Valley Center rallies, wins Southern California Regional title

VALLEY CENTER – Trailing by 11 points with eight minutes left before halftime, Valley Center scored the final 22 points to defeat Moreno Valley Valley View 30-19 in Friday night’s Southern California Division 6-AA Southern California regional championship.

Although the Jaguars trailed 19-16 at halftime, the energy remained high after Joeisha Ryan Tirado scored a 44-yard rushing touchdown and caught the two-point conversion pass from quarterback Braylon Mitchell to cut the deficit to three points.

“On offense, we marched down the field,” said Mitchell, who completed 12 of 15 passes for 225 yards with two touchdowns and two passing two-point conversions. “All year, no one has stopped our offense, and our defense has really stepped up the second half of the year.”

Valley Center, which has now won seven of its last eight games, answered first coming out of halftime. Tirado scored his second touchdown from 12 yards out and gave the Jaguars (8-6) their first lead with 6:48 left in the third quarter over the Eagles (9-6).

“You think you’re going to stop the pass, then you’ve got (Tirado),” Valley Center coach Bill Dunckel said of his senior running back, who had 16 carries for 121 yards. “Then, if you try to stop the run, you’ve got our pass game. You always want to be a balanced offense, so I think that’s what we have.”

The Jaguars’ defense then responded with its first takeaway of the night. Joaquin Stehly recorded an interception that gave Mitchell and the offense the ball at Valley View’s 37-yard line.

“The game kind of swung our way,” Dunckel said. “Once we knew we could stop them, it was a great game.”

Mitchell then turned that interception into points as he found Gauge Wright for a 15-yard touchdown on a back shoulder pass to extend the lead.

“Ever since we’ve been playing 7-on-7 with each other, we’ve told each other, ‘Short-term memory,’” Mitchell said of Wright, who coughed up a fumble 66 seconds into the second half. “I throw a pick, I fumble, someone fumbles, short-term memory. Forget about it. Make a play and that’s what he did.”

Valley View, which won the Southern Section Division 11 title in dramatic fashion last week, tried to pull off more magic, but was unable to get down the field.

Eagles quarterback Jesse Vega, who completed 17 of 26 passes for 159 yards and three touchdowns, left the game with six minutes left after taking a big hit by Jaguars linebacker Max Stehly.

Although Valley View got into Jaguars territory, Valley Center’s Cooper Chaney secured the game-sealing interception with 1:41 left in the fourth quarter.

Valley Center will face Northern California champion San Jose Lincoln, which beat Gridley 28-23 on Friday. Kickoff for the 6-AA state championship game will be announced Sunday and will take place at either Buena Park High School, Fullerton Union High School or Saddleback College.

Valley Center 30, Moreno Valley Valley View 19

Valley View – 13       6        0       0  —  19

Valley Center – 0       16        14       0  —  30

VV – Ramirez 6 pass from Vega (kick failed)

VV – Randlin 14 pass from Vega (Ramirez kick)

VC – Morales 62 pass from Mitchell (Morales pass from Mitchell)

VV – Randlin 29 pass from Vega (run failed)

VC – Tirado 44 run (Tirado pass from Mitchell)

VC – Tirado 12 run (Morales kick)

VC – Wright 15 pass from Mitchell (Morales kick)