JC FOOTBALL ROUNDUP : Vaqueros Intercept Moorpark Comeback

With a perfect record on the line, and opportunity knocking, the Moorpark College football team stumbled, losing a 20-17 decision Saturday afternoon to Santa Barbara City.

With the score tied, 17-17, late in the fourth quarter and Moorpark at the Santa Barbara 31-yard line, Taj Lewis threw an interception on fourth and six. Mike Hayes picked off the pass at the two and returned it 27 yards.

The Vaqueros then marched downfield, setting up Steve Sherritt’s 22-yard field goal with 10 seconds remaining to lift Santa Barbara (2-1-1, 2-0-1) in a Western State Conference interdivisional game. The 13-play drive consumed 4 minutes 33 seconds.

Santa Barbara led late in the third quarter, 17-3, behind freshman quarterback J.T. Stone, who completed 23 of 41 passes for 271 yards with two touchdowns (24 yards to Torlando Bolden and 60 yards to Eric Mahanke) and two interceptions.

The Raiders (3-1, 2-1), ranked 20th in the nation and ninth in the state by the JC Athletic Bureau, finally came to life when Andrew Ferrari recovered Stone’s fumble on the Santa Barbara 15 late in the third quarter.

Four plays later, Lewis scored from seven yards on a broken play to cut the deficit to 17-10.

On the Raiders’ next possession, Lewis capped an eight-play, 66-yard drive with a six-yard run that tied the score, 17-17, with 8:23 remaining.

Lewis rushed 10 times for 16 yards and completed 10 of 19 for 91 yards. Gary Clemons gained 150 yards in 25 carries.