After opening 3-0 in non-conference play, the Ventura College football team is gearing up for the first big test of its schedule Saturday night against 3-0 Cerritos, which has outscored its three opponents 168-32.

"We'll find out how good we are Saturday," said Ventura coach Jon Mack. "Cerritos is very good."

Ventura's 2008 season came off the rails following controversial 18-13 loss at Cerritos, which snapped the Pirates' 10-game winning streak and began a four-game losing streak.

"It's just another game on the schedule that we certainly want to win," said Mack. There's nobody I don't want to beat."

Ventura is hoping for the return of sophomore running back Gabriel Bostic, who has been unavailable after rushing for the opening touchdown in the VC Sportsplex because of a leg injury.

Ventura College football team's season-opening 35-13 win over Los Angeles Valley was a collective effort.

Especially on offense, where two different quarterbacks gave the ball to 13 different ball carriers (including the two quarterbacks) and threw the ball to eight different receivers.

"That's something we're really stressing," said Ventura coach Jon Mack. "There are no individuals, just the team.

"What I really liked, offensively. There wasn't anybody saying 'I need more touches.' It was a collective unit. Everybody was excited and involved. We probably played 50 or 60 guys."

As a group, the Pirates rushed for 306 yards on 43 attempts. Sophomore Kraig McPherson rushed for 87 yards on 11 carries. Sophomore Dominic Morris rushed for 70 yards on nine carries. Sophomore Gabriel Bostic earned 51 yards on five carries.

First-year quarterbacks Greg Jimenez and Antavius Sims seemed perfectly happy to alternate snaps on offense.

Sims, who both threw and ran for touchdowns, said he was "real comfortable" with the "good rotation."

Asked how he expects to keep two quarterbacks happy, Mack responded, "You just get unselfish kids who care as much about the team as they do themselves."

Redshirt sophomore Gabriel Bostic ripped through a big hole off left tackle for 27 yards and the first touchdown in VC Sportsplex history.

Ventura leads 7-0 with two minutes left in the first half.

Running back Gabriel Bostic not only returned to the Ventura College football team, he has been named the kick returner on JC Gridwire's preseason All-America second team.

The Floridian sat out last season after averaging 34.6 yards per kickoff return in 2007. He also rushed for 503 yards and two touchdowns on 103 carries.

The VC football team lost one of its top offensive weapons in the offseason.

Running back and kickoff returner Gabriel Bostic, who finished 10th in the WSC in all-purpose yardage as a freshman from South Dade, Fla., has stayed home to tend to "family issues," according to offensive coordinator Tim Gutierrez.

Bostic rushed for 517 yards and two touchdown as a freshman, 28 yards behind the team's leading rusher, Michael Lee.

But it was on the kickoff team that Bostic really changed games by averaging 34.6 yards per return, helping VC become the most dangerous return team in the state.