Ventura, CA — At long last, the Buena High football team can forget about The Streak. Now the Bulldogs will forever have The Drive as part of the program's lore. Trailing arch rival and nemesis Ventura High by six points with 2:50 remaining, stymied in the second half by a series of mistakes, lost opportunities and a relentless Cougars rushing attack that forced the demise of a one-time 19-point advantage, Buena found itself at the crossroads Friday night. Fold or triumph. A seven-play, 65-yard touchdown march provided the latter. Junior quarterback Zane Carter, limited to 58 yards passing for most of the night, heated up on Buena's final possession. He went 4 of 7 for 55 yards, including a 17-yard scoring pass to Brandon Rice with 1:30 left on the clock that proved to be the game-winning touchdown in the Bulldogs' heart-pounding, 29-28 victory at Larrabee Stadium. With heavy mist hanging in the air and the visiting stands erupting in cheers, it made for a wet, wild and wonderful ending for Buena's players and coaches at game's end. They leapt up and down in triumph. They took turns holding aloft the city championship trophy. They reveled in a victory literally more than a decade in the making. Carter, one of the Bulldogs' principle heroes, admitted to feeling mostly stunned as he stood among the celebration. "I'm in shock," he said. More expansive, he said it was a victory that means, well, everything. "I was scared before that final drive," he admitted. "Really, I was scared for the first couple of plays. But it was a matter of coming through for the team, and especially for the seniors. I didn't want them to go out with another loss (to Ventura). It's such a great feeling seeing everyone so happy." Buena senior running back Jake Murphy scored two touchdowns in the first half, including an 80-yard bolt of lightning straight up the gut of the defense that opened up a 15-3 lead midway through the second quarter. He wore a smile that stretched from sideline to sideline. "I've been dreaming of getting this win for a long time," said Murphy, who finished with 124 yards on 13 carries. "Every day during the summer, working out in the weight room, this is what I would think about. I thought about finally winning this game. "It's such a great feeling." Rice had a multi-hero's role on the game-winning possession. He not only caught the touchdown pass, turning a short screen pass into a sprint down the left sidelines into the end zone, it was up to him to tack on the PAT that secured the one-point lead. He was confident, especially on the touchdown. "I just knew that we would score a touchdown on that play," said the senior wide receiver/linebacker. "The way the defense was playing us, I knew the play would be opening. (Carter) put it there, and I just had to run it in." Buena, at 6-3 overall, cinches the Pacific View League crown and the league's No. 1 seed in postseason. The Bulldogs, at 4-0 in league, own victories over Ventura and Santa Ynez — which would give them the tiebreaker's edge. Buena ends the regular season next Friday by hosting winless Cabrillo. More significantly, that 11-game losing streak to Ventura is now history. Buena had last defeated the Cougars in 2009. Now the Bulldogs have a fresh start. "Eleven years is a long time," said Murphy, with an obvious sense of relief. Ventura moves to 4-4 overall and 2-2 in league and might need an at-large berth to reach postseason. The Cougars lost to Santa Ynez, which would give the Pirates the edge if the two teams end up tied for second. Ventura didn't go quietly Friday night. After a fumbled kickoff return set up Buena on a short field that resulted in a 22-3 lead late in the second quarter, Ventura fought back. A nine-play, 55-yard scoring drive ended in a 3-yard touchdown run by Esteban DeSantiago with 1:30 remaining until halftime. Buena's lead was now 22-10. The Cougars dominated most of the second half. Quarterback Jacob Jeffries scooted in for a 6-yard scoring run to cut the disadvantage to 22-17 with 5:42 left in the third quarter. A 35-yard field goal by Donovan Chappell was his second of the game and trimmed the deficit to 22-20 midway through the fourth quarter. Then the Cougars capitalized on a disastrous play by Buena's special teams. A Buena punt on fourth down instead resulted in a fumbled snap and a Ventura recovery at the 6-yard line. A delay of game took the ball back to the 11, but no matter. Esteban DeSantiago sprinted in for the score that gave Ventura its first lead of the night. The Cougars led 28-22 with 2:50 left in the fourth quarter. DeSantiago finished with 178 rushing yards and a pair of scores on 26 carries. Jeffries rushed for 81 yards and threw for 86 passing yards. Taking possession at their own 35 on their final chance, the Bulldogs and Carter began with back-to-back incompletions. Then Carter found Colin Guenther for a 27-yard completion on third-and-10 that set up Buena at Ventura 35. Buena High’s Brandon Rice, who scored the tying touchdown and hit the game-winning extra point, holds up the Suzanne Brown Memorial Cup after the Bulldogs beat city rival Ventura 29-28 on Friday, Oct. 22, 2021. Three plays later, Guenther made a diving catch for an 18-yard reception to the 17. Then came the touchdown play, with Rice going in motion and setting up for a short reception during the 15-yard line. He didn't stop running until he reached the end zone. Congrats on the big W!!