Valencia Is Driven Batty by Hart’s Allen

When discussing the region’s top high school defensive lineman, it’s difficult to pass over Evan Allen of Hart.

Literally.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pound defensive end was creating havoc with his long arms Thursday night in Hart’s 42-21 Foothill League victory over Valencia at College of the Canyons.

This time the victim was quarterback Kyle Bauer, who completed only one of 11 passes for zero yards in the second half. Three of those incomplete passes were tipped or batted by Allen.

“He was getting his hands up at crucial times,” Bauer said.

Crucial indeed.

Bauer, a 5-8, 145-pound junior, was introduced to Allen almost immediately when he dropped back to pass on the game’s third play.

Allen charged in waving his arms and batted Bauer’s pass into the air, caught it and returned the interception 12 yards to Valencia’s two-yard line to set up Hart’s first score.

“I knew I wasn’t going to get to [Bauer], so I just got my hands up,” Allen said. “Usually it goes all over the place. But I caught it. I didn’t get it into the end zone, but we got the ball and that’s what counts.”

Allen’s big play wasn’t lost on Valencia Coach Brian Stiman.

“Obviously, he had a pretty good game,” Stiman said. “But their whole defense did. They had a lot of people making big plays.”

Valencia, which kept it interesting with three touchdowns and 223 yards of offense in the first half, was limited to 68 in the second half.

Trailing by two touchdowns early in the third quarter, Valencia was forced to pass. Allen couldn’t have been more pleased.

Disrupting the path of a ball in flight has become Allen’s specialty. He had seven tipped passes against Loyola and leads the team with 12. Each is usually followed by him pumping his fists in the air.

“We tell our tall guys to at least get your hands up and make them throw over you,” said Rick Herrington, Hart’s defensive coordinator. “And he does that to perfection,”

“We get on him all the time, telling him, ‘You need to sack the quarterback.’ But he keeps getting those pass blocks at key times.”