Football Falls Short at Ventura, 42-33

VENTURA, Calif. - The Allan Hancock College football team fell short in the National Northern League opener at Ventura College on Saturday afternoon after suffering a 42-33 on the road. The Pirates now move to 24-18 in the all-time series history and have won in 12 consecutive meetings. | BOX SCORE

ALLAN HANCOCK (2-2, 0-1) @ VENTURA (3-1, 1-0)

QUARTER 1: AHC 5 | VC 0

Hancock scored on the opening drive of the contest after building a 14-play possession that spanned 75 yards to get on the board early. Anthony Tucker and Caden Harris highlighted the effort with rushing exchanges before AJ Vele crossed the goal line after a one-yard keeper.  

QUARTER 2: AHC 15 | VC 21

The Pirates erased the deficit with 10 minutes remaining in the second after marching down the field with a series of complete passes, including a 33-yard heave to score. The Bulldogs matched the effort on the ensuing possession with three completed passes from Vele to Makai Puga and a 19-yard streak for Tucker. That drive came to a close with an 11-yard touchdown pass that landed in Puga's hands. 

VC responded quickly with a scoring effort that spanned 74 yards and ended with a 2-yard rush after benefitting from a pass interference call. They doubled that effort just two minutes later after recovering a forced AHC fumble and converting that turnover into a 38-yard touchdown pass. 

Hancock evened the odds just before the intermission when Vele connected with Puga for two long passes, one 20-yard reception and another for 53 yards. Harris put six points on the board with a 2-yard scurry to the end zone and was successful with a rushing attempt for the two-point conversion try.

QUARTER 3: AHC 6 | VC 7

The Bulldogs struck first when play resumed after stringing together 10 plays for 55 yards that ended with another short rushing touchdown for Harris, but Ventura used a 20-yard rush to close out their next possession in the end zone. 

QUARTER 4: AHC 6 | VC 14

Ventura robbed a scoring drive from the Bulldogs after securing an interception in the end zone to force an early turnover in the fourth. They used that momentum to cover 80 yards, eventually scoring on a 19-yard throw.  

Both sides found a way to score once more before time expired. The Pirates benefited from a series of flags against AHC as they marched downfield toward an 8-yard reception to score, while Hancock worked through the air on their final drive before Vele found Roling Davis in the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown reception. 

LEADERS

Tackles: Jack Gentile, Connor Wiles, Nayshawn Corley - 6 / Dylan Heath - 5
Sacks: N/A
Receiving Yards: Makai Puga - 179 yards (1 TD)
Rushing Yards: Caden Harris - 91 yards (2 TD)
Passing Yards: AJ Vele (235 yards, 2 TD, 17-23)

UP NEXT

The Bulldogs will be back in action at home on Saturday, Oct. 5th, against Moorpark College at 2 PM on the AHC Football Field. Tickets can be purchased online at ahcbulldogs.com/ticketing.

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