Right From the Start, It’s Valley Over Pierce

Talk about your bad omens.

Pierce College probably figured it would be a long night Saturday when kicker Mike Brandt-Spitzer missed the ball on the opening kickoff of a Western State Conference interdivisional game against Valley.

The Brahmas knew for sure a few minutes later.

Valley outplayed Pierce every which way to post a 49-20 victory before a homecoming crowd of 2,382 at Monarch Stadium.

The Monarchs (6-0, 5-0 in conference play), ranked second in the state and third in the nation, had 561 yards to Pierce’s 234 and might have finished with more if their starters had gone the distance.

As it was, sophomore Aaron Flowers completed 25 of 35 for a season-high 349 yards. He also threw three touchdown passes in little more than three quarters.

The Brahmas (1-4, 1-3) have lost three in a row and have allowed 98 points in their past two games. It was Valley’s third consecutive victory over Pierce.

The Monarchs struck quickly against a soft Pierce defense that gave receivers plenty of room.

It took Valley four plays and 1 minute 36 seconds to march 79 yards and score on the game’s opening drive.

Flowers connected with receiver Eric Ruhle on a 44-yard pass play to give Valley a 7-0 lead.

The pair hooked up again early in the second quarter on a nine-yard pass that widened the lead to 14-0. Flowers and Ruhle set up the touchdown with a 28-yard pass play on the previous play.

Marcus Harvey increased the lead to 21-0 on a three-yard run with 5:47 remaining in the first half, but Pierce answered about a minute later with a 37-yard touchdown on a screen pass from David Muir to Jermaine Brooks.

The Monarchs capped the first-half scoring on a three-yard run by Elijah Raphael with 46 seconds to play before intermission.

Pierce couldn’t contain Flowers or the Monarch running attack in the first half. Flowers passed for 300 yards and the Monarchs had 425 yards to Pierce’s 101.

The Brahmas pulled to within 28-14 with 3:08 left in the third quarter on a 17-yard pass from Muir to Jason Howard.

However, Raphael returned the ensuing kickoff 47 yards to set up a one-yard touchdown run by Harvey early in the fourth quarter.

Harvey had 90 yards in 13 carries and Raphael finished with 69 in 11.

Muir completed 16 of 29 for 142 yards.