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	2010-2011 FOOTBALL SEASON
	AUG	Aug 13 First Day of Practice Aug 16 Photo Day (Pizza and Drinks) Aug 17 First Day of Pads

For all Valencia Tigers Sports news and events, visit us at www.valenciaathletics.com

This year Valencia High School turned out some great athletes in 2009. Here's three of them.

Donnie Sproal	Jesse Sandoval	Karsen Garcia
Valencia HS - Placentia CA 4.5 GPA National Merit Scholar Semi-Finalist IB Diploma Programme Candidate	Valencia HS - Placentia CA 88% - Field Goal 91% - Touch Backs	Valencia HS - Placentia CA WR/DB/KR NCAA Qualified
Contact: (714) 996-4970 Mike Marrujo mmarrujo@pylusd.org Curt Pike cpike@pylusd.org Jason Gray (714) 996-4970 x7804

By JOSH DIGGS
SPECIAL TO OCVARSITY.COM

TUSTIN - Tustin wanted to send a message about running back Anthony Wilkerson — he’s finally healthy.

The senior tailback pummeled Valencia’s defense for 329 yards on 48 carries to lead the Tillers to a 31-14 victory in a CIF-SS Southwest Division first-round playoff game at Tustin High on Friday night.

Tustin (10-1) will play Huntington Beach in the second round next week.

Wilkerson, the county rushing leader despite battling injuries that kept him from practicing for a three-week stretch, accounted for all but 16 yards of his team’s offense and scored on touchdown runs of 1, 34, 1 and 43 yards.

“He’s been hurt but he’s finally getting back into running shape,” Tustin Coach Myron Miller said. “Every week we’re seeing a better Anthony. Lucky for us he’s on an upswing.”

Wilkerson carried the ball on 12 of Tustin’s first 13 plays on the opening possession before punching it in from a yard out.

After wearing out the Tigers (4-7) for 15 more carries on the next series that resulted in James Arvizu’s 21-yard field goal, Wilkerson broke through for a 34-yard score that put Tustin ahead, 17-7, with 31.7 seconds left in the half.

He didn’t slow down in the second half, scoring on runs of 1 and 43 yards out.
 

By LOU PONSI
OCVARSITY.COM
GARDEN GROVE - Pacifica beat Valencia at its own game in the final Empire League contest of the season for both teams Thursday night at Garden Grove High.

The Mariners rushed for all of their touchdowns and gained 342 yards on the ground in a 28-23 victory over the run-oriented Tigers, who will enter the playoffs as the Empire League's No. 3 representative.

Pacifica’s victory is its the first against Valencia in the four years the Mariners have been in the Empire League. Pacifica (5-4-1, 4-1) finished in second place and will enter the Southwest Division playoffs as the No. 2 seed from the league.

“Our kids played super hard and got something they wanted,” Pacifica’s first-year coach, Marcello Giuliano, said. “Coach Marrujo is an outstanding coach and they (the Tigers) were ready.”

Pacifica had to battle back after trailing, 17-14, at the half. The Mariners started from their 20 after receiving the second-half kickoff and drove the 80 yards in 17 plays, running on every down except one. Luther Tolbert capped the seven-minute drive with a 5-yard touchdown run that gave Pacifica a 21-17 lead.

After running well in the first half, the Tigers (4-6, 2-3) were forced to punt on their next two possessions. Pacifica then took over on their 36 with 10:01 left in game.

This time, however, instead of grinding out another long drive, the Mariners struck quickly as Cody Johnson broke through the line for a 67-yard touchdown on the second play.

Valencia made it interesting when Robert Mata connected with Greg Hammond for a 32-yard touchdown, getting the Tigers to within 28-23 with 2:52 left. However, Valencia couldn’t convert a two-point conversion try nor recover the ensuing onside kick.

Here's a look at the Empire League playoff picture:
EMPIRE LEAGUE
Cypress (9-1, 5-0): The league championship was wrapped up when Cypress beat Pacifica last week.
Pacifica (5-4-1, 4-1): The Mariners clinched second place with a victory over Valencia on Thursday.
Valencia (4-6, 2-3): The Tigers finished tied for third with Kennedy, but the Tigers own the tiebreaker over the Fighting Irish so they are in as the league's third-place team.
Kennedy (5-5, 2-3): The Fighting Irish are eligible to petition for the Southwest's lone at-large berth.
Loara (5-5, 1-4): The Saxons are eligible to petition for an at-large berth, but they would be a long shot.
Katella (2-8, 1-4): The Knights have been eliminated.
 

By BRUCE BOURQUIN
SPECIAL TO OCVARSITY.COM

PLACENTIA Valencia stayed alive in a late bid for a CIF playoff berth Friday night at Bradford Stadium in a 35-7 romp over Loara.

The Tigers improved to 2-2 in the Empire League (4-5 overall) and must finish at least third in the league to clinch a berth. They are in a two-team race with Kennedy (2-2). “We’re in good shape,” Valencia coach Mike Marrujo said. “We have a shot.”

Steve Lagovi scored four touchdowns in the first half and rushed for 179 yards. Greg Hammond also had a monster first half with three catches for 36 yards, a fumble recovery and a blocked punt that led to a touchdown.

The Saxons (4-5, 0-4) saw the Tigers defense sack quarterback Michael Schneider four times. There were also two interceptions despite the Tigers missing four starters because of injuries.

“There was a lot of good blocking up front,” Marrujo said. “The kids that filled in for our starters played real well.” Valencia quarterback Robert Mata went 12-for-12 passing for 156 yards and a touchdown.

Valencia won its 75th Homecoming game.

By LOU PONSI
OCVARSITY.COM

ANAHEIM - Valencia made some huge defensive plays in its Empire League game against Kennedy on Thursday at Western High School. But none was bigger than the fumble recovery by Omar Perez in the final minute of the game, which preserved the Tigers’ 17-14 victory. Jesse Sandoval’s 43-yard field goal with 7:57 left in the game broke a 14-14 tie.

The Fighting Irish later took possession on their 40 with 2:20 left and advanced to the Valencia 23 when Perez’s fumble recovery with 39 seconds left ended Kennedy’s hopes for a comeback. The referees held a brief meeting to determine if the ball had been fumbled by Kennedy running back D.J. Boulton.

The victory keeps playoff hopes alive for the Tigers (3-5, 1-2), who have games left vs. Loara on Nov. 6 and Pacifica on Nov. €12. Kennedy (4-4, 1-2) plays its final two regular season games against Katella and Cypress.

“The kids played very very hard,” Valencia coach Mike Marrujo. “The defense played spectacular, and they got turnovers. That was the key to the game.”

Tyler Berman and Matt Gonzalez each had interceptions for the Tigers. The Tigers’ Steve Logovii led all rushers with 163 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries.

By HUGO PACHECO
SPECIAL TO OCVARSITY.COM

PLACENTIA Katella rushed for 257 yards Friday night in a 28-20 Empire League victory over host Valencia at Bradford Stadium.

Knights running back Nik Bush led the way with 106 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. After a scoreless first quarter, Valencia stopped a Katella fourth-down conversion attempt, then marched 53 yards on a 10-play, four-minute drive capped by Steve Logovii’s 1-yard scamper into the end zone. Katella answered right back when Bush ran 48 yards on a critical fourth-and-two play. Jake Salcedo then put the Tigers (2-5, 0-2) back on top, 13-6, with a 6-yard scoring run.

Early in the third quarter, the momentum shifted after a mishandled punt gave Katella (2-5, 1-1) the ball on the Tigers 1-yard line. John Cayax quickly took the ball into the end zone, putting the Knights up 14-13. At the end of the third quarter, quarterback Andy Judd capped off Katella’s seven-minute, 85-yard drive with a 27-yard run that put the Knights ahead, 21-13

Late in the fourth quarter, Bush’s 15-yard run sealed the victory which snapped Katella’s five-game losing streak. The Knights converted on two of three fourth-down conversion attempts while stopping both of Valencia’s fourth-down gambles.

By LOU PONSI
OCVARSITY.COM

PLACENTIA — Cypress running back Akeelie Muhammad was too much for Valencia to handle in the Empire League opener between the Centurions and Tigers on Thursday at Valencia High.

Muhammad carried 25 times for 330 yards and five touchdowns to lead Cypress to a 44-17 victory. The senior set the tone with a 55-yard scoring run to give Cypress (5-1, 1-0) a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. Through six games, Muhammad is among the county leaders in rushing and scoring with1,035 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Cypress quarterback Zack Ortiz had 85 yards rushing and one touchdown on 12 carries. Steve Logovii led the Tigers (2-4, 0-1) with 71 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.

By KENNY CONNOLLY
SPECIAL TO OCVARSITY

PLACENTIA – In need of a consistent rushing attack, Valencia head coach Mike Marrujo turned to his starting fullback Steve Logovii. Logovii responded by rushing for four touchdowns and powering his way to 151 yards on 31 carries, giving the Tigers a 41-13 victory over Brea Olinda Friday night in the nonleague finale for both teams at Valencia High. “We haven’t been able to run the ball effectively, and that is our school’s trademark,” Marrujo said. “Steve did a good job and when you run the ball, thing happen for you.”

Valencia offensive linemen Junior Guata, Jerman Elias, Adam Forney, Joshua Gamboa and Kyle McMahon manhandled Brea's front seven, allowing the tigers to carry the ball 49 times for 215 yards. "I saw the offensive line fighting all night, and that much more," Logovii said. The tigers put together three consecutive scoring drives of 10, 11, 10 plays in the second half.

Valencia's Steve Logovii rushed for four touchdowns, finishing the game with 151 yards on 31 carries. It was the junior's first game starting at running back, transitioning from fullback. The Tigers' Chase French had a 95-yard interception return for a TD, with 29 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, giving Valencia a 41-13 advantage.

By JASON EICHELBERGER
OCVARSITY.COM

MISSION VIEJO Sticking to a game plan of ball control offense and tough, hard-nosed defense laid out by head coach Chi Chi Biehn proved to be the winning formula for the Capistrano Valley Cougars. Senior running back Clay Guess carried 31 times for 142 yards and scored the go-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter, while Capistrano Valley’s defense recorded four sacks and yielded only 11 yards passing in a come-from-behind 14-7 nonleague victory over Valencia on Friday night at Capistrano Valley High. “Our goal this week was to play hard and we just kept after it,” Coach Chi Chi Biehn said. “We know that we have to continue to improve.”

The Cougars (2-2) snapped a two-game skid in which they were outscored, 65-6. “We know the strongest part of our offense is our offensive line and they gave me opportunities tonight,” said Guess. After both teams struggled to generate any offense in the first quarter, the Cougars drove deep into Tigers territory, but an interception by senior Karsen Garcia at the Tigers 13 ended the threat.

Midway through the second quarter, the Tigers (1-3) used a turnover to set up the only points of the half, as Tigers junior Omar Perez corraled a bobbled pass and returned the interception 45 yards to the Cougars 1. Two plays later, Perez scored to make it 7-0. However, it was the Cougars who seized the momentum in the third. After forcing a punt on Valencia’s first possession of the half, Capistrano Valley drove 65 yards to narrow the Tigers’ lead to one as senior quarterback Brandon Brennan hit junior wide receiver Bobby Lewis on a 28-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. The ensuing extra was missed.

The Tigers offense was again forced to punt, and TThe Cougars capitalized on their next possesion. After a 37-yard reception by junior Cole Winninghoff put them deep into Tigers territory, Guess converted a key fourth-and-3 from the Tigers 7. Guess finished off the drive with a 2-yard plunge into the end zone.

Brennan then hit Winninghoff on a 2-point conversion for a 14-7 lead. The Tigers had two final possessions in the fourth quarter, but was unable to move the ball amid a swarming Cougar defense.