ORANGE COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL : El Dorado Stops Leasure to Beat Valencia, 10-6

El Dorado beat its crosstown rival Valencia, 10-6, Friday night despite the loss of its starting quarterback, Kevin Schula.

Dave Swearingen, a 5-foot 7-inch junior, started in place of Schula, who had fractured his foot in last week’s game against Troy.

Swearingen completed 3 of 10 passes for 45 yards and ran for 25 yards to set up his team’s only touchdown. But the star of the game was El Dorado’s defense, which limited Valencia running back Keef Leasure to 74 yards on 20 carries. Leasure was coming off two straight 200-plus yard games.

Leasure scored Valencia’s touchdown on a two-yard run early in the first quarter. But Leasure gained only 18 yards in the first half, and his fumble on Valencia’s 20 in the second quarter set up El Dorado’s touchdown.

Minutes later, running back Chris Olsen went over from the one-yard line. Olsen was the rushing star of the game with 118 yards on 18 carries. Phil Nevin, who had kicked a 27-yard field goal earlier, kicked the extra point to give El Dorado the 10-6 lead.

“Defensively we played with a lot of intensity,” said Carl Sweet, El Dorado coach. “This is the biggest win we’ve had since I’ve been back (he is in his fourth year).”

Valencia (2-1) has been one of the county’s strongest teams, winning four straight Orange League championships. The loss is Valencia’s first to El Dorado in the 1980s. El Dorado is coming off a 2-8 season.

In the second half, El Dorado had two opportunities to increase its lead, but Nevin, who kicked three field goals the previous week, missed 52-yard and 22-yard attempts in the third quarter.

Valencia had two long drives in the fourth quarter, one that ended when El Dorado defensive back Scott Sporrer batted down a pass from Valencia quarterback Robert Navarette on the five-yard line.

Valencia saw its chances ended when El Dorado’s Robert Coons intercepted a Navarette pass on the El Dorado two-yard line.

Navarette completed 6 of 12 passes for 67 yards.

Schula is expected to miss the next two games.

“The first two games were quizzes, but this game was a test,” Sweet said. “They (El Dorado) played a great game, it’s very satisfying.”