Desacola Has Formula for Valencia Victory

Dan Desacola caught two touchdown passes and had a key interception to lead Placentia Valencia to a 21-16 nonleague victory Thursday over visiting Irvine.

It is Valencia’s second win in a row heading into next week’s Empire League opener against Anaheim Loara.

Desacola caught five passes for 108 yards, including touchdown receptions of 23 and 38 yards from Steve Lajkowicz. Desacola also intercepted a fourth-quarter pass at the Irvine 32 to set up Rylon Thomas’ 26-yard run that gave the Tigers (3-2) a 21-10 lead with six minutes to play.

Irvine (3-2), which got a 26-yard field goal from Noe Santana in the first quarter, took a 10-7 lead early in the third quarter when Terrell Vinson scored from one yard. Vinson rushed 28 times for 119 yards, including an 83-yard score with 23 seconds left in the game.

Lajkowicz completed six of 11 passes for 133 yards, Jagger Thom rushed eight times for 99 yards and Thomas had 17 carries for 71 yards for Valencia.

Martin Henderson

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Orange El Modena 42, Fullerton 6--Daniel Dixon rushed for 142 yards and three touchdowns and Jeff Mayes sparked the El Modena defense with a 64-yard fumble return for a touchdown in a nonleague game at El Modena.

Mayes’ touchdown gave the Vanguards (4-1) a 14-0 lead seven minutes into the game and ended a jinx carried over from last season, when he scored four touchdowns on offense, but all were nullified by penalties. “All [penalties] on the same guy,” Mayes said.

El Modena (3-2) led, 28-0, at the half, holding Fullerton to just four first downs. The Vanguards, who let two second-half leads slip away against Santa Margarita and Santa Ana Foothill this season, held Fullerton scoreless until two minutes remained in the game.

“We’ve come out slow in the second half a couple times,” Mayes said of the El Modena defense. “We’ve learned our lesson.”

Dan Arritt