They didn’t win a championship, become title...

They didn’t win a championship, become title contenders, or establish any records.

But for the beleaguered Valley College football team, a 24-10 victory over first-place Moorpark (5-3, 4-1) on Saturday night in a Western State Conference Northern Division game carried nearly as much significance.

“It was nice,” interim Coach Ron Ponciano said. “We’ve been snake-bit so many times.”

The Monarchs (2-6, 2-3) showed the form that made them preseason favorites to contend for the division title.

Ponciano retooled the team in the last few weeks, after Coach Carl Ferrill was placed on a medical leave while battling prostate cancer. Several players switched positions, some were dismissed for breaking team rules and others quit.

“I think we’ve changed some of the attitudes,” Ponciano said. “We talk about getting better at every practice.”