Run-Oriented Valencia Into Semifinals on a Pass

The game has been over for nearly two days, but it’s very possible Stephen Stokes is still open.

The Valencia High receiver torched the NotreDame secondary for three long second-half touchdowns and the Vikings pulled off one of the biggest upsets--if not the biggest--of the playoffs, 26-21 over Notre Dame.

The running of Manuel White has defined Valencia’s program. But it was Stokes’ 88-yard touchdown on fourth and 18 with 1:38 remaining that provided the most important play in the five-year history of Vikings football.

“I think it’s the biggest win in school history,” said Coach Brian Stiman of Valencia.

Stokes was unstoppable in the Southern Section Division III quarterfinal, finishing with six catches for 212 yards.

He also had a 79-yard kickoff return on the opening play of the game that set up a Valencia touchdown.

“It was a wonderful night for Stephen Stokes,” said Stiman, who could have also been talking about the Vikings’ playoff performance.

Valencia lost to Saugus, 21-13, in the regular-season finale but crunched Crescenta Valley in the first round of the playoffs, 55-21. Now you can add Notre Dame to its growing list of convincing playoff victories.

Up next for the Vikings (9-3) is a semifinal game against Foothill League rival Saugus.

Valencia’s gain was Notre Dame’s pain.

The Knights’ lone regular-season loss was to Alemany, which prompted most people to think the Knights had the best chance to defeat top-seeded Hart.

“We gave them three long touchdown passes,” said Coach Kevin Rooney of Notre Dame. “It’s ridiculous we couldn’t stop that.”

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Rick Scott was correct.

The Buena coach said it would be a “nightmare” to play Newbury Park in the playoffs despite defeating the Panthers in a regular-season game, 28-14.

Scott, who said it’s never easy to defeat a team twice in a season, couldn’t have been more accurate as Buena lost to Newbury Park, 21-14, in a Division IV quarterfinal.

It’s tough to figure out what happened to Buena, which averaged 38 points a game in the regular season and defeated cross-town rival Ventura in the regular season finale, 49-28.

The Bulldogs struggled in a 17-10 first-round victory over Moorpark before losing to Newbury Park.

“I think we really peaked in the Ventura game, right when we wanted to,” Scott said. “But our kids just didn’t get up for the playoffs. That’s high school football. That’s what keeps us coaches coming back year after year.”

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Casey Clausen’s career at Alemany is over, but a new one begins in less than two months for the senior quarterback.

Clausen is enrolling early at Tennessee and will leave for Knoxville on Jan. 17.

Clausen completed 14 of 29 passes for 181 yards in Alemany’s 45-14 loss to Mater Dei in a Division I quarterfinal Friday.

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The only remaining City Section team from the region is Reseda.

Granted, the Regents are in the lower-level City Invitational, but they succeeded where 12 other teams from the region failed. They advanced to the semifinals with a 30-14 victory over South Gate on Wednesday.

Reseda (9-3) has been in this situation before, winning the 1995 lower-level championship, then called the 3-A Division, with a run-oriented team.

That team rushed for 211 yards a game and featured mammoth two-way lineman Ennis Davis, now at USC.

This year’s team, led by running backs Eddie Robinson and Jason Wagner, has averaged 233.1 yards rushing a game.

“It’s not like we say we’re going to run the ball down your throat,” said Coach Joel Schaeffer of Reseda. “We just get the rhythm going and that’s what we do. That’s what we believe in.”

The Regents, seeded No. 4, play at top-seeded Banning (7-4), a team that was believed to be City-Championship caliber at the beginning of the season.

“That will be a challenge for us,” Schaeffer said.

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Kennedy rewrote the school record books for passing this season, but the Golden Cougars finally reached an impasse.

Ruben Zaragoza passed for 3,246 yards and 37 touchdowns, both school records, but couldn’t lift Kennedy past Crenshaw in a City Championship quarterfinal Wednesday.

Crenshaw won, 42-21, despite Zaragoza throwing for 218 yards. Kennedy was shut out in the fourth quarter and failed to score on three second-half drives that penetrated the Crenshaw 15-yard line.

“We thought we were playing some good football at the right time,” said Coach Bob Francola of Kennedy. “But you can’t squander those scoring opportunities.”