White Earns Respect for Valencia

Like the full moon that crested in an amber glow over the foothills Friday night, the Valencia High football team is on the rise.

The Vikings’ brightest star, sophomore running back Manuel White, led the Vikings to a convincing 34-13 victory over Canyon at Canyon High, clinching second place in the Foothill League for the Vikings in just their second season in the league.

White had a career-high 300 yards and two touchdowns in 39 carries. He had runs of 62, 39 and 40 yards that did not go for touchdowns. All this after twisting an ankle on his third carry of the game.

“I just run hard,” said the soft-spoken White, who has 2,002 yards rushing for the season.

The Vikings (8-2, 4-1) defeated Saugus and Burroughs in the previous two weeks and have now defeated three teams that finished ahead of them in the Foothill League last year. White said beating Canyon (6-4, 3-2) ends a season-long struggle to erase the reputation as the team that entered league play 4-1, only to go 1-4 in league games last season.

“They didn’t give us any respect,” White said. “But we should get some respect now.”

Valencia Coach Brian Stiman, who took over the program when the school opened four years ago, said his team’s reign as doormat is over.

“It’s been a long four years,” Stiman said. “I don’t know where it puts us in terms of the playoffs, but it is nice.”

Canyon received the opening kickoff and marched 65 yards in seven plays, capped by a 28-yard touchdown pass play from Luke Petticord to Nick Longshore.

But the White show, which keeps playing and keeps drawing rave reviews, took over from there.

He rushed four times for 43 yards in a six-play, 80-yard touchdown drive; five times for 79 yards in a six-play, 81-yard touchdown drive; and seven times for 58 yards in a nine-play, 69-yard touchdown drive as Valencia forged a 21-7 halftime lead.

White, who had 193 yards without a touchdown in the first half, finally got into the end zone with an 11-yard run on the first Viking drive in the second half. He added a three-yard score in the fourth quarter.

Valencia quarterback Brian Hamilton rushed for 69 yards and two touchdowns in 10 carries and completed two of three passes for 25 yards and a touchdown.

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Sophomore Sensation

A game-by-game look at how Manuel White has fared this season

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Opponent Att. Yds. Avg. TD Highland 24 251 10.5 2 Silverado 14 211 15.1 3 Serra 23 150 6.5 1 Chaminade 18 71 3.9 0 Quartz Hill 27 234 8.7 2 Burbank 19 138 7.3 2 Hart 25 215 8.6 2 Burroughs 35 284 8.1 5 Saugus 13 148 11.4 3 Canyon 39 300 7.7 2 Totals 237 2002 8.4 22

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