The road is never easy, and Northern Conference play is no exception. The Pirate football team found the road a difficult place to play again on Saturday, dropping a 31-21 decision at Bakersfield. Reserve quarterback Samuel Marquez came on to pass for 143 yards and two touchdowns, JQ Brown ran for 69 yards and had another 25 receiving, and Jesse Valenzuela had 59 rushing yards with a score to lead the VC effort. Defensively, Jett Alldredge recorded 11 tackles and Adrian Soracco had nine. James Tuayemie and CJ Hodgdon each had eight stops.
The game began with neither team gaining an upper hand. Bakersfield missed a 36-yard field goal on their second possession, and the Pirates appeared to grab the momentum when Hodgdon intercepted a Renegade pass deep in VC territory on Bakersfield's next possession. He returned it 90 yards to the BC 7-yard line, but the turnover was called back by a penalty. BC cashed in their second chance with a touchdown two plays later at the 1:22 mark of the first quarter.
In the middle of the second period, VC answered with a 28-yard run to paydirt by Valenzuela. Rafael Vargas' kick tied the score at 7-7.
On the ensuing possession, the Renegades put together a 10 play, 65-yard drive, all on the ground. They found the end zone on a 10-yard run for a 14-7 lead headed to intermission.
BC extended the lead to 21-7 with a touchdown late in the third quarter, and they added three more points with a field goal early in the fourth.
Ventura's Tuayemie provided a spark defensively with an interception with 7:07 remaining in the game, and Marquez came in to lead a 9-play, 80 yard drive for a touchdown. Marquez capped the drive with a 17-yard strike to Sebastian Macaluso and Vargas' kick pulled VC to within 24-14.
Bakersfield answered with another touchdown drive before Marquez led the Pirates to another score on their final possession, a 22-yard pass play to Ja'ron Glenn.
The Pirates hope to turn things around with a little home cooking as they host Allan Hancock College on Saturday Oct. 29.