After
a tough loss last week, the Valley Center varsity football team
got back to basics with the running game and a stifling defense
to roll to a 49–7 win over San Marcos in the final game
of the regular season.
The win gives the Jaguars a 9–1 record this season and
sets them up at the No. 2 seed heading into the CIF Division
IV playoffs. Along with No. 1 seed Mission Bay (10–0),
the Jags have a bye week this Friday, which advances them to
the second round automatically. The Jaguars will face the winner
of this week’s La Jolla at Palo Verde game at home on
Nov. 27. This year’s Division IV final will be played
at Southwestern College on Dec. 12.
The nine wins in the regular season are the most the Jaguars
have ever amassed, but head coach Rob Gilster says the real
challenge starts now.
“That’s the most regular season wins we’ve
ever had, but that’s meaningless unless we win it all,”
he said after the game. “Division four is the most competitive
division this year, so we have to play good all the time, every
down. But the championship is there for us if we step up and
take it.”
Every aspect of Valley Center’s game was clicking on Friday,
as the Jags got the running game going early and got some big
plays from the defense.
Running back Stanton Upson carried the ball 17 times for 161
yards and three touchdowns, and added a 20-yard reception in
the big win. Junior running back Michael Rodriguez came in late
in the game and helped seal the win with 11 carries for 73 yards
and a touchdown.
The Jaguar defense started off the scoring with a big play on
the first drive of the game, as linebacker Shonta Chaloux knocked
the ball away from the San Marcos runner on the second play
from scrimmage. Julian Lavigne scooped up the loose ball at
the 20 and rumbled his way into the end zone to give the Jaguars
a 7-0 lead with less than a minute gone in the first quarter.
On the ensuing drive, the Knights picked up a first down on
a penalty before the Jags held them to a punt, giving the ball
back to the Valley Center offense at its own 45.
From there, the Jags needed just eight plays to go 55 yards
for another touchdown, this one coming on a five-yard slashing
run by Upson with just over four minutes left in the first quarter.
The next five possessions ended in punts, as the Jaguar defense
held stout, but the Valley Center offense struggled to find
its rhythm.
The Jags did unveil a new offensive set, with receiver Travis
Bernard still out with a foot injury, to maximize the play-making
capabilities of their players. In the new formation, Lavigne
came in at running back and Upson lined up as the slot receiver.
The first three times the Jaguars used this set, they sent Upson
on a corner route as Matt Battelle, the outside receiver, ran
a short curl. Quarterback Beau Reilly missed the first throw
to Upson, but connected with him for 20 yards on the second.
The third, however, was underthrown due to pressure on the quarterback,
and was intercepted by the Knights at their own seven yard line
with under a minute left in the half.
Leading 14-0 at halftime, the Jaguars got another big play to
start the second half, this one coming on a 63-yard touchdown
run by Upson on the second play from scrimmage. Upson simply
hit the hole opened by his offensive line, and by the time he
broke through into the secondary, he was going full speed and
never looked back.
The Valley Center defense wasn’t to be outdone, however,
as the Knights fumbled the ball away on their first play of
the half, and the Jags recovered at the San Marcos 29.
From there, Reilly launched the ball deep down the right sideline
for Battelle, who made the grab despite contact from the defender
that knocked one of his shoes off. The 29-yard touchdown toss
put Valley Center up 28-0 with just over a minute gone in the
third quarter, and the Jaguars looked unstoppable.
But San Marcos got the option run working on its next drive,
and the Knights drove 80 yards on nine plays, capping the drive
with a 42-yard touchdown pass to get on the scoreboard. The
Knights faked an option run to the left, then had the quarterback
roll back to his right. The receiver that had lined up on the
left ran a deep crossing route, and the quarterback threw the
ball as far as he could to connect for the score.
The Jaguars couldn’t get the offense going on their next
drive and had to punt, but once again the Valley Center defense
responded and held the Knights to a failed fourth-down conversion
that gave the ball back to the Jags at their own 45.
After a loss of three on first down, Upson broke through the
line for another long touchdown run, this one 48 yards, with
under six minutes left in the third quarter.
Another San Marcos fumble set the Jags up with good field position
at the Knights’ 42, and Valley Center put together a nine-play
drive that ended with a three-yard touchdown run by Lavigne
with just under a minute remaining in the third.
San Marcos had to punt again on the next drive, and despite
the small roster, the Jags found backups to play key positions
to run the clock down. Rodriguez came in at running back in
the fourth quarter, and scored a 20-yard touchdown run on his
first carry of the season, which put an end to the scoring with
over ten minutes left in the game.
From there, the Jags simply ran the ball and wound down the
clock on offense, while the defense picked up two more fumble
recoveries to squash all hopes of a comeback.
Reilly finished the game with ten completions in 16 attempts
for 189 yards and a touchdown, with an interception. Battelle
was his favorite target, as he hauled in four catches for 62
yards and a score, while Lavigne had an 18-yard reception and
Chaloux had a 13-yard catch in the game.
“When we get the running game going, that opens things
up for the passing game, and we were able to take advantage
of that tonight,” Reilly said after the game. “This
week off will be good for us to get healthy, and hopefully we’ll
get Travis [Bernard] back. But wherever we play, we know that
we’re going to come out and play all out.”
The Jaguars play again at home on Nov. 27 against the winner
of this week’s game between La Jolla and Palo Verde. Kickoff
is scheduled for 7 p.m.
