St. Bonaventure ends Oaks Christian’s streak

There was an illusion of football invincibility that Westlake Village Oaks Christian tried to maintain even though the Lions, minus their 10 NCAA Division I-A recruits, hardly resembled the team that finished 15-0 one year ago.

It was left to Ventura St. Bonaventure and running back Darrell Scott to offer a dose of reality Friday night. Scott rushed for 248 yards and five touchdowns in 28 carries and the Seraphs defeated the Lions, 41-33, at Ventura High.

The loss ended Oaks Christian’s Southern Section record 48-game win streak.

St. Bonaventure (4-0), ranked No. 4 in the Southland by The Times, led at halftime, 34-13. Patrick Hall contributed an interception and a fumble recovery. Scott had touchdown runs of eight, 30, five and 65 yards and rushed for 162 yards in the first half.

But Oaks Christian didn’t go down easily. Christopher Potter, its new quarterback who took over for the celebrated Jimmy Clausen, a freshman starter at Notre Dame, turned in an extraordinary performance to rally the 20th-ranked Lions (2-1). Potter completed a school-record 12 consecutive passes, connecting on his last pass of the second quarter and his first 11 of the second half. He finished 20 of 25 for 306 yards and two touchdown passes with two interceptions.

It was Chad Kurz’s interception and 13-yard return to the Oaks Christian 14-yard line with 1 minute 42 seconds left that sealed St. Bonaventure’s victory.

This game hardly matched the hype of the nationally televised clash last season, when $7 tickets were being sold on EBay for 10 times that amount and dozens of media representatives came to see whether Oaks Christian’s group of college prospects could succeed against its toughest opponent of the season. The Lions rolled to a 59-13 victory.

This time, the advantage went to St. Bonaventure, which is a much better team with the arrival of Scott, a 6-foot-2, 214-pound transfer from Moorpark who has rushed for 200 or more yards in 16 games during his varsity career. The highly prized recruit was too fast, too physical and too strong. His 51-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter and subsequent coffin-corner punt that went out of bounds at the two-yard line added to his memorable performance.

Stanford-bound receiver Chris Owusu of Oaks Christian tied a school record with 10 receptions for 210 yards and one touchdown.

First-year Coach Todd Therrien is keeping the Seraphs on track without Jon Mack, who left after winning seven Southern Section titles in 17 years.

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eric.sondheimer@latimes.com