Valencia First Rolls Up Socks, Then Rolls to Another Shutout

Valencia’s second consecutive shutout, a 28-0 pasting of El Dorado on Friday, demonstrated that the Tigers can still play defense.

It was questionable the first week, after the Tigers looked toothless in a 30-26 loss to Villa Park. Valencia looked slow, confused and average in ability. The Spartans rolled up 313 yards and left the Tigers flat-footed.

Clearly, something had to be done.

“We pulled up our socks,” defensive back Joey Secoda said.

What?

“The defense on the 1991 team wore their socks high and they went 14-0,” Secoda said. “So we having a saying now, socks-it-up on defense.”

Whatever works and, apparently, it has.

The Tigers (2-1) dominated Servite last week and overwhelmed El Dorado at Valencia on Friday. The Golden Hawks (1-2) couldn’t run and couldn’t pass. They gained only 100 yards and committed four turnovers.

Secoda forced half of them, intercepting two passes. Brian Bilhartz also had an interception. But it wasn’t only big plays, it was big hits.

Ryan Reilly, a 6-foot-3, 235-pound linebacker, was responsible for many of them. He spent a good part of the game in the El Dorado backfield, chasing down Golden Hawk runners.

The Tigers had three sacks and forced a fumble.

“We started asserting ourselves on defense,” Reilly said. “We didn’t do that against Villa Park. That was a wake-up call. After that, we pulled our socks up and played some defense.”

El Dorado had only 41 yards rushing. In Valencia’s opener, Villa Park’s Grant Pearsall had that by the end of the first quarter.

“That wasn’t us that night,” linebacker/running back Chris Draft said. “That wasn’t Valencia defense. This was Valencia defense tonight. We hit them.”

And the socks?

“I always keep mine down,” Draft said. “I was on the 1991 team and I kept my socks down then, too.”

Those low-cut socks were seen dashing around the field on offense, as well. Draft finished with 151 yards in 13 carries and scored two touchdowns.

In the second quarter, he burst through the line, slipped through a desperate hold of defensive back David Myers, and went 80 yards for a touchdown to give Valencia a 14-0 lead. In the third quarter, Draft cross-crossed the El Dorado secondary untouched for a 25-yard touchdown run for a 21-0 lead.

“I didn’t run well tonight,” Draft said. “It was the defense that did it.”

Said Coach Mike Marrujo: “We have a young team and we don’t hit live during preseason practice. I think they were ready after the first game.”

And the socks.

“I wish it was that simple,” Marrujo said.

On Friday, it was.