SOUTHERN SECTION FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS : Valencia Attacks From the Air : Division VI: Normally ground-oriented Tigers pass for 226 yards, beating Tustin, 27-7.

No, the fog hugging the turf at Orange Coast College wasn’t playing tricks on the eyes at the Division VI championship game Friday night.

That really was Valencia High’s football team passing its way to the title, 27-7, over Tustin in front of 6,500. Yes, passing not running.

More comfortable keeping the ball on the ground, Valencia found little room against a Tustin defense stacked against the run. It wasn’t a surprise, and the Tigers later said they came prepared to pass if their running game wasn’t going anywhere.

The only surprise was how devastating their passing attack was Friday.

Quarterback Marc O’Brien had a career-high 226 yards, completing 13 of 19 passes. Wide receiver Kevin Alexander caught seven of O’Brien’s passes for 161 yards and a 23-yard touchdown in the third quarter that gave Valencia a commanding 20-0 lead.

“They played us so physical up front,” Valencia Coach Mike Marrujo said. “They forced us to pass.”

He sounded almost apologetic when he said that. Pressed for a performance that topped O’Brien’s 226 yards, Marrujo said, “We usually don’t pass that much, put it that way.”

Valencia is well known in Orange County for its punishing running attack. Former running back Ray Pallares gained 5,397 yards from 1983-85, which was the Southern Section career record until Russell White of Encino Crespi broke it with 5,998 yards from 1986-88 (David Dotson of Moreno Valley Valley View passed White’s mark this season).

It was the second division title for Valencia in the past five seasons, in its fourth championship game appearance in that span. The victory completed an undefeated season for top-seeded Valencia (14-0).

“This is the best team we’ve ever had,” said Marrujo, who has coached at Valencia since 1981.

Asked what set this team apart, he said, “Speed. This was the fastest team we’ve ever had.”

Third-seeded Tustin (12-2) was playing in its second consecutive Division VI championship game. Last season, the Tillers lost to Sunny Hills, 7-3, in the game’s final minutes. Tustin Coach Marijon Ancich made his seven championship game appearance. He won three titles at Santa Fe Springs St. Paul.

“We felt good about coming back at them and giving them a little bit of a scare,” Ancich said. “We were just outmanned.”

Valencia led, 13-0, by halftime thanks to a one-yard touchdown run by O’Brien and a two-yard dive into the end zone by running back Ryan Roskelly.

O’Brien’s 23-yard scoring pass to Alexander pushed the lead to 20-0 with 8:48 left in the third quarter.

Tustin’s only touchdown came on a 12-yard pass from quarterback Jon Miller to running back Jason Reynolds on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Valencia added a 48-yard interception return by Chad Yopp in the waning minutes to account for the final score.

Tustin’s defensive plan focused on stopping Valencia’s Roskelly and Willie Barnes, a 1,200-yard rusher. It worked, but it also backfired as O’Brien had a career-high passing yardage.

He started slowly, throwing consecutive interceptions early in the game. But he completed 11 of 15 passes the rest of the way.

At halftime, Roskelly had only 20 yards and Barnes 10, but O’Brien had passed for 118 yards and Valencia was in the lead. Roskelly finished with a game-high 66 yards in 18 carries and Barnes had 32 yards in 12 carries.

Tustin’s ground-oriented offense didn’t fare much better against a tough Valencia defense, scratching out 93 rushing yards. Miller passed for 203 yards, all in the second half.