FOOTBALL: GOING TO THE SCFA CHAMPIONSHIP!

The #1 Fullerton College football team hosted #4 Ventura College in the National Bowl on Saturday afternoon holding off the Pirates 48-42. The victory advances the Hornets to the Southern California Football Association Championship where they will host #2 Riverside City College.

After Fullerton sputtered on their opening drive, Ventura QB Jake Luton led the Pirates to the game's first touchdown on a 9-yard strike to WR Elijah Alexander.

The FC offense answered the call on their next possession driving down the field 53 yards in six plays on a 10-yard pass by QB Jordan Hoy to WR Asante Wilder.

Luton opened the next drive with a 35-yard pass to Jonte Broski for a big gain to the FC 41-yard line. Then, the Hornet D stepped up and forced a three and out.

On the next Hornet drive, Hoy drove the offense 91 yards to pay dirt. Hoy took the ball in himself from 9-yards out giving Fullerton a 14 7 lead with 4:17 left in the first quarter.

At the top of the second quarter, kicker Jonathan Aguilar hit a 31-yard field goal giving the Hornets a 10-point lead.

Fullerton widened their lead 24-7 on a pass from Hoy to WR DeAndre McNeal at 12:16 in the second.

With 4:40 left in the first half, Ventura got back on the board when Luton hit WR Cam Taylor for an 18-yard TD, but Fullerton hit back with a 25-yard shot from Hoy to Justin Manyweather just before halftime.

FC came into the second half with a healthy 31-14 lead, but the Pirates had a "never say die" attitude.

By the third quarter both teams scored 14 points each with Fullerton enjoying a 45-28 lead.

At 9:21 in the fourth quarter, Jonathan Aguilar impressed the crowd with a 38-yard field goal giving the Hornets a 48-28 advantage.

Ventura continued to chip away at the lead scoring a TD on a 6-yard pass from Luton to Alexander with 2:39 left in regulation. With FC up 48-35, Ventura attempted an onside kick, and FC's Deshon Taylor jumped up snatching the ball in the air, after a high bounce, holding off the Pirates play for the pigskin.

Fullerton had the ball with 1:52 left in the game, and went three and out in the series giving VC a chance for another touchdown, and they got it. Luton led Ventura to the promised land in eleven plays scoring a 3-yard pass to WR Kendric Mallory.

With just over a minute left in the game and down 48-42, Ventura once again went for an onside kick hoping for some more magic from the football gods. It ran out. As the ball bounced up in the air, Deshon Taylor once again made an athletic play dashing the Pirate's hopes. From there, the Hornets ran out the clock and held on for the win becoming the 2016 National Bowl Champs.

The Pirates put up the most points of any Fullerton opponent this season. The VC offense also racked up 516 total yards on the Hornets, another opponent high.

Selected as the National Bowl "Player of the Game" for Ventura was QB Jake Luton who threw for 408 yards (30 comps. 58 atts.) and 6 touchdowns.

The National Bowl "Player of the Game" for Fullerton was Montre Bonner who was a beast on defense leading the Hornets with 7 tackles and had 4 sacks.

Voted the National Bowl's 2016 MVP was Fullerton quarterback Jordan Hoy who threw for 358 yards (32 comps. 44 atts.) and 3 touchdowns. Hoy also rushed for another TD.

Up Next: The SCFA Championship game will be played at Yorba Linda High's Nathan Shapell Stadium on Saturday, November 26th. #1 Fullerton will host #2 Riverside City College. Game will be at 1:00 pm.

The last time FC played in the SCFA championship was in 2013 when they beat Riverside City College 23-14 advancing to their first state championship game since 1983. The Hornets wound up losing the state championship up at Butte College 28-13. Butte is currently the #1 seed in the north.

* Photo by Jim McCormack

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