Moorpark football kicked off their season with a road game against Pierce College that resulted in a 25-6 victory making for a five game winning streak dating back to last season.

In a game riddled with penalties, 46 for 433 yards, and stalled offensive drives for both sides, the Raiders figured out how to make a few more game changing plays than the Pierce Brahmas.

Two of those plays occurred in the third quarter, when the Raider defensive line caused the pocket to break down, allowing freshman defensive back Hayden Galvin to record the sack. On the ensuing play, Joe Guerrero blocked the punt, returning it for a touchdown.

Moorpark head coach Mike Stuart was very pleased with the stand-out defense the Raiders showed as they held Pierce without a point through the first half.

“They swarm the ball and that’s what I like seeing from the sideline,” said Stuart. “We came out, we shut them out first-half. We can make all those checks and adjustments in the film room.”

With the Raiders offense hurt by injuries to their starting running back Isaiah Johnson and three offensive linemen, it was up to River Meza and company to carry the load.

Meza filled some large shoes by rushing for 73 yards on 20 carries and a 2-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, followed by wide receiver Corbin Covey who converted a 2-point conversion following Meza’s touchdown.

Raider quarterback Kado Brown extended the 8-0 lead even further when he connected again with Covey for a touchdown, bringing the lead to 15-0.

Jordan Flack, Raiders defensive end, was impressed with fellow team member Brown’s performance.

“Offensively I feel like we started to wake up, especially with Kado out there,” said Flack. “It’s not something you can stop; he’s a natural athlete and just a freak. ‘Next man up,’ that’s our motto here, and we really showed that tonight.”

After a Raider field goal to close out the first half, the special teams unit for the Raiders came up big with the Guerrero blocked field goal for a touchdown in the third quarter bringing the score to 25-0

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Kado Brown made due with the weapons around him, amassing 103 yards through the air while adding another 57 on the ground and was adamant that next week would be different, that the game wouldn’t have to depend on the defense or special teams having to make plays.

“Next week I just want to manage the game better,” said Brown. “It starts with the quarterback. I need to lead the team and not be an individual.”

Moorpark College will match up next on Sept. 10 in a home game against El Camino with kickoff at 6 p.m.