Football Recap: Ventura's Run of Three Straight Victories Now Over + How To Watch

It was a proper cat-fight when Ventura faced off against Newbury Park on Friday. The Cougars received a blow as they fell 43-28 to the Panthers. The Cougars were not able to make up for their loss to the Panthers from their previous meeting back in September of 2024.

Defeat or not, Ventura got some senior leadership from Derek Garcia and Jack Cunningham. Garcia threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns, while Cunningham picked up 208 receiving yards and three scores. Cunningham showed off some serious burst, cutting upfield on a catch for 54 yards.

Brady Smigiel had another great game (as he tends to do), throwing for 268 yards and four TDs while completing 76.2% of his passes, and also rushing for 33 yards and one touchdown for Newbury Park. Smigiel is on a roll when it comes to passing touchdowns, as he's now passed for three or more in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Tyler Stromsoe, who rushed for 123 yards and one score.

Cougars

Previous 5 Games

09/26/25 @ Newbury Park	28-43
09/19/25 vs Dos Pueblos	49-7
09/12/25 vs Camarillo	38-21
09/05/25 @ Rio Mesa	35-6
08/29/25 @ Thousand Oaks	13-38

With the loss, Ventura broke their three-game winning streak and moved their record to 3-2. As for Newbury Park, their record now sits at 2-3.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Ventura will host Buena at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Cougars will be up against the Bulldogs' rather soft defense (which has allowed 39.8 points per game), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance. As for Newbury Park, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Santa Barbara at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The Dons' defense has only allowed 14.6 points per game this season, so the Panthers' offense will have their work cut out for them.