Ryburn’s Kick Lifts Crusaders

Matt Ryburn kicked a 42-yard field goal with no time remaining on the clock, giving Village Christian High a 10-9 victory over Hemet West Valley in a first-round Division XI playoff game Friday night at Kennedy High.

West Valley (8-3) drove 53 yards in nine plays to take a 9-7 lead with 32 seconds to play on a 22-yard field goal by Ruben Deluna.

But after a short kickoff, Village Christian (9-2) quickly drove 39 yards to set up Ryburn’s heroics.

After an incomplete pass, Jeff Johnston completed a 10-yard pass to Aaron Funk, and a late hit gave the Crusaders a first down at the West Valley 37.

Johnston then hooked up with Brian Agnor for an eight-yard completion and Mike Mulloy ran five yards to move the ball to the Mustang 24. Ryburn did the rest.

“I was trying to block out the crowd noise and concentrate on kicking the ball,” Ryburn said of his game-winning effort.

He had done it before. Ryburn helped Village Christian defeat Whittier Christian, 17-14, last month with a field goal with six seconds left.

Village Christian opened the scoring in the second quarter on a 17-yard pass play from Johnston to Funk. Ryburn added the conversion kick.

West Valley scored six minutes later on an 18-yard pass play from Kit Donovan to Shawn Kelly. A two-point conversion attempt failed.