Draft’s Three Scores Help Valencia Rip Santa Fe, 27-0

“They play a ground-control game. They really like to eat up the clock,” Valencia Coach Mike Marrujo said. “They are an excellent defensive team.”

Marrujo made these statements about Sante Fe before his Tigers defeated the Chiefs, 27-0, Friday night at Whittier Pioneer High School in a Division VI quarterfinal game. Valencia will play Savanna in the semifinals.

However, Marrujo’s comments described his game plan perfectly.

The Tigers (11-1) needed only the first half to put the game away. Senior running back Chris Draft did most of the work. Draft scored three second-quarter touchdowns and carried the ball 19 times for 124 yards, 108 of those in the first half.

On defense, Draft pressured Sante Fe’s quarterback Anthony Perez all night, sacking him twice.

The Tigers scored their first touchdown on the opening drive of the game. Draft had a 28-yard run and quarterback Rob Petko finished off the 72-yard drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Gray with 6:44 left in the first quarter.

The second quarter was all Draft and Valencia defense.

Draft scored his first touchdown of the game with 9:03 remaining in the first half on a one-yard run.

The Tigers’ next possession was all Draft. He carried the ball five consecutive times for 39 yards, scoring on a one-yard run 4:33 left in the second quarter.

Draft accounted for Valencia’s final touchdown, after defensive end Ben Esque recovered a Santa Fe fumble on the Chiefs’ 19-yard line. Four plays later, Draft carried it in from the one-yard line with 2:17 left in the half.

Joey Secoda intercepted a pass from Perez with seconds left in the the game to preserve the Valencia shutout.