher who was an assistant in ’84.

“Don’t come in here this week,” Hays told him. “Don’t you think you’ve done enough?”

Litten’s loyalties are now with Ventura, although he doesn’t mind a quick skip down memory lane. Funny how the winners thoroughly enjoy reminiscing.

“In the huddle, [quarterback] Scott Cline just called, ‘Throw it to Litten,’ ” he said. “It was my only catch of the game. I ran to the end zone, turned around and the ball hit me.”

Ventura’s final drive ended near midfield on an interception by Dave Anderson.

“I must have thrown 1,400 interceptions in that game,” Fortin said.

Four, actually, to go with the four Ventura fumbles Camarillo recovered. The Cougars out-gained the Scorpions, 307 yards to 187, but no matter. This would be another piece of advice for the current Cougars.

Avoid turnovers!

Ventura began the game in typical fashion. Cougar safety Eric Turner, who went on to play in two Pro Bowls, drilled Camarillo fullback Jim Bittner on the first play.

Turner’s tackles were legendary. His teammates nicknamed him E-Rock during the ride home from a game against Channel Islands. On the opening kickoff, Turner made a vicious tackle that was all the Cougars could talk about on the bus.

“The kick hung up there forever and the moment it hit the guy’s fingers, Eric rocked him,” said Booker Jackson, a Ventura running back. “You could hear it in the stands.”

Turner, who died in May of abdominal cancer, starred at UCLA and was the second player taken in the 1991 NFL draft, the highest selection ever for a defensive back. He played for the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens and Oakland Raiders.

However, he wasn’t the most acclaimed Cougar. Lamon Fields, who lined up next to Jackson in the Cougars’ veer attack, is acknowledged as the best Ventura runner before Ebell. Fields rushed for 1,614 yards and 26 touchdowns in 1984.

“Lamon was one of the most talented athletes I’ve ever seen,” said Fortin, who as an NFL veteran of 11 years has witnessed his share of great players. “He was phenomenal.”

Fields and his brother, Duchon, were one of two sets of twins on the team. Linebackers Scott and Bruce Sanders transferred from Nordhoff as juniors so they could join the potent Ventura crew.

“My dad sold our house and we moved across the bridge to the Ventura district,” Scott said. “We knew the team could be real good.”

The Sanders brothers gained scholarships to Oregon State. The Fields brothers went to Nevada Las Vegas. The Sanders brothers are successful Corvallis businessmen. The Fields brothers spent time behind bars.

Sixteen years go by. People go different directions.

Coach Harvey Kochel was convicted in 1993 of having sex with a 15-year-old student and spent a year in prison. Matt McCune, an environmental engineer, married his high school sweetheart and has two children.

Jackson lives in Oxnard and coaches his daughters in track. Hays, 37, is on a hiatus from coaching but plans to return.

Fortin and his wife, Kathleen, have been together since the eighth grade. They have five children. At 6 feet 5 and 220 pounds, Fortin was the biggest player in the Ventura huddle. He gained 80 pounds and went from taking snaps to giving them.

“When I see the guys from high school, they trip out that I’m still playing,” Fortin said. “To them it seems so long ago that they were playing football.”

Same will be true for the current Cougars. Ebell is going to UCLA and a few others will play at Ventura College or at a four-year school. But for most, a final is aptly named.

The memories, however, will remain vivid. Nobody knows this better than the ’84 team, which has one last word of advice.

Win!