Ventura adds CIF Regional Division 3-AA Bowl Game championship to historic season
ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (KEYT) - Play on! The Ventura Cougars hoisted a second CIF plaque into the air in as many weeks and they hope for one more celebration.
(Cougars add to their trophy case).
Derek Garcia snapped a fourth quarter tie with a short touchdown run that proved to be the game-winner as Ventura outlasted Arroyo Grande 35-28 to win the CIF Regional Division 3-AA Bowl Game.
(Garcia scores early in the fourth quarter on a 4-yard run).
The Cougars advance to their first ever CIF-State championship bowl game where they will meet St. Ignatius of San Francisco who beat Monte Vista 17-13. The CIF will announce the details of next weekends championship game soon.
Twenty-five years ago Ventura defeated Arroyo Grande to win a CIF-Southern Section title.
This time they were both section champions and were both making their first ever appearance in a CIF bowl game.
Ventura struck first with as the UNLV-bound Garcia tossed a 6-yard touchdown pass to standout receiver Jack Cunningham.
The home Eagles answered back by scoring on their first possession as quarterback Jacob Kreowski swung the ball to star Caleb Clark who spun out of a tackle and scored from 15 yard out but the point after was blocked so AG trailed 7-6.
In the second quarter Ventura got back in the end zone as on 4th and four, Garcia threw a beautiful 19-yard touchdown strike to Tristan Savage and the Cougars led 14-6.
Late in the first half, the Eagles Caleb Clark struck again as he took a pitch and raced 49-yards for the touchdown and Clark also ran in the two-point conversion to tie it at 14 at half.
First place from scrimmage in the third quarter Arroyo Grande grabbed their first lead of the game when Zack Tayman broke a couple of tackles on his way to a 49-yard touchdown run and the Eagles led 21-14.
But Ventura did not wait long to respond as Savage ripped off a 61-yard touchdown on the ensuing possession to tie it up at 21.
Savage struck again in the third quarter scoring his third touchdown of the game, this one an 8-yard td run to put Ventura up 28-21.
But AG tied the game before the quarter ended as Clark got the hat trick with his third touchdown of the game, an 8-yard run made it 28-28.
(Clark gave opponents fits in the Eagles postseason run).
Garcia provided the only touchdown of the fourth quarter, a 4-yard run with 10:24 left in the game.
Ventura drained the last six minutes or so of the clock with some key third down conversions as they improve to 13-2 on the year.
Arroyo Grande ends their championship season with a 10-5 record and a CIF-Central Section Division 2 title.
