Valencia Wins, Awaits Playoff Spot

Valencia High School ended its regular season with a 40-7 Orange League football victory over Magnolia Thursday in front of 550 in Placentia’s Bradford Stadium.

The victory clinched at least a share of the Orange League title for the Tigers.

Valencia (8-2, 4-1), which has won or shared the league title the last four years, will have to wait until the Anaheim-Western game tonight to learn where the Tigers will be seeded in the Central Conference playoffs.

Valencia will be the top-seeded team if Anaheim defeats Western tonight and will be second-seeded if Western wins.

Magnolia (1-9, 1-4) was held to 156 total yards. The Sentinels’ touchdown was a 64-yard run by Derek Christian in the fourth quarter.

Valencia scored on its first three possessions and held a 33-0 halftime lead behind quarterback Robert Navarette, who completed 9 of 11 passes for 135 yards and 2 touchdowns. Navarette hit Mike Edwards for an 11-yard score on the Tigers’ first possession. Early in the second quarter, Navarette threw a 35-yard scoring pass to Rob Luna for a 20-0 lead.

Valencia’s Keef Leasure rushed for 118 yards in 16 carries. Leasure has rushed for 1,012 yards this season. His four-yard touchdown run was his 13th score of the season.

Randy Roskelly rushed for 68 yards in 8 carries and scored one touchdown on a three-yard run with two minutes remaining in the first half.