Hancock College's football team will liely have a post-season for the sixth time in coach Kris Dutra's nine seasons at the helm.

The Bulldogs just don't know where that post-season will be yet. They'll know more Saturday night or shortly afterward.

If Hancock (4-1, 8-1) loses its Northern Division and regular season finale at Ventura (3-1, 6-2) Saturday evening, the Bulldogs will likely play in a bowl game at Santa Barbara City College's La Playa Stadium.

If the Bulldogs win Saturday night, they will be in the state playoffs for the second straight year. There is a possibility that they will host a first-round game. They'll have to see how things play out during their bye week next week.

That's if they get past the Pirates tonight. The game will be webcast, audio only, at www.santamariatimes.com. Brad Memberto will call the action. Kickoff time is 7 p.m. The pre-game show starts at 6:45.

Hancock hasn't been 8-1 at this point in a season since 1999. That's the year coach Barney Eames guided the Bulldogs to the state championship game, which they lost 22-14 to top-ranked San Francisco.

The Bulldogs are ranked sixth in Southern California and ninth statewide. Ventura is rated 11th and 16th respectively.

Dutra's offense has rolled along this year with a fat 428 yards-plus per game average. Center Tyler Vogt and tackle James George help anchor a powerful offensive line that has helped the Bulldogs rack up 199 points in Northern Division play.

The unit will go against a Ventura defense that had been pretty stout until being flattened at Bakersfield. The first-place Renegades routed the Pirates 44-14 last week.

The Pirates yielded 217 rushing yards to Bakersfield, which doesn't bode well for Ventura since Hancock averages more than 260 yards on the ground a game itself. St. Joseph graduates Ryan Anglin and Thomas Sua have 777 and 435 rushing yards respectively this year.

Ventura had given up just 347 yards rushing before the Bakersfield game. The PIrates are still fourth-best in the state in total yards allowed, at 237-plus.

Ventura lost by just a point to Cerritos, now the state's top-ranked junior college team, in its season opener. The Pirates won six straight afterward until they floundered at Bakersfield.

The first-place Renegades also saddled the Bulldogs with their only loss, 31-24. Hancock rallied from 21 points down and seemed set to go for a tying extra point in the last seconds. However, a preliminary touchdown call on the preceding play was overturned and the Bulldogs eventually came up short.

The Pirates have proven they can score - they're averaging nearly 27 points a game. Antavius Sims (473 yards this season) and Dominic Morris (460) are capable runners. Sims has thrown for 800 yards this season and Gregory Jimenez has thrown for 435 more.

Sims has been Ventura's big TD man this year. He's rushed for nine touchdowns. Linebackers Brennan Locker and Isiah Anderson help lead a Bulldogs defense that has been solid most of the time.

Hancock sophomore Mike Trujillo leads the state in yards-per-punt average at 42.24. Anglin is 10th in rushing yardage. Quarterback Gunnar Jespersen is fourth in pass rating at 166.6.

Ventura's Tyler Stampler is fourth in kick scoring. He's 13-for-14 on field goals and 24-for-24 on extra points.