Valencia Wins to Secure a Playoff Spot

Valencia clinched a Division VI playoff spot and kept alive its league title hopes with a 28-15 victory over Savanna in an Orange League game Friday night at Western High.

The Tigers (6-3, 3-1) were led by junior tailback Chris Draft and sophomore wideout Jermaine Gray. Draft rushed 24 times for 106 yards and caught a touchdown pass; Gray caught two scoring passes from quarterback Rob Petko.

Valencia survived a second-quarter comeback by the Rebels (3-5-1, 0-3-1), who took a 15-14 lead early in the fourth quarter on a 55-yard touchdown pass from Paul Waldrop to Dedrick Ennis.

The Tigers, however, scored on their next possession when Petko hit Gray for 19 yards and a touchdown with 6 minutes 6 seconds left.

“They (Savanna) made us work for it,” Valencia Coach Mike Marrujo said. “But our kids hung in tough and we played our best football at the end of the game.”

Valencia took a 14-0 halftime lead on a pair of second-quarter touchdowns. First, Jerry Stewart went over from one yard out for a 7-0 lead, then Petko found Gray on a post pattern for an 18-yard touchdown.

Savanna made the score 14-7, when Waldrop hit Rani Kahouch on an 18-yard scoring pass late in the third quarter.

Draft sealed it for Valencia when he took a Petko swing pass from 21 yards for a touchdown with 42 seconds left in the game.