The ninth edition of Prep Zone in 2012 featured some high voltage scoring, a milestone win and some top league clashes. Elsewhere in the CIF Southern Section, one of the area’s top running backs rushed for eight touchdowns and the Orange County match up between the Southern Section’s third- and fifth-ranked teams did not disappoint.
Canyon Country Clash
Behind the strength of California’s all-leader in receiving yards, Drew Wolitarsky, Canyon came into Friday night’s game averaging nearly 50 points a game. With Valencia averaging nearly 35 points, the game was slated to be an exciting offensive battle. In the end, it was the Vikings whose second half offensive outburst led them to a 54-41 win to remain perfect in the Foothill League at 3-0 (5-3 overall). But the game lived up to its billing with 39 points scored between the two in the first quarter alone.
Valencia opened up with a two-play touchdown drive. Off the reverse, Sean Murphy went up top to Malik Townsend who jetted down the sidelines and was downed inside the one. Stone Jackson powered into the end zone to put the Vikings on the board early.
A few minutes later, Jay Jay Wilson made a leaping catch in the end zone to put Valencia ahead, 13-0.
Needing a big play, Cade Apsay stepped up. Down two scores on third-and-10, Apsay scrambled and escaped pressure and let it fly deep – deeper than even the cameras expected – to Matt Davis for a 70-yard touchdown.
The Cowboys (5-2-1, 2-1 Foothill League) kept making big plays, another being a 58-yard touchdown by Myron McAfee, to take a 20-19 lead in the first. However, Wolitarsky was noticeably absent until the second quarter.
After Valencia turned the ball over on a fumble with 2:05 left in the second quarter, Apsay went over the middle to Wolitarsky who wrestled the ball away from Townsend for the 13-yard catch and a first down. Two plays later, Wolitarsky dove to snag a 34-yard ball from Apsay to set up a one-yard touchdown that tied the game at 26.
Canyon again came back to take a 34-33 lead, but late in the third quarter Valencia took a lead when Tedrick Thompson wove his way down the field and stiff-armed a defender to shimmy into the end zone. The Vikings took a 39-34 lead and didn’t look back, scoring twice more in the fourth.
“They kept coming at us and coming at us in waves, and our kids had to answer and I think they definitely did,” said Valencia head coach Larry Muir. “We executed so well.”
Although both quarterbacks had banner nights, Sean Murphy had a breakout game with a season-high six touchdowns.
“Sean Murphy keeps getting better every week,” Muir said. “Last year to this year, he’s a different guy and I think he showed that tonight.”
Win No. 301
Los Alamitos head coach John Barnes had to wait an extra week but he finally got his 301st win with a 28-21 victory over Fountain Valley. It didn’t come easy for Barnes and the Griffins (6-2, 2-1 Sunset League).
Fountain Valley had an answer for nearly every move the Griffins made. The game was tied at seven, 14 and again at 21-all before Los Alamitos scored one final touchdown in the fourth quarter. It was Richie Molina who scored the winning TD on a seven-yard roll out with just over seven minutes left.
But there was still a lot of football to be played and in order for the 28-21 lead to hold, the Griffins defense would have to clamp down. The Barons’ had the ball two more times in the fourth but were unable to do anything with it.
While Molina might have scored the game winner, it was Cody Marshall who supplied the heroics going 14-for-19 for 207 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for one as well. The passing touchdown was the play of the game, as Marshall threw deep to Luke Pastell who was way past his defender on the sidelines for a 72-yard touchdown.
Fountain Valley fell to 3-5 on the season and continues to search for its first Sunset League win (0-3).
Carter’s Comupance
Unbeaten Rialto Carter remains just that after throttling San Bernardino San Gorgonio 49-14. Last week, Carter barely escaped neighboring Rialto with a 30-28 win, their smallest margin of victory all season, but came more than ready to play against the Spartans and it was evident right from the opening kickoff.
The Spartans got across midfield on the kick return, setting up a touchdown for Traveon Brown a few plays later. Brown easily slid into the end zone on a short rush for the first of his three touchdowns.
Later in the first, Spartans quarterback Tahir Rasheed-Mills took a chance with a throw from 20 yards out to Nathan Meadors in the end zone. Meaders had defenders hanging all over him, but still managed to get above them to snag the pass and score for San Gorgonio, leaving them down by just one.
But Brown continued to be exceptional in short-yardage situations, helping build a 28-14 lead over the Spartans in the third quarter.
Then, with 2:10 left in the third, Rasheed-Mills misread the coverage and threw one right to Carter’s Clayton Atlas. Atlas intercepted it at the 50 with several Carter players surrounding him already. Only one San Gorgonio player was left to challenge him and Atlas made him miss at the one for a touchdown. Carter went up 34-14 and never looked back.
Carter has now firmly stated its case as a contender in the Eastern Division. The Lions are now 8-0 for the season and 3-0 in the San Andreas League, doing so while outscoring opponents, 312-71. But the rest of the San Andreas League doesn’t post much of a threat to Carter and the Lions should cruise easily through the rest of their schedule, not seeing another threatening challenge until the postseason.
Best for Last
First place in the Sunset League was on the line in the game between Romoland Heritage and Menifee Paloma Valley. Heritage was the leader, coming in at 2-0.
But the Patriots found themselves down by three in the fourth quarter, so they did what they do best and stayed patient and stayed physical. They went to the ground for 11 consecutive plays until they were finally in field goal range.
The entire game, Heritage had plodded along, keeping the chains moving for the most part but opting to play it safe. Now, facing fourth-and-one at the Paloma Valley 11, the Patriots opted not to play it safe with a game-tying field goal. Instead, a play-action bootleg drew the Wildcats defense to the right side, allowing quarterback Mat Bradshaw to get into the end zone for a 16-13 lead.
Heritage used its momentum score again in the fourth to push the game out of reach for the Wildcats.
The only blemish on Heritage’s record remains a 35-32 edging by Temecula Great Oak. At 7-1 and now 3-0 in league play, the Patriots secured their spot at the top, while Paloma Valley fell to 1-2 and 6-2 overall.
Player of the Night
Chaminade’s Terrell Newby absolutely torched Harvard-Westlake for a school-record eight touchdowns, helping the 11th-ranked Eagles to a 78-34 win. Newby was dominant every time the ball touched his hands, running for 360 yards on 16 carries.
"I think I scored seven touchdowns in Pop Warner," Newby told the Daily News. "This topped it."
More scores
No. 1 Vista Murrieta 45, Murrieta Valley 17
No. 5 St. John Bosco 27, No. 3 Mater Dei 19
No. 4 St. Bonaventure 35, Newbury Park 7
No. 6 Corona Centennial 52, Riverside King 17
No. 15 Charter Oak 41, Ayala 14
No. 17 Serra, St. Francis 6
No. 18 Chaparral 21, Great Oak 14
Rancho Cucamonga 15, Glendora 13
Monrovia 84, Blair 0
Sierra Canyon 51, Pasadena Marshall 0
Rancho Verde 34, JW North 13
