Instead of Merely Handing Off, O’Brien Passes a Title to Valencia

Valencia quarterback Marc O’Brien is used to saying all the right things after a football game. “I don’t really care how many times I get to throw the ball as long as we win. . . . It’s all about winning.”

And at Valencia, that usually is all about handing off. Mike Marrujo, Valencia’s coach of 11 years, is set in his ways, and that means giving the ball to the running backs as much as possible.

It’s a scenario that can make passing unnecessary, and it played out for the first 13 games this season. But Friday in the Southern Section Division VI title game, Tustin stepped up and slowed Valencia’s running game enough to make O’Brien’s right arm essential.

“They said I had to have a good game if we were going to win,” O’Brien said. Whoever said it was right, and O’Brien responded with the most productive performance of his career in Valencia’s 27-7 victory.

O’Brien, who only averaged 10 passes and 100 yards entering the game, completed 13 of 19 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown.

“That was kind of like my goal all season--to throw for 200 yards,” O’Brien said. “This is the first time I’ve done it since I was a freshman. No, I don’t think I even did it as a freshman.

“It makes my season.”

Early in the game, it appeared as if O’Brien, who was the county leader in passing efficiency in the regular season, might fold under the pressure. Two of his first four passes were intercepted as the Tigers turned the ball over deep in Tustin territory two times.

But late in the first quarter, O’Brien completed a 40-yard pass to Kevin Alexander, setting up Valencia’s first touchdown. Alexander streaked down the right sideline, and O’Brien led him perfectly.

It was the second of seven passes to Alexander, who gained 161 yards on those receptions.

“They really tried to play our running game, so we had to hurt them with our passing game,” Alexander said.

Tustin was stuffing Valencia’s talented three-back attack of Ryan Roskelly, Willie Barnes and slotback Korey Alexander. The three gained only 47 yards in the first half.

But O’Brien had passed for 118 yards by halftime, and helped the Tigers to a 13-0 lead by setting up a two-yard touchdown dive by Roskelly with a 22-yard pass to Korey Alexander.

In the second half, O’Brien continued where he left off, completing his first four passes, including a 23-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Alexander. Alexander broke deep on a post-pattern and caught the ball between two Tustin defenders. Marrujo, never one for faint praise, appreciated O’Brien’s game.

“He’s the best quarterback we’ve ever had here,” Marrujo said.