PREP FOOTBALL ROUNDUP : Valencia Defense Dominates Western in 15-7 Victory

All season, Valencia High School has relied on its defense, but never more than it did Saturday night.

Time and time again, the Tigers overwhelmed Western’s offense. They intercepted five passes, recovered two fumbles and held the Pioneers to 70 total yards.

It was a near perfect performance. It had to be.

As well as the defense played, the Tigers came away with only a 15-7 victory in front of 1,500 at Valencia High School.

“We won, that’s all we care about. We won,” Valencia Coach Mike Marrujo said.

And because they won the Tigers (8-0-1, 3-0-1) are still in the running for a seventh consecutive Orange League championsip. Valencia needs only a victory over Brea-Olinda next week to assure itself of at least a co-championship.

Valencia has given up only six touchdowns the entire season; in nine games, the Tigers have given up only 46 points.

“Our defense did tonight what it’s been doing all season,” Marrujo said. “We have one of the best in Orange County.”

It would be hard to convince the Pioneers otherwise. They saw their seven-game winning streak snapped, stomped on and beaten.

Western (7-2, 3-1) advanced into Valencia territory only once, and that drive was stopped at the 35. The Pioneers gained only eight yards rushing, and their only points came on a 56-yard fumble return by Gabriel Ramirez.

Quarterback Gilbert Brito felt the brunt of the defensive pressure. His first three passes were intercepted, and he was sacked five times, twice each by Bob Harvey and Jose Castillo.

Brito completed only five of 19 passes and was intercepted five times, twice each by Rob Scialdone and Ryan Roskelly.

“Brito is the catalyst of their offense, we had to pressure him,” Marrujo said.

Valencia scored on its first possession, driving 60 yards in nine plays. Scott Wilson finished the drive with a nine-yard touchdown run.

An interception by Wilson on Western’s next possession set up a 32-yard field goal by Richard Wells, which made it 10-0.

A safety gave the Tigers a 12-0 lead late in the second quarter. At that point Valencia had out-gained Western, 168-1.

However, on the last play of the half, Wells fumbled the ball while attempting to pass. Ramirez picked up the ball and went untouched for the score.

“We told the kids at halftime to keep their composure,” Marrujo said. “We were still leading and what was done, was done. They had to keep their minds on the second half.”

The Tigers did put together an 80-yard drive in the third quarter, which ended in a 21-yard field goal by Wells.

The defense did the rest.

In a Century League football game:

Villa Park 27, Santa Ana Valley 0--Villa Park jumped to a 14-0 halftime lead and coasted. If Villa Park (6-3 overall and 3-1 in league) wins next week against Canyon, it will clinch at least a share of the league title. Santa Ana Valley dropped to 3-5-1 and 2-2-1 .