Arellanes Passes Valley by Santa Barbara

As debuts go, the one quarterback Jim Arellanes had Saturday night for Valley College was a banger.

Arellanes, a transfer from Northern Arizona, completed 28 of 40 passes for 402 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Monarchs to a 41-24 victory over Santa Barbara in a Western State Conference opener for both teams.

Arellanes, a 6-foot-4, strong-armed sophomore from El Rancho High, was practically unstoppable after opening the game with three incomplete passes.

He had touchdown passes of 30, 15 and three yards to wide receiver Brian Comer and completed nine consecutive attempts during one stretch.

It was the fourth victory for Valley against the Vaqueros in their six-game series. Valley beat Santa Barbara, 27-17, in the last game between the teams in 1988.

The main beneficiary of Arellanes’ passing was Comer, who had 12 receptions for 194 yards. He now ranks third in career receptions for Valley with 68 catches. Comer could have added another touchdown but dropped a pass from Arellanes in the end zone late in the game.

Valley extended a 21-17 halftime lead with two touchdowns and two field goals in the second half.

Arellanes capped the scoring with an eight-yard run with 3:26 left.

The teams traded touchdowns midway through the first quarter.

Santa Barbara scored first on a two-yard blast by running back Chad Marsalek that capped a 12-play, 60-yard drive with 8:03 to play in the quarter.

The Monarchs tied the score moments later when Arellanes connected with Comer on a 30-yard pass play.

After a four-yard touchdown run by Marsalek early in the second quarter that gave the Vaqueros a 14-7 lead, Valley answered with two touchdowns for a 21-14 edge with 5:19 left in the half.

The first score came on a 15-yard pass from Arellanes to Comer, who was all alone in the right corner of the end zone. Running back Steve Brenes scored the second touchdown on a two-yard run. Brenes finished with 103 yards in 27 carries.

Vaquero quarterback Jarrod DeGeorgia, who led the WSC in passing last season, completed 24 of 39 for 242 yards. He had one pass intercepted, by Deandross Long in the fourth quarter, and was sacked twice--by Mike Steussie and Hillsdale Hufanga.

Valley quarterback Davis Delmatoff, a transfer from Pierce, did not play because he was nursing a foot injury.