Valencia Rolls an Unlucky 7 Against St. Paul

Their ace running back, Manuel White, was held to under 100 yards rushing and they committed seven turnovers.

What else could go wrong for members of the Valencia High football team?

Try this: The Vikings were playing an eager and opportunistic team from St. Paul, which capitalized to rout the Vikings, 49-19, in a Division III semifinal Friday night at St. Paul.

St. Paul (11-2) will play the winner of a semifinal game tonight between Alemany and Hart.

Three first-half turnovers by Valencia (9-4) led to three touchdowns for St. Paul, which didn’t seem to care that this was the furthest playoff march ever by Valencia, in only its fifth year of varsity football.

St. Paul was concerned about White, who came in with 1,838 yards and 20 touchdowns. But he was held to 87 yards--29 of them coming on a meaningless drive with under two minutes to play--and no touchdowns.

“They’re a hard-hitting team,” said White, who finished the season with 1,925 yards rushing. “We made too many mistakes.”

Valencia looked good early, taking a 7-0 lead on a drive that lasted 8:12 and covered 77 yards.

Quarterback Brian Hamilton capped the march with a one-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter.

Then came the turnovers.

After St. Paul tied the game, White fumbled the ensuing kickoff at the Valencia 26-yard line, leading to a 25-yard touchdown reception by Marcell Allmond and a 14-7 St. Paul lead.

Valencia turned the ball over again on its next series. A punt snap sailed over the head of White, costing the Vikings 47 yards and setting up St. Paul at the Valencia four after the ball was recovered by Chris Castillo.

Manuel Murillo, one of two running backs to go over 100 yards for St. Paul, scored on the next play for a 21-7 lead.

The Vikings’ third consecutive turnover--a fumble by Hamilton that St. Paul recovered at the Valencia 31--led to a one-yard touchdown run by Jon Montes and a 28-7 St. Paul lead.

“I think we made just about every mistake you can make in a football game,” Coach Brian Stiman of Valencia said. “They put us in a real bad situation.”

Hamilton, who completed six of 14 passes for 94 yards, had three passes intercepted in the second half.

The bright side for Valencia is White and fullback Ray Cassaday, who was held in check with 13 yards in eight carries, are juniors.