PREP FOOTBALL : An Unlikely Hero Leads Troy Past Valencia in Final Seconds

Troy High School’s 8-7 victory over Valencia Thursday night in Placentia’s Bradford Stadium was as improbable as it was wacky.

Troy’s winning score, a two-point conversion pass play, came with 41 seconds left in the game and was scored by a player who was supposed to be blocking.

The player was Lenny Wagner, who, before his scoring play, had contributed a total of 11 yards on one reception.

That Wagner even had a chance to be a hero was unlikely considering that the Troy offense had sputtered the entire game. Quarterback Mike Pawlawski’s one-yard scoring run capped a 6-minute, 14-play drive that was only Troy’s second move into Valencia territory.

Wagner was blocking as Pawlawski dropped back to pass for the two-point conversion.

“I had my man and I was blocking him, but nothing was happening,” Wagner said. “I figured something must be wrong so I turned around and I could see Mike was in trouble. So I just started waving my arms.”

Three Valencia defenders had hold of Pawlawski and started to pull him down. But as he fell he lofted a pass toward Wagner.

“I don’t know if the pass was meant for me,” Wagner said. “I just threw up an arm at it.”

Wagner tipped the ball and it fell to his chest. He ran four yards through eight Valencia defenders.

“I just headed forward and figured I wouldn’t stop moving until I scored,” he said. “I was going to get in any way I could.”

He finally dived across the goal line to give Troy the victory.

“This is a great win for us,” said John Turek, Troy coach. “But I was pretty worried at the end there.”

The victory makes Troy 4-0.

Nonetheless, this was Valencia’s (2-1-1) game to win. The Valencia offense dominated through much of the game.

Running backs Tony Goulet (16 rushes for 112 yards) and Dorian Estes (14 for 106) had good games, but six Valencia drives stalled in Troy territory.

There were unsuccessful fourth-down plays on the 28 and 38, and an interception thrown by quarterback Chris De Riso when Valencia had driven to the Troy 6. Another drive ended on the 12 with a missed field goal attempt.

Estes eventually scored Valencia’s only touchdown on a nine-yard run with 6:14 left in the third quarter.