Eagle Offense Stalls in Loss

Cerritos Valley Christian bottled up the Calvary Chapel offense and built a 27-point halftime lead en route to a 35-6 Olympic League football victory Saturday at Westminster High.

The Crusader defense limited Calvary Chapel to eight yards rushing and 27 yards passing in the first half, and with the victory, Valley Christian moved into a tie for second place with the Eagles, one game behind undefeated Orange Lutheran. Calvary Chapel (6-3, 3-1 in league) faces Orange Lutheran Thursday in the regular-season finale at Brea Olinda.

Valley Christian (8-1, 3-1) scored quickly when Chris Weaver, who rushed for 140 yards in 10 carries, broke loose for a 52-yard touchdown run on the second play of the game. Pete Goedhart kicked the extra point to make it 7-0 just one minute into the game.

Chase Twedell, who rushed for 142 yards in 25 carries, increased the lead to 13-0 on the Crusaders’ next possession by scoring on an 11-yard run.

The Eagles stopped Valley Christian on its next drive, but a 60-yard punt by Greg Verhoeven gave Calvary Chapel poor field position at its own eight.

Valley Christian scored on the first play of the second quarter when Mark Streelman hit Weaver with a 29-yard touchdown pass.

The Crusaders added a touchdown with 46 seconds left in the first half on a one-yard run by Twedell to make it 26-0.

Calvary Chapel had a couple of opportunities to score in the second half but was turned away by the Crusader defense. The Eagles’ opening drive of the half was stopped at the Valley Christian one. The Eagles also had a pass intercepted in the end zone by Michael Huss early in the fourth quarter.

The Eagles averted a shutout when P.J. Novak caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Terry Mermer with 51 seconds remaining.