Video: VCHS football vs Mar Vista, CIF playoffs

The Jaguars hosted the Mar Vista Mariners on Friday night, and the game came down to the final minutes before Valley Center pulled out a 23-21 victory.

The win advances the No. 4 seed Jaguars to play at No. 1 St. Augustine this coming Friday night in the semifinals of the CIF Division IV playoffs.

Here are the video highlights from last Friday's game, and as always, to see all the videos from VCHS football (as well as some other fun videos), visit our YouTube page at www.youtube.com/dankidder

Videos by Everett Bean & Dan Kidder

Ryan Kleiman takes off after the Jags miss the handoff, then throws an interception on the run.


Sullivan Shimer makes a nice catch on the slant, but fumbles when he gets hit. Sean Cutrell hustled after the play, though, and comes up with the loose ball.


The Mariners run a reverse with the running back, who gets free in the defense and takes it in for an 85-yard touchdown.


Kleiman hits Cody Gearhart across the middle, and Gearhart takes it down the sideline before getting knocked out of bounds.


Kleiman pushes through the pile to score from one yard out.


On a third down play, Matt Preston busts through the line and hits the Mar Vista QB, knocking the ball free. The Mariners recovered, but had to face a fourth-and-long.


Austin Bernard takes the handoff on the draw and outruns the defense to the endzone.


Kleiman throws a beautiful fade pass to Michael McInerny in the corner of the endzone for the touchdown.


The Mariners score on another long run, this one good for 79 yards.


The Mariners' QB takes off on a fourth-down run that turns into a 42-yard touchdown.


Kleiman throws deep to McInerny on the post, and the receiver hauls it in over double coverage to pick up 46 yards late in the game.


Shimer hits the Mar Vista QB as he dives for the endzone, and when the ball comes loose, Shimer recovers for the Jaguars.


Bernard runs up the middle, then cuts to the sideline to pick up 37 yards on a drive that led to the game-winning field goal.


McInerny drills a 32-yard field goal to give the Jaguars a two-point lead late in the fourth quarter.


Dylan Chafee, recently called up from the JV team, comes up with a huge play as he sacks the Mar Vista QB with time running out in the fourth quarter.

Videos: VCHS football at Orange Glen

In a wild game that came down to the final seconds, the Jaguars nearly came all the way back from a first-half deficit against Orange Glen, eventually falling to the Patriots 42-38 last Friday night.

Here are the video highlights from the game--sorry that it takes a few to get to the good VC plays, but I included most of the key plays from the game to give you an overview of how the game went. Pay special attention to the three-play sequence that begins with the Shaun Woods fumble on the kickoff; beginning with that play, the next two videos happened on the next two plays, making for a three-play, 20-second span in which there were three consecutive turnovers.

And as always, to see the entire collection of videos, visit our YouTube page at www.youtube.com/dankidder

Video by Dan Kidder

Ryan Kleiman tries to complete a deep pass, but it gets intercepted by the Patriots.


The Patriots bloop a high kick, and the Jaguars can't hold onto the ball.


The Patriots fumble the snap, and Dylan Fredenburg comes up with the loose ball.


Shaun Woods makes a catch for a big gain, but as he's getting tackled, he laterals the ball to Michael McInerny, who almost makes it in for a score, but ends up fumbling the ball out of the endzone.


Alexis Espino works his way through the offensive line to get to the Orange Glen QB for the sack.


The Patriots try another bloop kickoff, and when Brad Dozier tries to catch the kick, he gets hit hard and fumbles.


Austin Bernard takes the handoff on the sweep and gets in for the five-yard touchdown.


Kleiman throws it deep for WR Anthony Ricks, who makes a nice catch in front of the defender for a 34-yard gain.


Bernard runs it in from one yard out for the touchdown.


Bernard runs the ball on the draw, bounces it out to the sideline and nearly scores when he dives for the endzone, but is marked out of bounds at the two-yard line.


Kleiman sneaks the ball into the endzone from two yards out.


In one of the key plays of the game, the Patriots try to run the option pitch, but when the ball gets away from the running back, it skitters around on the ground before going out of bounds.


Kleiman throws a perfectly-placed pass to the back corner of the endzone, where WR Michael McInerny is there for the 11-yard touchdown catch.


Bernard goes in untouched for the 18-yard touchdown run that gave his team the lead with 1:10 left in the game.


Kleiman rolls out and hits Woods for the two-point conversion.


The Patriots drove 80 yards in the final minute of the game to score on this rollout pass that proved to be the game-winning touchdown.

Video: VCHS football vs San Pasqual

In a hard-fought, back-and-forth game, the Jaguars lost by only three points to San Pasqual last Friday.

Here are the video highlights from the game, including a pair of controversial decisions by the referees.

And be sure to visit our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/dankidder to see all the VCHS football videos and much more.

Video by Dan Kidder

Ryan Kleiman connects with Cody Gearhart for a gain of 76 yards on the first play of the game.


Austin Bernard takes it in for a 3-yard touchdown run.


After a bad snap on the extra point try, Michael McInerny scoops up the loose ball and chucks it into the endzone, where Garrett Castner is wide open for the two-point conversion catch.


Gearhart tips this San Pasqual pass and nearly comes down with the interception.


Bernard takes the ball on the sweep and dives across the pylon for a four-yard touchdown.


The Eagles try a quick out, but when Dylan Fredenburg hits the QB, the pass goes awry, and Shaun Woods grabs the interception and takes it in for a touchdown.


Gearhart makes a nice catch and hangs on after taking a pretty good hit.


After the Eagles scored a touchdown, Sullivan Shimer makes a big play by blocking the extra point kick.


McInerny makes a great catch along the sideline, but gets flagged for offensive pass interference. If you can find anything on this video that shows pass interference on either player, you've got better eyes than I do.


The Eagles make a fair catch signal on a punt return, but the returner begins running with the ball. The referees blow the play dead, but do not assess any penalty for the delay of game on the San Pasqual return man, saying that the runner took "only two steps" after making the fair catch signal. See if you can count how many steps he takes before the whistle blows.


Matt Preston steps in front of this lobbed pass to get the interception.

Video: VCHS football at Mt. Carmel

The Jaguars traveled to Mt. Carmel last Friday night and overcame some first half mistakes to take a 37-10 win.

Here are some video highlights from the action, and as always, you can visit our YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/dankidder to see all our past VCHS sports videos and more.

Video by Dan Kidder

Dylan Fredenburg jumps up to knock down this pass at the line of scrimmage.


Ryan Kleiman throws deep for Michael McInerny, who makes the catch for a gain of 31 yards.


Kleiman throws a quick slant pass to McInerny, who hauls it in and outruns the defense for a 12-yard touchdown.


Kleiman hangs in the pocket and delivers a perfect throw down the middle of the field to McInerny for a 53-yard touchdown.


August Fleugge breaks through the Mt. Carmel line and gets the sack.


Kleiman tries to escape the pressure by scrambling, and his throw on the run gets intercepted by the Sundevils.


Kleiman connects with Anthony Ricks on the post pattern for a beautiful 24-yard touchdown pass.


Matt Preston sees the run coming and lays a big hit on the Sundevil running back for a loss.


Austin Bernard makes a cutback in the middle of the field, then cuts back at the sideline and nearly breaks free from the defense on a long run.


Cody Gearhart goes up for the interception, runs into a pile where Garrett Castner helps him stay on his feet, then escapes for a long touchdown return...but the touchdown gets called back on a blocking penalty against the Jaguars.


Bernard weaves his way toward the sideline and dives into the endzone to score on a 29-yard touchdown run.


Bernard takes the ball to the outside, cuts up the field and runs into a pile, but stretches the ball across the goal line for the 11-yard touchdown.


The Sundevils fumble the snap and Shaun Woods comes up with the recovery for the Jaguars.

Video: VCHS football vs San Marcos

It was Homecoming night in Valley Center on Friday, and the Jaguars celebrated with a dominant game on defense in taking a 51-6 win over San Marcos.

Here are the video highlights:

Video by Dan Kidder

Anthony Ricks jumps in front of this pass, tips it to himself in midair, then grabs the interception and runs it in for a touchdown.


Austin Bernard plows into the pile, then busts out the other side on his way to a 65-yard touchdown run.


Shaun Woods gets open on the seam route and pulls in this pass for a 33-yard gain.


Bernard runs up the middle, makes a cut to avoid the defense, then breaks away for a 40-yard touchdown.


Ryan Kleiman hits Michael McInerny on the post pattern for a nice 20-yard touchdown.


The Knights try a rollout pass, but Joe Monzon steps in front of the receiver to grab the interception.


Bernard runs up the middle and cruises in for a 17-yard touchdown.


The Knights run up the middle, but the Jaguars knock the ball loose and recover the fumble.


The Knights try one last play before halftime, but when the Jaguars knock the ball away from the QB, Garrett Castner scoops up the fumble and runs in for the touchdown.


Woods breaks through the line and drags the San Marcos QB down for a sack.


As the Knights drive for a score, they try a pass into the endzone, but Sullivan Shimer jumps in front of the receiver to grab the interception and save a touchdown.


Shimer reads the play near his own goal line and grabs his second interception of the game.



Be sure to check out all the VCHS sports videos on my YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/dankidder

Video: VCHS football vs Del Norte

The Jaguars bounced back from two rough losses with a hard-fought 44-26 win over Del Norte.

Here are the video highlights.

Video by Dan Kidder and Kelly Kidder

Ryan Kleiman can't find an open receiver, so he takes off for a ten-yard touchdown run.


Michael McInerny doinks an extra point attempt off the upright.


The Nighthawks try for an extra point, but the holder mishandles the snap and the Jaguars bury him to finish the play.


Matt Barnes jumps in front of a Del Norte pass, tips it in the air, and Shaun Woods grabs the interception for the Jaguars.


Kleiman airs it out down the left sideline, and McInerny out-jumps the defender to make a spectacular catch.


Kleiman fakes the handoff, then runs the bootleg in for a nine-yard touchdown.


The Nighthawks run a fake punt that results in a 42-yard touchdown.


Shaun Woods runs a seam route and makes a great catch in traffic.


Kleiman throws deep for McInerny, who makes the catch for a gain of 26 yards.


Kleiman rolls out and completes a pass to Woods for an 11-yard touchdown.


Dylan Fredenburg jumps up to knock down this Nighthawk pass.


Kleiman hits Gearhart on the deep post for a gain of 62 yards on third and long.


Austin Bernard takes the handoff, cuts back to find an opening, and gets in for a 21-yard touchdown.


Kleiman connects with McInerny on a deep pass that gains 36 yards.


Kleiman throws the fade route to McInerny, who hauls in the pass for a 20-yard touchdown.


Bernard breaks through the line and goes in, untouched, for a 27-yard touchdown.

John Downing -- Maritime Archaeology

 By Dan Kidder

Many retired folks fill their post-career days with golf, gardening, a healthy nap schedule, and a lot of time to stop and smell the roses.

Valley Center’s John Downing certainly enjoys a relaxing day as much as any other retiree, but instead of golf, he’s found a new passion to pursue—maritime archaeology.

“I’ve always been interested in archaeology,” Downing says. “Since high school, I’ve had a subscription to National Geographic, and I loved to read the stories about the lost temples and everything out there, waiting to be found again. One day a few years ago, I was reading Archaeology Magazine and they had an article about a group doing maritime archaeology, all done with volunteers. My wife and I love to go scuba diving, but after you go often enough, you’ve seen the fish enough times that you want to try something new. I like archaeology, so I put two and two together, and it’s been really fun and rewarding.”

Downing went where any of us go when we need some information—to the internet!—and quickly found a handful of organizations around the globe dedicated to maritime archaeology. One organization is based in Ukraine and dives in the Black Sea, another is based in Hawaii and there are more that dive in the Aegean Sea.

But the one Downing chose is called the Anglo-Danish Maritime Archaeological Team (ADMAT), a group based in the United Kingdom and led by president and excavation director Dr. Simon Q. Spooner.

Downing wrote to Dr. Spooner in the spring of 2008 to sign up for the group’s next session of diving school. Spooner wrote back the following day to ask for Downing’s phone number. When he called, Spooner said that he wasn’t sure that there were any openings in the next school session, but offered Downing the chance to accompany him to the Dominican Republic for a one-on-one field school the following month.

“In some ways, it’s kind of intimidating to be there, one-on-one, with a guy who has a PhD in Maritime Archaeology,” Downing says. “But the upside is that it’s a fantastic opportunity to train with a man who has that much experience. My wife said, ‘Go for it!’ so I spent two weeks in the Dominican Republic getting certifications as a Survey Diver and as a Search and Recovery Diver.”

Downing and Spooner worked on a shipwreck off the coast of Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic, that has since been called The Tile Wreck by the group, due to the ship’s cargo of square tiles and corresponding granite blocks. The details surrounding this particular shipwreck remain something of a mystery, and the ADMAT crew continues to work with the local government of the Dominican Republic to find out as much about the wreck as they can.

Downing’s responsibility on the job was to take a one meter square area within a grid laid over the entire wreck area and thoroughly catalog the contents of that square, which included taking measurements, making drawings, taking photos and finally removing the specimens for further study in a lab.

“My first square was full of rectangular blocks of granite, which were rather enigmatic,” he says. “It’s unusual cargo, and they were different sizes and shapes, but all made to a specific design. It was later determined that these blocks came from a specific quarry on an island near Nante, France. We were able to narrow down the time of the shipwreck to somewhere between 1720 and 1724 and we also found a pewter plate with the maker’s mark still intact, and this artisan’s shop was in Nante. Using this data gathered from what we call ‘diagnostic pieces,’ we believe that this ship’s name is La Famile de Nante.”

Since then, Downing has continued to work with ADMAT, where he is currently the Logistics Officer, on successive dives in the Caribbean, spending an accumulated total of three months in the area with the team. He has also joined with an American maritime archaeological team called Diving With a Purpose (DWP), a group founded by Ken Stewart, a retiree from Tennessee who also dives with the National Assn. of Black Scuba Divers (NABS).

Downing joined DWP for a one-week survey for the Biscayne National Park Service in South Florida to help establish a baseline of cultural heritage sites in the waters off the coast as part of a long-term cultural conservation effort.

“The park service just doesn’t have the resources to perform these kinds of tasks, so DWP volunteers,” Downing says. “We had twenty-eight divers complete the survey, which was totally non-intrusive. We were just there to map the wrecks and take lots of photos. We didn’t do any digging or dredging.”

One of the wrecks DWP has studied extensively on another one-week survey is a ship believed to be The Guererro, which was a pirate slave ship out of Havana that sank off the coast of Florida in the 1820s after it was chased down by a British anti-slavery patrol ship, the HMS Nimble. Exploring the wreck held special significance for the African-American divers with DWP, as they learned more about the history of slave trading in the Caribbean and the cultural history of displaced Africans living in Cuba and the surrounding islands.

Even in his Valley Center living room, thousands of miles away from these underwater museums, Downing speaks with passion and excitement about his role in the cataloging and preservation of history.

“When I was working with Doctor Spooner on the Tile Wreck, there was a day when I was doing some dredging, and as I was working away, I had this sudden epiphany,” he says. “I looked around and I realized, ‘I’m doing it!’ I was only ten days into my first archeological dive, and it was so intense because I was working so hard not to screw up. But I had that realization that I was there, doing something that I’d dreamed of doing for so long, and to be working as a layperson, without a single, formal class. It was really rewarding.”

Downing grew up in San Bernardino and his wife is originally from Solana Beach. After Downing graduated from high school, he enlisted in the navy and served for six years, including three tours in Vietnam, one of which was during the evacuation of Saigon in 1975. He was a surface-to-air missile (SAM) technician in the navy, and served for four years on the USS John Paul Jones, spending over 20 months in Southeast Asia and earning National Defense, Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign, Good Conduct, and Combat Action awards.

When his service was over, he went to work for Carl’s Jr, installing and maintaining point-of-sale computers in the cash registers. He later left to form his own company, Downing Sound and Communications, which provided audio electronic systems to businesses, including the equipment used in the drive-through lanes at fast food restaurants. He also began flying sailplanes, a type of gliders, and has accumulated several state and one U.S. national record. He sold his company in 2002 and retired, looking for a place in San Diego County.

“Valley Center met our needs,” he says. “It’s rural, but not too far from town.”

“We landed in heaven,” Downing’s wife, Pat, chimes in.

“We had a place in Julian, but it’s so far away, you have to take a two-hour round-trip just to get to a full-size grocery store,” Downing continues. “Here, it’s still rural, and you get that peace and quiet, but you’re still only thirty minutes away from whatever you need.”

The Downings are involved in the community as well. John volunteers with the Valley Center Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and the Red Cross, while Pat is involved with the Friends of the Library.

As for the pursuit of his passion in his archaeological endeavors, Downing says that he hopes his experiences inspire others to go after the things they love.

“I find it so rewarding,” he says. “I’m a layperson contributing to science and I get to broaden my experiences. And as I continue to gain experience and gain new contacts, who knows?”

Anyone interested in pursuing maritime archaeology can contact John Downing by e-mail at johnd@downingsailplanes.com for further information.

Video: VCHS football vs Poway

It's been a rough couple of games for the Valley Center varsity football team, as the Jaguars have suffered back-to-back losses for the first time since the 2006 season, and have now lost more than one game in a season for the first time since 2009.

This week, the Jags lost 35-6 against last year's CIF Division I champion, Poway. Not much to show in the way of VC highlights this week, but here they are:

Video by Kelly Kidder

Austin Bernard slashes through the line, cuts to the outside and spins past a defender for a good gain on the ground.


The Titans run the ball toward the sideline, but Brad Dozier goes low and flips the Poway runner with a big hit.


Ryan Kleiman lofts a perfect pass to the back corner of the endzone, where Michael McInerny grabs it and keeps his feet in bounds for the touchdown.


Matt Preston smashes through the line to drill the Poway runner behind the line.

Video: VCHS football at Mission Hills

Valley Center suffered its first loss of the football season (and its first since week one of 2011) in a rough 38-14 defeat at Mission Hills on Friday.

Here are some video highlights from the game.

Video by Dan Kidder & Kelly Kidder

When the Grizzlies fumble the snap, VC DL Shaun Woods gets to the QB to get the sack.


 The Grizzlies go for it on fourth down, but the pass falls incomplete.


Ryan Kleiman throws deep for Michael McInerny, but the pass is incomplete. The VC coaches wanted a flag for defensive pass interference...you be the judge; was it a clean play or not?


McInerny makes a nice catch along the sideline and nearly runs into the camera.


The Grizzlies fumble the exchange on a handoff, but recover the loose ball.


Kleiman throws deep down the sideline to McInerny, who hauls in the reception and gets knocked out of bounds at the one yard line.


Austin Bernard plunges in from one yard out for the short touchdown run.


On fourth down late in the second quarter, Kleiman evades the pressure up the middle and rolls to his right, but his pass is intercepted. VC coach Rob Gilster later said that this play was the turning point of the game (VC was only down 16-7 at that point) and that, in retrospect, the Jaguars should have punted.


Early in the third quarter, Kleiman throws a pass over the middle that is picked off and returned for a touchdown.


The Jaguars punt the ball to the Grizzlies, who return the kick 53 yards for a touchdown.


Kleiman throws a deep hook to McInerny for a big first down.


Kleiman pump fakes, then lobs the ball to the corner of the endzone, where McInerny hauls it in for a touchdown.

Video: VCHS football vs La Jolla

The Jaguars hosted the visiting La Jolla Vikings on Friday night, and behind an outstanding rushing performance of 321 yards and three touchdowns from Austin Bernard, the Jags took a 24-0 win.

Here are some video highlights:

Video by Dan Kidder & Kelly Kidder

Austin Bernard heads for the sideline and tries to dive into the endzone, but comes up a few yards short.


Matt Preston comes on a blitz and brings the La Jolla QB down.


Ryan Kleiman throws deep down the sideline for Michael McInerny, who brings it in for a 41-yard reception. McInerny injured his shoulder on the catch and continued to play for the rest of the first half, but sat out the second half.


Bernard runs up the middle, weaves his way through the defense and scores on a 41-yard touchdown run.


Matt Barnes breaks through the La Jolla line to get the sack.


Kleiman escapes the pressure, rolls to his right and throws to McInerny, who runs it in for a 35-yard touchdown...but the officials ruled that Kleiman was past the line of scrimmage when he threw the ball, erasing the scoring play.


When the La Jolla QB rolls out, the Jaguars get good pressure and August Fluegge comes up with the sack.


Preston comes on a blitz and hammers the La Jolla QB as he tries to pass.


Bernard takes the handoff and runs up the middle for a ten-yard touchdown.


Preston rushes through the middle of the offensive line and sacks the QB, but was penalized for grabbing the facemask on the play.


VC defensive linemen Garrett Castner and Dylan Fredenburg rush from the outside and meet at the QB to get the sack.


VC defensive linemen Shaun Woods and Dylan Fredenburg crash through the La Jolla line and bring the QB down for a sack.


Bernard takes the handoff, breaks through the line and heads for the sideline for a 71-yard touchdown run.


The Vikings snap the ball over the QB's head, leading to a big sack for the Jaguars.

Video: VCHS footbal vs Imperial

The Jaguars hosted Imperial on Friday night, and behind a strong first half on offense and a great performance all game by the defense, the Jags went on to win, 33-21.

Here are some video highlights from the game.

Video by Dan Kidder

Royce Freeman of Imperial breaks off a long TD run in the first quarter.


Ryan Kleiman hits Michael McInerny deep down the middle for a big gain on the Jaguars' first offensive play of the game.


Austin Bernard runs up the middle and side-steps a defender on his way into the endzone.


Anthony Ricks can't make the catch on a slant pass and gets hit hard by the Imperial defense. Ricks suffered a separated shoulder on the play.


Bernard runs up the middle and gets his second seven-yard touchdown run of the game.


Kleiman airs it out for Cody Gearhart, who makes the catch for a big gain.


Kleiman rolls out and scrambles for the endzone, but comes up just short of a touchdown.


Kleiman keeps the ball and sneaks in for a one-yard touchdown.


he Tigers try to run the ball on third and long, but Dylan Fredenburg crashes through the line, hits the running back and knocks the ball loose. The Tigers recovered the fumble, but only after a big loss.


Kleiman throws a beautiful ball down the sideline for McInerny. (My apologies for the blurry video, I couldn't get the focus to adjust in time.)


Bernard runs up the middle, bounces to the sideline and outruns the defense for a 20-yard touchdown.


The Tigers scored a touchdown late in the first half, but the Jaguars stepped up to block the extra point. I can't tell who it is that gets a hand on the ball, so if anybody knows who that is, please let me know.


VC return man Sullivan Shimer has the ball knocked loose and the Tigers recover.


With time running out in the first half, the Tigers run a trick play and the running back throws deep. But Gearhart gets in front of the pass for the interception.


Kleiman throws it deep for McInerny, but the Imperial cornerback makes a nice leaping interception.


The Tigers complete a short pass on the sideline, but Matt Preston lowers the boom with a big hit.


Preston comes on the blitz and gets the sack.


Kleiman hits Gearhart deep down the field for a big gain.


Kleiman throws a short pass to TE Shaun Woods who takes it into the endzone for a nine-yard touchdown.


The Tigers almost scored on another long run--this one would have been 82 yards--but it was called back on a penalty for an illegal block.


The Imperial QB rolls out and throws a long touchdown pass late in the game.


Kleiman throws a pass over the middle, but it gets intercepted. VC Coach Rob Gilster clearly wants a penalty on the play, but no flag is thrown.

Video: Valley Center football vs Bellerose (Canada)

Valley Center hosted Bellerose, a team from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on Friday night, and came away with a big win over the visitors from north of the border.

The Jaguars won 43-0 on the strength of three passing touchdowns from Ryan Kleiman (two of which went to Michael McInerny) and two rushing touchdowns by Austin Bernard.

Here are some video highlights of the action:

Dylan Fredenburg gets his hands on the pass, tipping it up into the air, and Ben Jauregui nearly grabs the interception.


 Ryan Kleiman swings a pass to Cody Gearhart, who breaks off a long run down the sideline for a 34-yard touchdown.


Matt Preston breaks through the line on a blitz and sacks the Bellerose QB.


Austin Bernard runs up the middle, then cuts to the sideline to outrun the defense on a 44-yard touchdown run.


After the Valley Center line breaks through into the backfield, Dylan Fredenburg chases down the QB to get the sack.


Ryan Kleiman airs it out deep down the sideline to connect with Michael McInerny on a 36-yard touchdown pass.


Kleiman hits Anthony Ricks across the middle for a good gain and a first down.


Kleiman hits McInerny on a quick hitch and the shifty receiver gets away from the defense for a 24-yard touchdown.


Kleiman hits Gearhart on a 44-yard touchdown swing pass...but it gets called back for an illegal block at the end of the run.


Austin Bernard plunges through the line to score on a one-yard touchdown run.


CJ Gittleson busts through the Bellerose line to bring the running back down with a hard hit.


Bernard had a close call when he fumbled the ball on this run, but one of the Jaguars comes up with the loose ball to keep possession.


Kleiman swings a pass out to Gearhart, who runs the ball all the way down to the two yard line.


Bernard punches the ball into the endzone on a two-yard touchdown run.



Video by Dan Kidder

VIDEO: VCHS football scrimmage at Chula Vista

The 2012 VCHS football season got underway on Friday night with a scrimmage at Chula Vista.

The teams traded three offensive series each, and while the Jaguars scored two touchdowns, the Spartans scored four times.

Here are some video highlights from the scrimmage:

Ryan Kleiman throws deep to WR Michael McInerny for a big gain.


Austin Bernard takes the handoff and gains good yardage up the middle.


Kleiman scrambles out of the pocket and picks up a few yards near the Chula Vista goal line.


Bernard breaks through the line and scores the first touchdown of the scrimmage.


Bernard picks up some more good yards on an outside run.


Kleiman drops off a screen pass to Bernard.


Kleiman throws deep to Anthony Ricks for a big gain.


Kleiman hits WR Anthony Ricks on the receiver screen.


Dylan Fredenburg gets to the QB to deflect this pass.


Ricks hauls in this deep pass for a long touchdown.


Video by Dan Kidder

I Kid You Not: A new way to look at Fantasy Football

By DAN KIDDER

The world is changing.

I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it.

Galadriel, the elfin queen who narrates the opening lines of the fantasy movie trilogy The Lord Of The Rings, probably didn’t know much about fantasy football.

But she did leave behind a convenient excuse for me to nerd out with a Tolkien reference to begin this year’s examination of what the fantasy football season holds.

It begins, as Frodo’s adventure with the One Ring does, with the simple realization that things are different than they used to be.

For so many years (I know, it’s weird to think that fantasy football has been around so long), conventional wisdom in drafting your fantasy football team looked like this: grab a stud running back first, pick up a couple good receivers along the way, find a decent quarterback when nobody else jumps out at you, and let the rest just kind of happen however.

So much of fantasy football strategy has been predicated on the core value of playing it safe.

Safe is minimizing risk. Safe is a running back that gets you 75 yards and maybe a touchdown. Safe is drafting a receiver whose name elicits a “Hmm, ok, not bad,” reaction from your fellow owners. Safe is the fantasy football equivalent of “slow and steady wins the race.”

And safe is also incredibly boring.

You know what playing it safe got me in my three fantasy football leagues last season? Exactly eight wins and five losses for each of the three teams, leading to a pair of fifth-place finishes and a lone second-place spot (each of which is a 12-team league, by the way).

I had some great players, too. I had Calvin Johnson on all three teams. I minimized risk by drafting players such as Roddy White, Ahmad Bradshaw and Felix Jones. I was conservative on the waiver wire, not willing to spring for Cam Newton, Victor Cruz, Antonio Brown or any of the other breakout stars.

Basically, I was playing by an outdated set of rules.

Now, if you’re a serious fantasy footballer, you’ve probably already read a few articles here and there about how important it is to get a good quarterback, and about how deep the pool is for solid wide receivers, and potentially even about how important the tight end position is becoming.

For those of you who aren’t serious fantasy footballers, and just in case any of you reading this are in any leagues with me…Um, you totally don’t need a good quarterback. I would say that that is the least important position in fantasy football right now. You should get your kicker squared away as soon as possible.

Back to the serious owners. Let’s assume that we’re all starting from the same point; that is, that we all know at least a little bit about the direction that fantasy football is heading.

And now let’s throw that all out the window.

Here’s why fantasy football in 2012 is going to be different than any other FFL experience you’ve ever had: because fantasy football in 2011 was so crazy that it should have come with a tin foil hat.

Last year was so unpredictable, in large part because of the residual effect leftover from last summer’s lockout, that fantasy football owners this year are going to make one of two assumptions.

On one side are those who will assume that last season is the new norm. That rookie quarterbacks are going to light up defenses with 400 passing yards all the time. That it’s so easy to be an elite NFL wide receiver that they dig up guys from the local salsa dancing club to take the gig. That 5-foot-5 running backs are destined for greatness.

On the other hand, you will see the old fuddy-duddies (easily recognized by their out-dated terminology, like “fuddy-duddy”) who think that 2011 was an anomaly. That the league is, at its heart, a running league. That defense wins championships. That it’s better to take a proven, if unspectacular, veteran quarterback over a young, talented, but raw, rookie. That the best way to compare the talent of NFL players is to look at the miniscule differences in their pre-draft combine performances (“What? This guy only ran a 4.45 in the 40? There’s no way he can be as good as the guy who ran the 4.37!).

The reality is that it’ll probably be somewhere in the middle.

But how you, as a fantasy football owner, respond to the craziness is what will make or break your team this year.

With that in mind, I have a few ideas that I’m going to implement into my draft (and waiver) strategy for 2012. Feel free to come along for the journey to find out if I know what I’m talking about, or if I should dig my tin foil hat out of the crawl space where I keep every page 13 from Variety magazine since 1974. Not that that’s weird or anything.

Take A Chance On Me
With many thanks to 70s Swedish pop group Abba, I feel that there are a lot of potential fantasy studs waiting for you to take a chance on them.

Last year, it was Cam Newton (he was drafted in the last round in my east coast league), Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Graham, and a whole cast of unexpected stars.

Who will it be this year? It’s pretty obvious that you’re not going to find out by looking through the various rankings that exist online—if it were that easy to spot, we would have seen Newton, Stafford and Graham all getting drafted in the first couple of rounds last year.

This year, because my old strategy of only grabbing proven guys landed me square in the middle of the pack, I’ve decided to take some more chances.

Now, don’t go crazy, like the folks in the first group we just talked about. I’m not at all suggesting that you grab Robert Griffin III when Aaron Rodgers is still on the board.

I am saying, however, that young, unknown guys are arriving in the NFL with so much more pro-level preparation behind them than we’ve ever seen, so it’s not as big of a stretch to think that a guy like Justin Blackmon or Brian Quick might become the next big thing.

And when all else fails, a good place to start is by checking out everybody else’s team in your league last season. Find the guys that drove you crazy and target them in your draft this year. Nothing is more frustrating in FFL than checking your upcoming opponent’s roster and seeing a guy who keeps dropping 25 points each week. Your goal this year should be to get as many of those “Oh crap, I have to face HIM?” guys to frustrate your opponents.

So, if we come back to our somewhere-in-between mindset from a few minutes ago, that means that it is still a good idea to play it safe—in the early rounds of your draft. Everybody you’ll be picking in the first two rounds will (barring some catastrophe, like blowing out a knee or having some dude named John Skelton throwing the ball to you) be a solid performer.

But once the “safe” guys are gone (and it happens sooner and sooner every year), don’t be afraid to stretch a little bit in hopes of landing a breakout star.

Which brings us to the next idea…

I Choose You!
Be decisive. Know what you’re looking for. When it comes down to two or three guys on your draft board, know who you like…And most importantly, know why you like him.

Seasoned FFL veterans know what the draft is like. You get into the fifth round, the combination of greasy pizza and strawberry Fanta is wreaking havoc on your internal organs, the guys (and girls!) in your draft room (either in person or in the chat box online) just won’t let you forget about that one time that you drafted Chad Pennington to be your starting quarterback (That was like seven years ago, guys!!!), the owner ahead of you just grabbed the guy you wanted and now you’re staring at a ticking clock with unfocused eyes (or maybe that’s just pizza grease on your glasses).

Things can get out of control really quickly, and before you know it, you hear your disembodied voice say things like, “How is Kurt Warner still available?!? I’ll take him!”

And if you’re new to fantasy football and possibly in one of my leagues this year…Um, I think you should totally draft Kurt Warner. Forget what I said about not needing an elite quarterback. He will totally be one of the top scorers this year. Either him or Brett Favre.

Back to the veteran fantasy football owners. We know all about things like “upside” and we know what it’s like to see the right guy in the right situation.

So when it comes down to crunch time (both in the draft and on the waiver wire), don’t be afraid to go with your gut. If your gut tells you that Torrey Smith is going to have a better second season than Denarius Moore, grab him. If you feel it in your bones that Jared Cook is going to be the break-out tight end of the year, pick him up. If you can just sense that this is finally the year that Beanie Wells stays healthy all season, well…It’s your team, after all.

Which is another seamless transition into our final talking point…

Whatever, I Do What I Want
It’s your team. Draft the guys you want.

Seriously, when it comes down to so many minute stats (“How many third down targets does he get when his team is trailing by more than 17 points in the third quarter?”), one pick is just as likely to pan out as another. And at the end of the season, ideally, you’ll want to have enjoyed the ride.

I loved having Calvin Johnson on all three of my teams last year, and not just because he evidently has hydrogen slush rocket fuel flowing through his veins. I drafted him because I loved how he’s not the typical look-at-me-no-seriously-I’ll-hold-my-breath-until-I-pass-out-if-you-don’t-look-now kind of wide receiver. He makes big play after big play, and then he acts all cool, like it’s no big deal, just another Sunday afternoon at the park. I love athletes like that. And because I paid extra attention to the Lions last year, he’s become one of my favorite players in the league.

Fantasy football is supposed to be fun. So make it fun. Don’t worry about it if it’s too soon to grab Michael Vick in the third round. If you want him, take him (although I suggest bookmarking some awful online skateboard crash videos so you can watch them and try to assure yourself that, “At least my quarterback isn’t hurt THAT bad…”)

Basically, have a plan for who you want on your team. Then go get them. Don’t sweat it if drafting Philip Rivers in the third round seems like a bit of a stretch. If you want Philip Rivers (and more importantly, if you don’t want Philip Rivers to get mad at you like you’re Jay Cutler on the opposing sideline because you didn’t draft him and he got picked by somebody else), then take him in the third round.

When the season is over, the hopeful goal of it all is first to have had a good time, and second, to have put together a team that gave you a chance to win the league championship.

And if you’re going to accomplish both, you’re going to need to approach the season just a little differently than everybody else.

Just don’t blame me if things go wrong. I’m still hoping that Priest Holmes is still there when I make my first pick.

* * *

Now that you know a little bit more about my strategy, here are some very brief lists of guys I’m hoping I get on my teams this year, and some guys that I’m going to avoid. There are many different factors for why I want some guys and don’t want others (including the fact that I loathe the New England Patriots), so don’t look at this purely as a “take this guy instead of that guy” kind of list. I’d say it’s more of a “do a little research on your own to find out why I like this guy so much and stop trying to mooch off of me” kind of list.

Guys I Want

QB: Drew Brees (he was on two of the three teams that won my leagues last year); Robert Griffin III and/or Andrew Luck (if I can’t get Brees in the first round, and they didn’t draft these guys to hand off all season).

RB: LeSean McCoy (if I’m lucky enough to get him), Matt Forte (he finally got paid), Steven Jackson (his new coach loves a good running game), Darren Sproles (his feet are just so fast!), Kevin Smith (can we just have Jahvid Best retire now so his brain still works in ten years?), Donald Brown (OK, so Luck will have to hand off sometimes).

WR: Calvin Johnson (duh), Brandon Marshall (back with his old pal Jay Cutler), Antonio Brown (so I’m one year late to the party, I can admit it), Eric Decker (this sounds bad, but Peyton Manning seems to like throwing a football to kind of slow white dudes), Pierre Garcon (RGIII seems to like throwing a football to a dude with a French name), Justin Blackmon (he’s kind of huge).

TE: Jimmy Graham (duh), Brandon Pettigrew (sooner or later, all 11 guys on defense will start covering Calvin Johnson), Coby Fleener (played with Luck in college, and he’s kind of huge), Kyle Rudolph (“You can’t teach six-foot-six,” as I’ve heard on ESPN approximately 4,387 times already this year).

Guys I Don’t Really Want

QB: Michael Vick (would have been on the other list, but he hurt his ribs on the very night I wrote this, so, no thank you), any QB ranked between Drew Brees and RGIII (because they’re all basically the same, whether it’s Tony Romo, Philip Rivers, Eli Manning, Matt Ryan, Ben Roethlisjkegiflihtsvxzberger or Matt Schaub—not bad, but not awesome either).

RB: Maurice Jones-Drew (extended contract holdouts + pro athletes + elite competition = try again next year), Michael Turner (yawn), Darren McFadden (you spend the whole season waiting for the other shoe to drop—which it inevitably does, and McFadden sprains something stepping on it), Ryan Mathews (see McFadden, Darren—also, it’s hard to trust a guy when he doesn’t have enough “T’s” in his last name. What are you trying to hide, Ryan MaThews?!?), Trent Richardson (rookie + Cleveland Browns = no thank you), Frank Gore (too old, too many other guys in the backfield), anyone on the Patriots or Redskins (because you should go buy a lottery ticket if you think you can predict what will happen there week to week).

WR: Andre Johnson (he’d be great at flag football, until he sprained his flag-carrying muscle), Greg Jennings (the Packers spread it around too much, and when a dude named Jordy puts up better numbers, it might be time to reexamine your role on the team), Mike Wallace (see Jones-Drew, Maurice), Steve Johnson (Ryan Fitzpatrick is probably terrible, and you don’t want to find that out for 17 straight weeks), anyone on the Eagles (not only is their starting QB an injury risk, it seems like all the Philly receivers are running around on tendons and ligaments made of chewy licorice), Malcolm Floyd (he’s not Vincent Jackson, no matter how much you want him to be).

TE: Jermichael Finley (has had lots of opportunities, but hasn’t done much in terms of fantasy stats), Jacob Tamme (a former teammate of Peyton Manning does not an all-pro make), Kellen Winslow (unless they start allowing tight ends to ride motorcycles on the field, and then only if games are played exclusively in Cleveland-area parking lots).

* * *

There you have it, a good chunk of information to get you started with your fantasy football season.

If you have any further thoughts, comments, suggestions, additions, disagreements, or any other form of neurological activity associated with fantasy football that you would like to share with us, please don’t hesitate to write to us at sports@valleycenter.com anytime.

And if you want any Tolkien-inspired FFL team name suggestions, all you have to do is ask and hope that The Leaves Of Lorien hasn’t already been taken.

2012 Roadrunner Athlete of the Year: Sidney Reilly

By: Dan Kidder

Growing up in a family full of athletic talent isn’t always easy for someone who loves to compete.

In a world that reveres the greats of the game and easily forgets their not-quite-as-good siblings—just ask Dan McGwire, Ozzie Canseco or Chris Gwynn—the pressure to meet and exceed the standards set by those closest to you can be overwhelming.

But the Reilly family doesn’t work that way.

Sidney Reilly grew up with two older sisters, two younger brothers and five cousins who are all athletically gifted. Her sisters, Paige and Regan, both ran track for VCHS, and her little brothers, Rhett and Trent, are both multi-sport athletes that are getting ready for their freshman year of high school. And her cousins all excelled in sports at VCHS—most notably in football—and the ones who have graduated thus far have gone on to play sports in college as well.

The competitive nature of the family—“We’re always competing at something when we get everybody together,” Sidney says, “even if it’s just a contest to see who can throw a rock and hit something over there, we’re always competing.”—which could be detrimental to some athletes has actually helped Sidney in her growth as an athlete.

“I knew I had to keep up the family name,” she says with a laugh. “Everyone in the family is such a great all-around athlete, and we’re all pretty competitive, but we’re all super close. I always roughed around with them growing up, and I think it toughened me up.”

Wearing the Reilly name on your jersey at Valley Center High School carries a lot of history, and in her four years as a Jaguar, Sidney filled a chapter of the family sports almanac with a story all her own.

“I played everything growing up,” she says. “The first team I was on was probably in soccer. I always loved playing all the different sports, so it was hard when I got to high school and had to pick the three that I would play. I love volleyball, basketball and track, but I would have liked to play soccer, lacrosse, and maybe some others.”

She says she played volleyball and basketball for fun, and she loved the experience, but that her heart was always with the track team.

“I’m definitely a runner, I’ve always been quick,” she says. “I’ve always loved track, and I love how you can work hard and see the results really clearly. It’s a more individual sport, but you still score points toward a team goal.”

Sidney’s sister Regan ran the hurdles for the Lady Jaguars until she graduated in 2010. Sidney started running the hurdles in her junior season, one year after Regan graduated, and this year, she beat her big sister’s best times.

“I actually beat her times this year,” Sidney says with a mixture of pride and surprise. “When I talked to her and told her about that, I wasn’t sure what she would say, but of course she was super encouraging. She was really excited for me.”

Sidney’s senior season on the track will go down as one of the best in VCHS history, even amid a host of stellar performances this year alone.

She won four individual league championships this season, taking the title in the 100 hurdles, the 300 hurdles, the long jump and as part of the 400 relay team. She then went on to the CIF meet, where she finished second in both the hurdles races, third in the long jump and fifth in the 400 relay.

Along the way, Reilly set new school records in the two hurdles races and was named the Valley League Track Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive year.

She has an impressive collection of medals and awards from her high school career, but true to her character, had never bothered to count up the total until she brought them out for the photo shoot to accompany this interview. After a minute or so of counting, she found out she has 63 medals and awards.

“Yeah, I guess that’s pretty good,” she says with a shrug of her shoulders, as if every high school girl has 63 medals hanging on her bedroom walls.

Competing for a team that broke record after record throughout the season, Reilly stood out all the more for her versatility and hard work.

“Sidney has always been driven,” track and field coach Mike Cummings says. “She is a perfectionist. She was always willing to out-work anyone, and she was a natural team leader who led by example. Sidney was a team player. While she had her individual goals, she wanted to help VC win team titles. She was also a great sport. While I could tell that she may be disappointed by a certain performance, she didn't want the rest of the world to know. Conversely, when she did excel, a fist pump was what you got.  She was humble in victory and gracious in defeat.

“I believe that the best is yet to come for Sid,” he adds. “Her best track and field days are ahead of her. I know that we are going to miss her at VC.”

“I worked a lot on my technique [for the hurdles events] because I knew that, since it was only my second year running them, I had to work even harder to get where I needed to be,” Reilly says. “During the other sports seasons, I would go after school to work with Coach [Rob] Gilster on getting over the hurdles, then I would go to volleyball or basketball practice after that.”

Even with such a busy sports schedule, Reilly still finds time to pursue her other interests. After taking a video production class in her freshman year, she found a new outlet for her creativity. After volunteering to do the videography for a wedding, she started Sidney Shanelle Studios, which can be found online at www.sidneyshanellestudios.com/

“I started my own business filming weddings,” she says. “I took a video production class with Mr. Goodman and it sparked a passion for filming and editing.”

Sidney also plays the guitar and the drums, and rides just about every kind of board that she can get her feet on, from surfboards to wakeboards to snowboards to skateboards. She is also involved as a mentor at the high school and participates in a number of service activities through the LDS church here in Valley Center.

She says that pursuing so many different sports and activities has helped her become a more well rounded athlete in whichever competition she finds herself.

“Because I do so many different things, I think it helps with sports because I’m able to take what the coaches are saying and adjust,” she says.

Reilly is especially grateful to Coach Gilster for his help as her ASB teacher, an assistant coach with the varsity girls basketball team, and as her hurdles coach on the track. She says she is also thankful for Coach Cummings for his hard work with the track team, as well as Coach Alan Dale in volleyball and Coach Tony Casillas in basketball.

The work ethic she learned from her coaches at VCHS is something that Reilly says she would want to teach younger athletes as a coach herself. As a senior and a team captain, she worked with the underclassmen on the track team to instill the lessons she learned in her experiences.

“Work hard, always work hard,” she says. “If you do that, the results will come. And I try to build confidence too, not put them down or anything like that. I think that, when you’re confident, you’re going to do well at whatever you’re doing.”

Sidney knows the confidence of learning from some of the best, especially when it came to the annual Powderpuff football game this spring. Reilly was chosen to play quarterback for the class of 2012, and in the days leading up to the game, she says that the coaching input she got from her family—advice from a defensive end, a safety and a quarterback, no less—was in ample supply.

“The Sunday before the game, we were all at our grandma’s house, and the boys were working with me on all the little things about playing the quarterback position,” she says. “They were telling me where to step when I make the pitch [back to the running back], and when I fake a handoff to get my head around to look at the linebackers, we worked on everything.”

Growing up in a family full of athletic talent isn’t always easy.

But the way the Reilly family does it, when you see the results, it’s easy to see why they’re all so talented.

Sidney Reilly is 17 years old and is the daughter of Keith & Tori Reilly of Valley Center. She graduated from VCHS this year and will attend BYU this fall.

“I just decided this week,” she says. “I got offered a scholarship to run track at Utah, but both my sisters went to BYU, and two of my cousins are there. It’s my dream school, and I love that I have my family so close by.”

Click here to see more photos of our 2012 Athlete of the Year on Facebook.