The Hancock College football team had never beaten Mt. San Antonio in three attempts, and the Bulldogs didn’t come close in try No. 4 at Hancock last Saturday, losing 41-19 after trailing 28-0 at halftime.
The Bulldogs are zero for their last 11 against Northern League rival Ventura, and that’s who Hancock will take on Saturday night in both teams’ Northern League opener. The teams will face each other at the Ventura College Sportsplex at 6 p.m.
Both teams are 2-1. After seeing Mt. SAC beat them 22-14 at Mt. SAC on the strength of five Mounties field goals, the Pirates are back home after winning 39-32 at traditionally tough Cerritos last week.
Hancock once had the upper hand, 18-12, in a rivalry that has been sometimes testy, but that has changed. With the 11 straight wins, Ventura leads the series between the teams 23-18.
Here is a look at some of the Bulldogs-Pirates match-ups, along with the results of the last two years.
Past two years
The Bulldogs have had some wrenching losses against the Pirates, and they had one last year. Hancock couldn’t hold a 21-6 lead, and the Bulldogs lost the 28-19 lead they had in the last 12:07. The Bulldogs lost 36-31 at Ventura in 2022 on a 10-yard touchdown run with 25 seconds left.
Both times, the Bulldogs righted their ship afterward. They earned a three-way share of the Northern League title with Ventura and College of the Canyons in 2022 and were league co-champs with the Pirates last year. Hancock made it to the Strawberry Bowl both years, beating Moorpark in 2022 and losing to San Diego Mesa in 2023.
The run game
The Hancock rushing attack had been crunching along at its usually productive pace. Then Mt. SAC kept the Hancock ground game to a paltry 64 yards.
The Bulldogs will try to pop Caden Harris loose again. The Mounties held the decorated sophomore – Harris was All-State as a freshman last year – to 10 yards on nine carries.
Harris and Co. should go a lot farther on the ground this time. The Pirates give up a shade under 146 rushing yards a game compared to the 6.5 Mt. SAC was yielding before last week.
When it comes to running the ball themselves, the Pirates are pretty good at it. They average just under 133 yards a game. Ventura has two good backs, Jake Murphy and Quaran Gossett, who average 126 yards rushing a game between them. Gossett has run for three scores. Murphy has run for one.
Hancock gives up 126 rushing yards a game.
The passing game
Mt. SAC came in giving up 299 yards a game through the air but, though backup quarterback Drake Missamore made some good throws, the Bulldogs couldn’t take full advantage.
The Pirates give up 247 yards a game through the air. The Bulldogs haven’t been much better, yielding an average of 227 yards a game via the pass.
Ventura has a good veteran quarterback, sophomore Daniel Duran. Duran has thrown for 888 yards, with eight touchdown passes and just two interceptions. Duran has connected on 64 of his 101 passes.
Silas Kemp of Ventura is by far the leading receiver between the two teams. Kemp is averaging nearly 117 yards in receptions yardage and has caught three touchdown passes.  Â
Hancock freshman A.J. Vele threw for 230 yards and four touchdowns at Orange Coast College in the Hancock opener, but the Hancock passing game has tailed off since then. Â
Injury status
Hancock starting quarterback A.J. Vele had to leave the game against Mt. SAC in the third quarter with what appeared to be an injury to his right shoulder. Missamore came in and threw a touchdown pass later in the third.
Vele’s status was unknown at press time.
Pass rush
Hancock has six sacks, Ventura has three. The Pirates have given up seven sacks. The Bulldogs have yielded three.
Turnovers
Hancock has recovered four opponents fumbles and lost two fumbles itself. Other than that, there is not much happening, for or against, either side in the turnovers department. The Pirates have two interceptions, and Duran has thrown two. The Bulldogs have suffered an interception and garnered one.
The kicking game
Both sides have been fine on PAT kicks and so-so when it comes to field goal tries.Â
