Valencia Gets Past Anaheim

Robert Hernandez threw two touchdown passes and Mike Silva rushed for 111 yards to lead Valencia to a 17-13 victory over Anaheim Friday at Glover Stadium.

With the victory, the Tigers (6-4, 3-2 in league) finished third in the Orange League and qualify for next week’s Southern Section Division IX playoffs. It is 19th time in the last 20 years that Valencia has advanced to the playoffs under Coach Mike Marrujo.

Anaheim running back John Davis finished the season with 1,010 yards rushing after getting 78 yards in 19 carries Friday.

Of Silva’s 111 yards, 95 came in the second half. A 14-yard touchdown pass from Hernandez to Justin Fletcher on the Tigers’ opening drive of the second half proved to be the difference. Silva was the workhorse on the drive, carrying four times for 40 yards on a sloppy field, thanks to a hail storm in the second quarter that halted the game for 10 minutes.

“The key to the game was our second-half opening drive,” Marrujo said. “The conditions were so bad, all I wanted to do was hang onto the ball for three plays and punt. Our kids did a great job.”

Valencia marched 70 yards on its opening drive to take a 7-0 lead. Hernandez capped the drive with a six-yard touchdown pass to Dan Festermaker. But Sergio Martinez’s 14-yard run with a minute left in the first quarter made it 7-7.

Keith Allen’s second-quarter field goal of 32 yards in the downpour give the Tigers a 10-7 lead.

Ryan Paterson threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to William Safotu with 6:05 remaining in the game to cut the Tigers’ lead to four points, but a late fumble and an interception by Justin Fletcher ended any Anaheim comeback hopes.