Two high-powered offenses squared off against each other in an SFCA Regional Playoff game on Saturday. Both #5-seeded Cerritos College and #4-seeded Ventura College have a history of taking knockout shots instead of body blows when they have faced each other in recent years. In their last six meetings - dating back to 2013 - the teams have combined to average 78 points a game, with each team winning three times. The trend continued to hold true, as the two teams combined for 78 points in a 41-37 Pirates win that ended the Falcons season at 8-3. Late in the third quarter, the Falcons led, 37-21, but surrendered the final 20 points of the game.

Cerritos was in position to pull out the win and advance to the next round of the playoffs, but ran out of time at the Ventura 13-yard line.

The first half saw all but two drives result in points, while the second half continued the trend, with several defensive stops mixed in. 

Cerritos didn't waste any time getting on the scoreboard to start the game, as they drove 50 yards on five plays on their first possession. Three straight completions for freshman quarterback Jeremiah Calvin (Mayfair HS) got things moving, including a six-yarder to sophomore wide receiver Saxon Va'a (Banning HS) on third down to keep the drive going. Calvin then connected with sophomore wide receiver Malachi Wright (Mayfair HS) for 24 yards and a touchdown. The Falcons then decided to go for a two-point conversion, which failed.

Ventura came right back to find the end zone and take a 7-6 lead, but that did not deter Cerritos, as they went on another offensive drive to regain the lead. Wright was the main focus once again, as he pulled in a 17-yard pass on the second play of the drive and then went for 22-yards to reach the Ventura 1-yard line. Sophomore running back Josh Cason (Long Beach Poly HS) then busted on from a yard out, while the team's two-point conversion once again failed and the Falcons led, 12-7.

The next punch would come from the Pirates, who drove downfield on their next possession and regained the lead. But that would not last long, as Cerritos had a few punches left on their next possession. Using a more methodical approach, the Falcons ran off 12 plays to score and burned 6:27 off the clock. The drive included another third down conversion pass to Va'a, while sophomore running back Romeo Clark (Warren HS/Simpson, CA University) broke off an 11-yard run to put the ball on the Ventura side of the field. Another 17-yarder by Clark placed the ball at the 6-yard line, with Cason breaking the through from a yard out for his second touchdown of the game, while he also converted the two-point conversion.

Holding serve, Ventura moved downfield and took a 21-20 lead on their next possession. The Falcons were in position to take a lead into halftime, but Calvin was picked off in the end zone by Jaxon Arrington with 24 seconds left on the clock. A 27-yard reception by Va'a, as well as a 13-yarder to sophomore tight end Danez Maxey (Buena Park HS) helped move the ball deep into Pirates territory before the turnover ended the drive.

Receiving the kickoff to open the second half, the Falcons offense continued right where they left off, as they added points to their total. The drive had it's share of risks, which ended in reward, including a fourth-and four completion from Calvin to the reliable Va'a for eight yards. When the drive stalled at the Pirates 17-yard line, kicker Jonathan Arreola (Mayfair HS) came on to boot a 34-yard field goal.

The first big defensive play for Cerritos came on the next Ventura drive when linebacker Clarence Chaney (JSerra HS/Southwest Baptist University) stripped the ball from Pirates quarterback Braesen Leon, with defensive end Miles Merchant (Gahr HS) there to recover the ball at the Ventura 18-yard line. Looking to put some distance on the scoreboard between themselves and Ventura, Cason scored his third touchdown of the game when he raced into the end zone on the first play.

Needing a response on their next possession, the Pirates saw the Falcon defense hold strong, as defensive back Richard Munoz (Bishop Amat HS) stuffed Ventura receiver Ryan Gillum for a two-yard loss on a fourth-and-two play. The Falcons used a big-strike play to score again when Calvin found a streaking Charles Clinton II (Long Beach Poly HS) across the middle on third down and he out-raced the defense for a 61-yard touchdown and a 37-21 lead.

Prior to the end of the third quarter, the Pirates were able to get back in the end zone, as they went 73 yards in eight plays. Going for a two-point conversion, their pass attempt failed and the Falcons were up by 10, 37-27. For the fifth time in the game, Va'a was able to extend a drive at the end of the quarter when he gained nine yards on a third-and-eight play, which put the ball at the Ventura 44-yard line. Cerritos then saw one of their fourth down plays not convert and turned the ball over on downs at the Ventura 27-yard line early in the fourth quarter.

The risk this time by the Falcons resulted in a reward for the Pirates, as they connected on a 39-yard touchdown strike on a third down play to draw to within 37-33 with 6:47 remaining in the fourth quarter. Needing just a field goal to tie the game, Ventura rolled the dice at midfield on a fourth-and-one coming out of the 2:00 timeout. They were able to convert and used that momentum to drive for what would be the game-winning touchdown.

Cerritos had one last possession with 47 seconds left to pull out the win. Starting their possession at their own 27-yard line, Calvin connected with Clinton for eight yards on the first play, as he got out of bounds to stop the clock. A defensive holding call against the Pirates moved the ball up 10 more yards for Cerritos to their own 45-yard line. Calvin and Clinton connected for six yards on the ensuing play and then Clinton caught another pass, which moved the ball to the Ventura 35-yard line with 19 ticks remaining. A 21-yard reception to sophomore wide receiver Rocco Caldarella (Valley Christian HS) placed the ball at the Ventura 14-yard line, with the Falcons calling their final timeout. Coming out of the timeout, the Pirates were called for offside and put the ball at the nine-yard line with 11 seconds left. An incomplete pass, and with eight seconds left, Calvin was chased out of the pocket, and by the time he got out of bounds, there was no time left on the clock.

Offensively, Calvin completed 26-of-40 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns, with Clinton pulling in eight passes for 116 yards, while Va'a caught six passes for 67 yards. On the ground, Cason rushed for 98 yards on 18 carries and three touchdowns.

Sophomore linebacker Adrian Castro (La Serna HS) posted 16 tackles on defense, while sophomore linebacker Rocky Jack (Summer Creek, TX HS/Orange Coast College) finished with 13 stops and a tackle for loss. Additionally, Chaney had six tackles, with freshman defensive back Reginald Butts (Lakewood HS) adding six stops.

Photos by Daryl Peterson