South Coast League : Stark Again Is the Spark for Capistrano Valley

When it comes to celebrating homecoming at high school football games, it is difficult to imagine anybody being more creative than Irvine, which had a fireworks display in the end zone spelling out “Irvine America” to highlight that theme.

Unfortunately for the host Vaqueros, all their pomp and pageantry got upstaged by the arm of Capistrano Valley quarterback Scott Stark, who lit up the Vaqueros’ defense for 206 yards passing and 3 touchdowns during the Cougars’ 36-7 South Coast League victory over the Vaqueros Friday night.

As goes Stark, so go the Cougars. And by completing 15 of 21 passes, Stark was able to provide the ball control that the pass-oriented Cougars needed to win.

Facing a defense that rushed him heavily, Stark overcame a tactic that he will likely confront throughout the rest of the season.

Irvine’s defense kept great pressure on Stark, sacking him six times and intercepting him twice, yet Stark never rattled and was able to complete the passes he needed for the win.

An example of Stark’s poise: When a center snap from the shotgun formation sailed over his head and traveled 10 yards beyond him, Stark simply turned around, found the ball as it was bouncing, rolled out of trouble and completed a pass.

By now, Stark is no secret to opposing defenses, so Capistrano Valley has also been working hard on its running game. That paid off when the Cougars received 66 yards in 13 carries from Tom Grieco.

Grieco scored Capistrano Valley’s first touchdown in the second quarter, breaking two tackles on a 6-yard run up the middle to give the Cougars a 6-0 lead.

What happened next was representative of the kind of game it was for the frustrated Vaqueros.

Taking possession on their own 33-yard line following the ensuing kickoff, Jim Miele ran off tackle, where he was hit by a host of tacklers.

The ball squirted loose, Nathan Call picked it in midair and returned it 34 yards for the touchdown before most of the players on the field knew what had happened.

Capistrano Valley led, 14-0. The play seemed to unsettle the Vaqueros at the time, but they eventually recovered to mount their only scoring drive, this one coming at the close of the second quarter.

Irvine quarterback Jimmy Raye moved his team 57 yards in 10 plays, with the touchdown coming on a 10-yard toss to tight end Peter Brantley just 15 seconds before the half.

Although that cut the score to 14-7, that’s as close as the Vaqueros would get. Mistakes, particularly penalties and more fumbles, would give Stark and friends excellent field position throughout the remainder of the game.

Early in the third quarter, for instance, Raye intercepted a Stark pass in his own end zone, apparently thwarting a Capistrano Valley scoring drive. But the Vaqueros were called for roughing the passer, giving the Cougars a second chance.

Stark took advantage by throwing a touchdown pass on the next play, a 15-yard strike to flanker Steve Tullar, giving the Cougars a 21-7 lead and once again deflating the Vaqueros.

Stark threw two more touchdown passes, one to Tullar and another to wide receiver Russell Jenkins, before calling it quits.