Temecula Valley Clips Palos Verdes : Football: Sea Kings stopped in CIF Southern Section Division VIII championship game, 29-7

Ronnie Long had three touchdown runs and intercepted three passes as Temecula Valley High claimed its first CIF championship Saturday night with a 29-7 victory over visiting Palos Verdes in the Southern Section Division VIII title game.

The loss marked the last football game for Palos Verdes, which is closing next year.

Temecula Valley (11-3) took the lead for good at 10-7 on Long’s two-yard run with 4:25 left in the first half. Long led the Bears with 83 yards in 16 carries.

After Mike Lassig’s fumble recovery near midfield, Temecula Valley took a 16-7 lead on David Gonzalez’ 26-yard pass to Greg Campbell with 46 seconds remaining in the second quarter.

Palos Verdes (8-6), which had a four-game winning streak snapped, took its only lead at 7-3 as running back George Felactu scored from a yard out, culminating the first drive of the second quarter.

Sea King quarterback Tim King dropped back to pass only six times in the first half, but was guilty of three turnovers. King threw two first-half interceptions and was hit in the pocket before losing the ball to Lassig.

On the game’s opening series, the Bears drove to the Palos Verdes 29-yard line before missing a field goal. Then, on the first drive for Palos Verdes, the Sea Kings gained 41 yards in four carries before King was intercepted by Long.

That turnover helped produce the game’s first score on the ensuing drive, a 36-yard field goal by Temecula Valley’s James McKee.

Long closed the scoring with two short touchdown runs in the fourth quarter.

Felactu paced Palos Verdes’ attack with 65 yards in 12 carries.

Gonzalez picked apart the Palos Verdes defense with short passes in the first half, completing 11 of 14 attempts for 101 yards and no interceptions.

For the game, Gonzalez completed 17 of 24 passes for 201 yards.

Gonzalez’ favorite receiver was Campbell, who had 10 catches for 84 yards.

The Sea Kings committed six turnovers; the Bears had only one.

A 70-yard punt by John Miller was one of Palos Verdes’ highlights.