The Moorpark College football team's first two scrimmages have been one-sided affairs.

"The first scrimmage, the offense looked really good," said head coach Jim Bittner. "The second scrimmage, the defense looked really good."

Which makes tonight's finale the rubber match.

Surprisingly, Bittner has already settled on a quarterback to take over for the graduated Zach Shultis, who has transferred to Cal Lutheran.

Former Westlake High quarterback Nick Owens, who led Pasadena City to a 4-0 start last fall, has taken over the reins, despite five other quarterbacks on the roster.

"He's a person that's key to our offense," said Bittner. "He's going to be our guy.

"The other guys are good too. If something happens, we should be all right. But (Owens) just adds another dimension. He can run and pass, he's as fast as any of our running backs."

They have given away their prime positions. The route to glory may not be as clear as it once was.

But the Ventura College and Moorpark College football teams are not prepared to give up on their seasons, despite giving away key conference games last Saturday.

Ventura gifted a 37-24 loss at Canyons that was tied 24-24 entering the fourth quarter on a muffed punt and an interception return for a touchdown.

"It's frustrating," said Ventura coach Steve Mooshagian. "It's been the story of that league. When you play a schedule like we play, all the teams are dang good. ... Turnovers kill you."

Moorpark, a taker over the course of a six-game winning streak, gave the ball away five times in a 20-15 loss to visiting Citrus.

"We just didn't execute very well," said Moorpark quarterback Zach Shultis. "Just across the board, we didn't play very well. But we've addressed it and we're ready to move on from it."

But both teams can still extend their seasons with wins in Saturday's regular- season finales.

"I'm proud that we're going into the last game of the season with something on the line," said Mooshagian.

Ventura (5-4, 2-2), ranked No. 10 in Southern California, can clinch a winning record and solidify a bowl berth by beating visiting El Camino. Although Mooshagian isn't willing to concede the Pirates' playoff chances are completely gone.

"Mathematically, although it is a long shot, we're still in that playoff picture," said Mooshagian, whose team might be able to wriggle into the Southern California regional playoffs on a three-way tiebreaker with a win combined with a Cerritos loss to Hancock.

With a win at No. 11 Los Angeles Harbor (7-2, 4-0), No. 12 Moorpark (6-3, 3-1) can still win the Western Conference title on a head-to-head tiebreaker.

"It's huge," said Shultis. "It's what we set out for in the beginning of the year, to still be able to fight for that championship with one game left. We're excited for it."

You don't see a 1-7 team stop a six-game winning streak very often, which is why some were stunned by Citrus' upset of the Raiders.

But Shultis left Griffin Stadium impressed with the Owls.

"Citrus is a good team, their record doesn't show what type of team they are," said Shultis. "They've been in every game and they had some great athletes out there."

The Owls hadn't scored more than 14 points in their previous four games and only put up 13 points offensively Saturday.

The big blow was a 56-yard fumble return by Kevin Puckett early in the third quarter that gave Citrus a 14-3 lead that it never relinquished.

Moorpark, which entered play No. 4 in turnover margin, lost the turnover battle, giving the ball away five times.

Shultis thinks Saturday's loss will make the Raiders tougher to beat come this weekend's title tilt.

"This past week was a big learning experience," said Shultis. "It taught us a lot about ourselves. We know we have to come out and can't take anything for granted."

By throwing for 408 yards in Saturday's dramatic, come-from-behind 24-21 win at Chaffey, Moorpark College quarterback Zach Shultis joined his brother Ian as the only two Raiders quarterbacks to throw for 400 yards in a game.

"It's an honor to be able to join him," said Shultis, who backed up his younger brother last season. "It's pretty cool."

By throwing for 432 yards against Santa Ana last year, Ian Shultis, who is now at Massachusetts, broke Farhaad Azimi's 10-year-old school record of 338 yards.

A career backup at Thousand Oaks High and Moorpark College, Zach has blossomed as a starter this year, winning six straight starts. Despite sharing snaps with sophomore Dalton Botts, he is No. 6 in Southern California in passing at 216.5 yards per game.

"I knew once I got the opportunity that I'd be able to prove myself," said Shultis. "Week in and week out, we've played as a team and come out victorious."

With two games to play, Moorpark (6-2, 3-0) is tied atop the Western Conference with Los Angeles Harbor.

"You can't ask for anything more than to be able to control your own destiny with two games to go," said Shultis. "We know that if we do our part, we're going to be conference champions."

Moorpark College football coach Jim Bittner has never been afraid to use two quarterbacks.

So it wasn't a shock when, despite leading Moorpark to its first win in nearly two years, Zach Shultis shared the quarterback position with Dalton Botts in Saturday's 35-29 win over Santa Barbara City.

After throwing three touchdowns the season opening loss to Ventura, Botts had missed two games with a leg injury.

"I wanted to give Dalton another chance to compete," said Bittner. "I don't know how
much longer we can go on right this, but, right now, it's a friendly competition."

Both quarterbacks were effective. The duo combined to complete 17 of 30 passes for 203 yards and three TDs.

"They're both great kids," said Bittner. "They're not moaning and groaning about it."

Moorpark College football coach Jim Bittner has been saying his team just needed to get over "the hump" and win a ballgame.

That moment came with 3:29 remaining Saturday night when quarterback Zach Shultis arrived in a focused offensive huddle:

"We felt confidence from the week before, when we drove the ball down to the 1-yard line (on the last drive)," said Shultis. "When we got the ball back, everyone looked at each other in the huddle. You could just tell eveyoone was ready to go. Everyone looked extremely focused.

"I just said, 'Here we go. This is what's we've prepared for. This is what we're ready for.' "

"Everyone just went out and got it done."

Shultis completed a pair of third-down passes to star receiver Chris Gant, picking up 11 yards on third and 8 and 11 yards on third and 2. The sophomore also drew a personal foul on the second catch, pushing the ball half the distance to the goal, to the Hancock 9-yard line.

"They played a corner right on him and safety over the top," said Shultis of Gant, who leads the state in receptions, receiving yardage and touchdowns. "He's just a phenominal athlete and a great route runner. It makes the job of a quarterback a lot eazier when you've got a receiver who you can trust on every play."

Three plays later, Shultis-the-quarterback turned Shultis-the-kicker as the Thousand Oaks High product faced down a game-winning 21-yard field goal. .

"It is kind of weird," said Shultis. "I had never even attempted a game-winning field goal before."

Longsnapper Kurtis Rawls and holder Jerry Henry offered words of inspiration.

"I just trusted them," said Shultis. "The offensive line blocked great and made my job a lot easier."

The plane touched down Saturday night and Ian Shultis' phone lit up like a scoreboard.

It confirmed what he already knew, that his brother would take care of the Moorpark College football team's school-record 13-game losing streak.

"I knew it was going to happen," said Shultis. "With that offense, I knew Zach was going to get it done. No one knows just how hard Moorpark is working right now."

Shultis, who set several school passing records during Moorpark's 0-10 season a year ago, transferred to the University of Massachusetts in August. He was there, in uniform before friends and family, as the FCS-powerhouse Minutemen nearly knocked off Michigan at the "Big House" Saturday.

A memorable Saturday was capped off hours later by the news that the Raiders were finally quarterbacked to victory by a Shultis.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," said Shultis. "It really does make me look back on last year and make me feel a lot better about it."

Down 19-18 with 3:29 to play, Zach Shultis drove Moorpark 58 yards in 10 plays, then kicked the game-winning 21-yard field goal with three seconds to spare. In his second college start, the Thousand Oaks High product completed 28-of-41 passing for 216 yards and three touchdowns.

"Zach's always been that second guy you could always fall back on and he's never really been needed," said Shultis. "It finally came to him and he delivered. I'm so proud of him. I knew he could do it."

The Moorpark College football team's second-half comeback Saturday was led by quarterback Zach Shultis, who started for the injured Dalton Botts and completed 30-of-52 passing for 340 yards and three touchdowns.

"Everyone was surprised, but I wasn't," said coach Jim Bittner. "I've been working with the guy since the spring. I knew he was completely capable.

"He's very smart and has good feet."

Botts, who completed 14-of-28 passing for 150 yards and three TDs in the Sept. 4 loss to Ventura, will find himself in a competition when he returns from injury.

"Now it's going to be a battle between him and Dalton," said Bittner.