SOUTHERN SECTION CENTRAL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP : Matadors’ First Title Is a Sweet One, 24-7

Bolsa Grande High School got revenge and its first football title in the school’s 27-year history Friday night as quarterback Damon Fisher scored three touchdowns in a 24-7 victory over Valencia in front of a capacity crowd of 8,000 in Orange Coast College’s LeBard Stadium.

Fisher threw a 42-yard touchdown pass, scored on a four-yard keeper and then sealed the win with a 20-yard interception return to give the Matadors the Central Conference championship. The victory also avenged a 33-10 loss to Valencia the fifth week of the season.

The rematch was a mismatch as Bolsa Grande controlled line of scrimmage with tackle David Lannon and linebacker Chris Matney helping to limit run-oriented Valencia to 62 yards rushing.

Bolsa Grande finished its finest season with a 13-1 record and outscored the opposition, 389-157. Valencia, also making its first title-game appearance, ended the year at 11-2-1.

“The difference between the first game and tonight’s was the play of their defensive front,” said Valencia Coach Mike Marrujo. “We couldn’t block, and when we couldn’t block them, we couldn’t run. We never got our offense going.”

The Tigers’ only touchdown came after Bolsa Grande running back Ricky Lepule fumbled at his own 38-yard line. Valencia capitalized on the turnover and ultimately scored when quarterback Chris DeRisio threw a two-yard swing pass to Mike Edwards for a short-lived 7-0 lead.

It was Valencia’s last hurrah.

The Tigers never got another drive going and managed only two first downs in the second half when they were outscored, 17-0.

Fisher, a diminutive junior with deceptive speed, tied the score in the second quarter on a bootleg play when he found receiver Wes Holland all alone in the Valencia end zone for a 42-yard touchdown play.

“I think they saw that I ran on most of my rollouts and their defense came up on me,” Fisher said. “It was a simple bootleg play and Wes was wide open. All I had to do was get the ball to him.”

It was the only pass Fisher completed. He added 53 yards rushing in 17 carries, including a four-yard touchdown run that gave Bolsa Grande the lead for good, 14-7, with 6:57 remaining in the third quarter. Later, Fisher talked about beating Valencia the second time around.

“This time, we played as a team and were more confident,” he said. “We knew we could win last time, but we made some early mistakes, tried to catch up and got beat badly. We wanted revenge.”

Jose Cuerva, the smallest player on the Matadors’ 31-man roster, made one of the biggest play of the second half. The 135-pound senior kicked a 43-yard field goal with 2:38 left in the third quarter to push Bolsa Grande ahead, 17-7.

“That field goal was the clincher,” Marrujo said. “Now, we had to score two touchdowns to go ahead and started gambling.” Which has never Marrujo’s style.

DeRisio, erratic throughout the playoffs, was asked to bring the Tigers back after their running game failed. It was too much to ask. He completed 6 of 13 passes for 60 yards, but was intercepted by Fisher for the Matadors’ final score.

“We figured if we stayed close in the first half, it would be a moral victory,” said Bolsa Grande Coach Greg Shadid. “After the first half, the kids knew they could play with those guys.

“The plan in the second half was just to play tough football. We didn’t make many mistakes (one turnover) which killed us the first time we played Valencia. This is a team that improved every game and deserves to be the champion.”

Lannon, the 250-pound tackle who anchored the line, said he felt that the Matadors could win after the opening series of downs.

“We shut down their running game the first two times they had the ball,” he said. “I figured if we didn’t make any mistakes, they wouldn’t score on us. The only touchdown they got came on a turnover. We wanted our revenge, and we got it.”

Finally, Shadid, the coach known as “Rock ‘n Roll” because of his hyperactive personality, addressed the revenge factor in the championship game.

“A revenge motive can be mighty powerful,” he said. “Valencia took it to us in the playoffs last year and then beat us again this year. It wasn’t going to happen a third time.”

It’s Sweet Revenge: Bolsa Grande enjoys second chance. Gerald Scott’s story, Page 28.