SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION VI FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : Big Play Before Halftime Sparks Valencia : Football: Touchdown pass from O’Brien to Kevin Alexander ignites Tigers in 28-0 victory over Newport Harbor.

Stymied for most of the first half, top-seeded Valencia High School called on its big-play speed and defeated Newport Harbor, 28-0, Friday in a Division VI second-round playoff game at Newport Harbor.

Valencia (12-0) wasn’t able to gain a first down until 55 seconds remained in the first quarter and the Tigers were tied, 0-0, with three seconds remaining in the half. But wide receiver Kevin Alexander streaked down the sideline and caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Marc O’Brien to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead and something to crow about at halftime.

It was an emotional blow to the Sailors (7-5), who had played Valencia as evenly as any team has this season until that play. Newport Harbor Coach Jeff Brinkley admitted the touchdown let some of the steam out of his team.

“We let momentum get away from us at the end of the first half and the beginning of the third quarter,” Brinkley said. “We had a little bit of a letdown.”

That was all Valencia needed. Two quick third-quarter touchdowns--a one-yard run by Ryan Roskelly and a nine-yard pass from O’Brien to Korey Alexander--put the game out of reach. Roskelly, who rushed for 102 yards in 21 carries, also scored a fourth-quarter touchdown, giving him 23 for the season.

Not that all the offense was necessary. The Valencia defense, which recorded its sixth shutout of the season, shut down Newport Harbor. The Sailors only gained 14 yards on the ground in the second half. Sailor quarterback Mike Ofer was able to move the ball a little better, completing passes for 70 yards in the half, but he had three passes intercepted during the same period.

“They came out hitting and really controlled the line of scrimmage in the first quarter,” Valencia Coach Mike Marrujo said. “But we woke up and started to play football in the second.”

Two punts and two interceptions ended the first four Valencia possessions. On the fifth, the Tigers took the ball on their 20 with 2:07 remaining in the half.

Roskelly and Alexander carried on five of the next six plays with Roskelly breaking to the outside and gaining 26 yards to move the ball to the Newport Harbor 32 with three seconds remaining. After a timeout, O’Brien lofted the pass and Kevin Alexander, who was covered deep, came back to the ball and caught it on the two-yard line and stepped across for the score.

Early on, Newport Harbor, which now has lost in the second round of the playoffs the past three seasons, seemed to be up to the task of upsetting Valencia. After the opening kickoff, Ofer completed his first four passes, Tony Mancuso was finding holes in the Valencia defense and the Sailors were moving down the field.

But after Ofer completed his fourth pass, an 11-yard square-out to Aaron McKown to move the ball to the Valencia 19, McKown was stripped of the ball and Roskelly recovered the fumble near the sideline.