Bakersfield Is Too Much for Valley

The run and shoot was reduced to a squirt.

Bakersfield College, avenging two consecutive losses to Valley, held the Monarchs’ rapid-paced offense to only 61 total yards en route to a 25-7 victory in a Western State Conference interdivision game Saturday night at Valley.

The Renegades (4-0) ranked second in the state and first in Southern California, parlayed a pair of ball-control drives into touchdowns, and pressured Valley quarterback Tom Racius, the state’s second-leading passer, into ineffectiveness.

Valley (2-1), which defeated the Renegades the past two seasons at Bakersfield, scored its only points on an 87-yard punt return by Leaford Hackett late in the third quarter.

“Our coaches have been watching these guys and they’ve been running the same stuff for years,” said Bakersfield linebacker Josh Manning, who had three sacks. “We just did a good job preparing this week. A great coaching job.”

Racius was sacked five times for 40 yards in losses. He completed only 13 of 35 passes for 77 yards, with many of his completions coming during catch-up time.

“They didn’t do anything we didn’t expect, they just out-executed us,” Valley Coach Gary Barlow said. “Bakersfield has a good ball club. But we didn’t play our kind of football. We left our defense out on the field a little too long.”

Bakersfield led, 18-0, before Hackett gathered in a towering kick and streaked past the Monarchs’ bench untouched.

The play ignited Valley. But the Renegades responded with an 18-play, 81-yard touchdown drive that consumed nine minutes. Quarterback Jeff Dover’s five-yard run gave Bakersfield a 25-7 lead with seven minutes to play.

Running backs J’Dron London and Armis Stokes carried the load for Bakersfield. London, the conference’s leading rusher, gained 90 yards in 19 carries. Stokes rushed for 95 yards in 28 carries.

Bakersfield rushed for 195 yards and gained 241 total yards.

The Renegades parlayed a long drive and a short one into a 6-0 lead, thanks to a pair of field goals by Jason Martin in the first and second quarters.

Bakersfield marched 68 yards in 15 plays, chewing up six minutes of the first-quarter clock before Martin converted from 38 yards.

Two minutes later, Bakersfield assumed control at the Monarchs’ 17 after Valley punter Fernando Arias mishandled the snap from center and ran for only four yards.

Martin kicked a 33-yard field goal after Valley stifled the Renegades’ drive at the 16.

The Renegades took a 12-0 lead with a 49-yard drive late in the first half. With 26 seconds to play, Dover rolled out and hit Tyran Spencer in the end zone with a five-yard touchdown pass.

* ROUNDUP

Moorpark, Antelope Valley lose. C18