Corsairs Walk the Plank Yet Again
In an attempt to break out of a five-game losing streak, the Santa Monica College Corsairs took on the Ventura College Pirates at home Saturday afternoon.
SMC would be without starting quarterback Paul Davis after he suffered an injury last week and was unable to suit up, so John Martinos got the nod at QB.
Unlike most of the games this season for SMC, the start to this one was anything but fruitful. Ventura opened the game up with a six-yard touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Jake Constantine to sophomore Kezio Snelling in the first quarter to make it 7-0.
The Pirates would double their lead in the second quarter, on a four-yard touchdown throw from Ricky Town to Blake Burnett, the first of three passing scores on the day for the sophomore quarterback.
The Corsair offense could not muster any momentum in response, and SMC was unable to move the ball into enemy territory throughout the entire first half. By that time, Town had added scores on the ground and through the air to put the Pirates up 28-0.
The blowout continued into the second half with Ventura capping off a long drive on a nine-yard touchdown pass from Constantine to freshman Dominic Benson, making it 35-0.
On the ensuing drive, the Corsairs were finally able to gain some momentum off a 20-yard completion from sophomore Nick Hutchins to the freshman Eric Bey. The Corsairs could not find the endzone, and sophomore kicker Vitor Sambugaro had his ensuing 50-yard field-goal attempt blocked.
Ventura returned the kick out to the Corsairs' 47-yard line, and took advantage of the good field position with a one-yard rushing touchdown from Tyrese Gholar to put the game out of reach.
The Pirates added two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter and racked up 562 yards of total offense for the game, while their defense shut out the Corsairs for the first time this season.
Interim Head Coach Kelly Ledwith responded after the loss, the team's sixth straight since winning the season opener.
"Everybody knows there is a sense of urgency," Ledwith said. "We struggled to execute today, and execution fuels emotion, and down the stretch that's where we're lacking."
The two SMC quarterbacks threw for a combined 6-23 on passes for a measly 23 yards. On the ground, freshman Christoph Hirota led the team with 44-yards on 17 carries, while Hutchins added 18-yards on six attempts.
On defense, sophomore Chris Wein had another solid outing, racking up a team-high 16 tackles. Sophomore linebackers D'Akkiba Wallace and Jordan Lawrence notched sacks, while defensive backs Tyree Fryar and Skye Germaine each grabbed an interception.
The Corsairs will travel to Bakersfield College next week on Oct. 28, at 6 p.m. in Memorial Stadium. They will be going up against a Renegades squad that at 6-1, has one of the best records in the state.
When asked about the upcoming match-up, Ledwith said, "We'll come out and have a good week of practice so we can execute in the game, and I'll feel good on where we'll be next week."