It seemed only fitting for the Moorpark College Raiders to be put in the record books albeit a painful record: its first winless season in program history.
Destiny laid in the hands of the Ventura College Pirates in this year’s Citrus Cup match-up, and the Pirates (7-3, 5-2 National Northern Conference) edged out the Raiders 41-28 in the 42nd annual Citrus Cup at Moorpark Saturday night.
The victory guaranteed them a chance to play in a bowl game next week
The Raiders (0-10, 0-6) had a reputation this season for having one critical mistake change the outcome of the game and de ja vu struck the Raiders when they attempted to move past the Pirates’ last stand. Raiders quarterback Ian Shultis made the mental mistake by not going out of bounds after scrambling away from Pirate defenders, as the clock continued to run with less than a minute left.
As if the Glendale game last Saturday was not a bitter reminder of what an interception late in the game can do to you, Shultis was reminded again when he was intercepted in the waning seconds by Deslonde Brown, who shattered any hopes of an upset, returning the interception 34 yards for a touchdown with 24 seconds remaining to seal Moorpark’s fateful season of imperfection.
Last week against Glendale, Moorpark appeared to be getting over the hump before Shultis’ pass was tipped into the hands of a Glendale defender, and returned for a touchdown. This time, with the implications of setting a quite painful record, the Raiders faltered in another close game.
Despite the Raiders unable to win a single game this year, Pirates head coach Jon Mack did not hesitate to commend the Raiders’ efforts in a season full of misfortunes and missed opportunities.
“They showed great character all year,” he said. “Their team is a lot better than their record indicates.”
Having lost their last three games of the season by two touchdowns or less, in games that were close until the very end, Mack made a point by indicating that Moorpark was misrepresented by their winless season.
On a positive note for the Pirates, Mack was pleased with the way his team performed through major adversity throughout the season.
“We’re real proud of the way we stuck together,” he said. “We’re really proud of these kids.”
The Raiders should be frustrated to say the least, especially if they were to discover that they had more yards of total offense (387) than the Pirates (317).
Shultis was 37 for 57 on pass attempts for 305 yards, and had four touchdown passes, but nothing proved more costly than his interception late that guaranteed a season of imperfection for the Raiders.
Raider receiver Chris Gant put on a show for the Raiders offensively, racking in ten catches for 120 yards and three touchdowns.
But despite the great offensive performance by the Raiders, they had to continue to play from behind, and could never quite catch up to the Pirates.
The Pirates capitalized on turnovers, converting two of them into 14 points, and scored on three drives that started inside Raider territory.
It was a close call for the Pirates to say the least, who still have to play a bowl game next week.
As Ventura heads into the bowl game, Mack has no preference to whom his team would like to play.
“At this point, you’re just honored to be able to play in a bowl game,” he said. “We’re honored to have finished as well as we finished.”
