FC FALLS IN HIGH-SCORING THRILLER AT VENTURA

The Hornets went toe-to-toe with Ventura College in a Saturday night shootout, but despite a furious offensive surge the team came up just short in a 45-42 road loss.

It was the 100-year Anniversary Celebration Game for the Pirates featuring two high-octane offenses that combined for 87 total points in one of the most exciting games of the young season.

Both football programs have been very successful over the years and have had great rivalry games against one another in recent years. Including tonight's loss, Ventura leads overall series 4-7. The first time both teams met was one-hundred years ago, which was a 26-0 Fullerton loss. The last time the Hornets and Pirates played was in 2023- the SCFA Semifinal game where the Pirates stole the show in the final minutes 27-24.

Ventura came out hot jumping out quickly with three scores in the first quarter to take a commanding 17-0 lead. Quarterback Devin Tate connected with Elijah Davis for touchdown passes of 28 and 69 yards, while kicker Bodie Ing added a 36-yard field goal.

The Hornets, however, refused to fold. QB Chris Lundsberg got the offense rolling with a 37-yard touchdown strike to JT Weir on the first play of the second quarter. Fullerton followed up with two more scores before halftime on a 35-yard touchdown to Logan Lester and another strike to Weir (21 yards) helping the team grab a 21-17 lead.

The Pirates reclaimed momentum just before halftime with a 5-yard touchdown run by Tate and then extended the lead in the third quarter on a 65-yard scoring run by Koen Glover, making it 31-21.

But Fullerton answered yet again. Lundsberg connected with David Wagner for a 26-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to three. After Ventura scored on a 16-yard Tate pass to Tayvion McCoy, the Hornets answered with Kelly, who powered in from six yards out to make it 38-35 heading into the fourth.

Ventura's ground game proved pivotal late. Love Adabeyo's 3-yard touchdown run extended the Pirates' lead to 45-35. Fullerton pulled within three with 13:55 remaining when quarterback Corin Rynders capped a one-play drive with a 15-yard touchdown run. The Hornet defense held tough the rest of the way, but Ventura's offense managed to drain enough clock to seal the narrow 45-42 win.

FC quarterback Chris Lundsberg was sharp under center completing 22 of 34 passes for 290 yards and 4 touchdowns with no interceptions. Running back Fred Hunter paced the rushing attack with 15 carries for 89 yards. Graelyn Kelly chipped in with 52 rushing yards with a TD and had 2 receptions for 17 yards. Logan Lester led the receiving corps with 7 catches for 82 yards and 1 touchdown, while JT Weir added 73 yards and 2 TDs.

Defensively, last season's All-American linebacker Ethan Charpentier anchored the defense with a game-high 15 tackles including 3 for loss. Muhammad Hassouneh added 6 tackles, and Nehemiah Norwood tallied 5 tackles of his own.

Despite the loss, the Hornets showed resilience rallying from an early 17-point deficit and trading blows in a game that came down to the final possessions.

Up Next: The Hornets (1-1 overall) will get back at it again next Saturday, September 13^th when they host Saddleback College (2-0 overall) for another non-conference matchup. Kickoff is at high noon for this much-anticipated contest. Come on out and support your Hornets for this big game!