Here are the video highlights of the Jaguars' huge win over Brawley in the CIF Division IV quarterfinals on Friday night.
Due to some technical issues (ie, a video camera with a zoom lens that no longer zooms), we are fortunate to have the video feed from the Jags' official videographer, Brandon Usher, who provided us with all three views (sideline, press box, and end zone) of each VC scoring play. Thanks, Brandon!
Also, further technical issues prevented the upload of the video clips from the VC at Orange Glen game. My apologies.
Garrett Fiehler gets the Jaguars on the scoreboard with a two-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
Sideline:
Press Box:
End Zone:
Ryan Kleiman hits Michael McInerny on the slant for a 15-yard touchdown late in the first quarter.
Sideline:
Press Box:
End Zone:
McInerny hits a 27-yard field goal in the second quarter.
Sideline:
Press Box:
End Zone:
Kleiman unleashes the deep ball down the middle, where Damian Stehly hauls it in for an 82-yard touchdown catch.
Sideline:
Press Box:
End Zone:
Fiehler explodes through the line and runs away from the defense for a 64-yard touchdown on the first play of the second half.
Sideline:
Press Box:
End Zone:
Fiehler plows it in from one yard out to put the Jags way ahead in the third quarter.
Press Box:
End Zone:
Dylan Glass slashes through the defense to score from nine yards out in the fourth quarter.
Sideline:
Press Box:
End Zone:
Look out! The Jaguars are fired up for the second half, leaving our intrepid cameraman in the middle of the action. Way to brave the dangers of the stampede, Brandon!
Showing posts with label fiehler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fiehler. Show all posts
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Video: Valley Center vs. Del Norte football
Here are the video highlights from the Jaguars' 42-7 win over Del Norte on Friday night, including some nice runs by Garrett Fiehler and a beautiful touchdown pass from Ryan Kleiman to Michael McInerny.
Video by Kelly Kidder
Kleiman lowers his shoulders and drives in behind his linemen for a one-yard touchdown for the first points of the game.
Kleiman hits Cody Gearhart near the sideline, and the speedy receiver cuts back to the middle of the field to pick up a first down on a fourth-and-ten play.
Fiehler takes the handoff, cuts to the outside and outruns the defense to the corner for a four-yard touchdown run.
Fiehler runs through a gaping hole up the middle to score from 11 yards out.
Fiehler gets a huge gain on first down, running through another big hole to pick up 30 yards.
Kleiman uses the pump fake before delivering a perfect fade pass to WR Michael McInerny in the back corner of the endzone for a 15-yard touchdown pass.
Dylan Glass runs through a defender to score a three-yard touchdown late in the game.
Video by Kelly Kidder
Kleiman lowers his shoulders and drives in behind his linemen for a one-yard touchdown for the first points of the game.
Kleiman hits Cody Gearhart near the sideline, and the speedy receiver cuts back to the middle of the field to pick up a first down on a fourth-and-ten play.
Fiehler takes the handoff, cuts to the outside and outruns the defense to the corner for a four-yard touchdown run.
Fiehler runs through a gaping hole up the middle to score from 11 yards out.
Fiehler gets a huge gain on first down, running through another big hole to pick up 30 yards.
Kleiman uses the pump fake before delivering a perfect fade pass to WR Michael McInerny in the back corner of the endzone for a 15-yard touchdown pass.
Dylan Glass runs through a defender to score a three-yard touchdown late in the game.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Video: Valley Center vs. Mt. Carmel football
The Jaguars played tough in a physical game against Mt. Carmel on Friday, coming away with a 48-21 win for their seventh consecutive victory. Here are the video highlights:
Video by Kelly Kidder
Ryan Kleiman goes deep for Michael McInerny, who shows great concentration in turning around, finding the ball and hauling it in for a 40-yard touchdown.
Garrett Fiehler picks up a few yards, but McInerny gets tangled up with Mt. Carmel CB Dominique Nelson in an outburst that had been brewing for a few plays. Both players were penalized on the play.
Fiehler takes the handoff, breaks a tackle and gets in for the touchdown.
The Sundevils pitch the ball wide, but VC CB Cody Gearhart makes the tackle for a big loss.
Kleiman fakes the handoff and finds Damian Stehly for a three-yard touchdown completion.
Fiehler rumbles in for a 3-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
Fiehler pushes the pile to get a one-yard touchdown on fourth down in the fourth quarter.
Sundevil WR Dominique Nelson catches a short swing pass and tries to leap over Anthony Ricks, but instead ends up kicking him in the head, knocking off his helmet. Nelson was penalized for the kick.
Fiehler gets hit in the backfield, but breaks free and dives into the corner of the endzone for a nine-yard touchdown.
The Sundevils, in desperation passing mode late in the game, try to complete a pass near the goal line, but Ricks swoops in to get the interception and returns it 93 yards for a touchdown.
Video by Kelly Kidder
Ryan Kleiman goes deep for Michael McInerny, who shows great concentration in turning around, finding the ball and hauling it in for a 40-yard touchdown.
Garrett Fiehler picks up a few yards, but McInerny gets tangled up with Mt. Carmel CB Dominique Nelson in an outburst that had been brewing for a few plays. Both players were penalized on the play.
Fiehler takes the handoff, breaks a tackle and gets in for the touchdown.
The Sundevils pitch the ball wide, but VC CB Cody Gearhart makes the tackle for a big loss.
Kleiman fakes the handoff and finds Damian Stehly for a three-yard touchdown completion.
Fiehler rumbles in for a 3-yard touchdown in the third quarter.
Fiehler pushes the pile to get a one-yard touchdown on fourth down in the fourth quarter.
Sundevil WR Dominique Nelson catches a short swing pass and tries to leap over Anthony Ricks, but instead ends up kicking him in the head, knocking off his helmet. Nelson was penalized for the kick.
Fiehler gets hit in the backfield, but breaks free and dives into the corner of the endzone for a nine-yard touchdown.
The Sundevils, in desperation passing mode late in the game, try to complete a pass near the goal line, but Ricks swoops in to get the interception and returns it 93 yards for a touchdown.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Video: Valley Center at San Marcos football
It was a close game for three quarters, but the Jaguars broke out with 14 points in a span of 23 seconds in the fourth quarter to beat San Marcos 34-17 on Friday night. Here are the video highlights:
Video by Kelly Kidder
he Knights complete a quick pass to the WR, but JD Frankovich drills the receiver for a loss.
Ryan Kleiman airs it out for Michael McInerny for a 36-yard gain on the Jaguars' first offensive play of the game.
Garrett Fiehler takes the ball to the outside and runs in for a five-yard touchdown.
The Knights try to run the ball, but Dylan Fredenburg makes a big tackle in the backfield.
Kleiman hits McInerny on a post pattern for a 20-yard gain.
As the Knights try to rally in the third quarter, they pass the ball over the middle, but Tommy Aguilar steps in front to get the interception.
McInerny hits a short field goal to put the Jags up by six in the third quarter.
Kleiman throws it deep for McInerny for a big gain down to the two-yard line.
Fiehler puts the Jaguars up by ten with a two-yard touchdown run.
Kleiman rolls out and tosses it deep for McInerny, who out-jumps his defender for the catch on an 80-yard touchdown pass.
Martin Cunningham jumps in front of this San Marcos pass to get an interception in the fourth quarter.
Kleiman hits Cody Gearhart on a wheel route down the sideline for a 34-yard touchdown late in the game.
The Knights try some trickery with a halfback pass, but Aguilar breaks up the completion for the Jags.
Video by Kelly Kidder
he Knights complete a quick pass to the WR, but JD Frankovich drills the receiver for a loss.
Ryan Kleiman airs it out for Michael McInerny for a 36-yard gain on the Jaguars' first offensive play of the game.
Garrett Fiehler takes the ball to the outside and runs in for a five-yard touchdown.
The Knights try to run the ball, but Dylan Fredenburg makes a big tackle in the backfield.
Kleiman hits McInerny on a post pattern for a 20-yard gain.
As the Knights try to rally in the third quarter, they pass the ball over the middle, but Tommy Aguilar steps in front to get the interception.
McInerny hits a short field goal to put the Jags up by six in the third quarter.
Kleiman throws it deep for McInerny for a big gain down to the two-yard line.
Fiehler puts the Jaguars up by ten with a two-yard touchdown run.
Kleiman rolls out and tosses it deep for McInerny, who out-jumps his defender for the catch on an 80-yard touchdown pass.
Martin Cunningham jumps in front of this San Marcos pass to get an interception in the fourth quarter.
Kleiman hits Cody Gearhart on a wheel route down the sideline for a 34-yard touchdown late in the game.
The Knights try some trickery with a halfback pass, but Aguilar breaks up the completion for the Jags.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Video: Valley Center vs Escondido football
The Jaguars celebrated Homecoming on Friday night with a 35-7 win over Escondido. Here are the video highlights:
Video by Dan Kidder
The Cougars complete a pass over the middle, but when the receiver fumbles, Matt Preston is there to scoop up the loose ball.
Ryan Kleiman rolls out and finds Damian Stehly for a completion down to the one-yard line.
Garrett Fiehler pounds the ball in for a one-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
The Cougars run a toss to the outside and the runner has the ball knocked away, but Escondido comes up with the recovery.
The Cougars get stuffed at the line and fumble, and Dylan Smith is there for the recovery.
Fiehler runs in his second score from one yard out.
Kleiman rolls out and hits Jean-Marc Brierre for a two-point conversion.
The Cougars try to complete a quick pass on the slant, but JD Frankovich jumps the route and gets the interception.
Fiehler runs into his own line, gets hit and fumbles, and the Cougars get the ball.
Fiehler busts through the line and outruns the defense down the middle of the field for a 67-yard touchdown.
Kleiman rolls out and finds Stehly, who works his way down the sideline for a 30-yard touchdown.
The Cougars have trouble on a handoff exchange, leading to a fumble that the offense gets back.
Dylan Glass gets some help from the line to get the ball across the line for a one-yard touchdown run.
The Cougars try to complete the pass on a post pattern, but Tommy Aguilar flips the receiver with a big hit to cause the incompletion.
Video by Dan Kidder
The Cougars complete a pass over the middle, but when the receiver fumbles, Matt Preston is there to scoop up the loose ball.
Ryan Kleiman rolls out and finds Damian Stehly for a completion down to the one-yard line.
Garrett Fiehler pounds the ball in for a one-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
The Cougars run a toss to the outside and the runner has the ball knocked away, but Escondido comes up with the recovery.
The Cougars get stuffed at the line and fumble, and Dylan Smith is there for the recovery.
Fiehler runs in his second score from one yard out.
Kleiman rolls out and hits Jean-Marc Brierre for a two-point conversion.
The Cougars try to complete a quick pass on the slant, but JD Frankovich jumps the route and gets the interception.
Fiehler runs into his own line, gets hit and fumbles, and the Cougars get the ball.
Fiehler busts through the line and outruns the defense down the middle of the field for a 67-yard touchdown.
Kleiman rolls out and finds Stehly, who works his way down the sideline for a 30-yard touchdown.
The Cougars have trouble on a handoff exchange, leading to a fumble that the offense gets back.
Dylan Glass gets some help from the line to get the ball across the line for a one-yard touchdown run.
The Cougars try to complete the pass on a post pattern, but Tommy Aguilar flips the receiver with a big hit to cause the incompletion.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Video: Valley Center vs. Ramona football
Friday night's game between Valley Center and Ramona was a thriller from start to finish, as the Jaguars came back from a late deficit to beat the Bulldogs 38-24. Check out the video highlights from the game...
video by Everett Bean
Ryan Kleiman hits Michael McInerny on a slant, and the receiver outruns the defense for a 79-yard score early in the first quarter.
The Bulldogs try to connect on a pass near the sideline, but JD Frankovich drops off his man in time to snag the interception.
Kleiman runs the quarterback draw, eludes a few defenders and finds his way into the endzone for a ten-yard touchdown.
On a run by the Bulldogs, Zach Tests flies around the end and delivers a big hit on the runner.
On a post pattern over the middle, VC WR Cody Gearhart dives to make the catch, but the pass is ruled incomplete, even though Gearhart came up with the ball securely in his hands.
Garrett Fiehler drives through the line to score a one-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-goal midway through the second quarter.
The Bulldogs try to pick up a first down through the air, but Gearhart delivers a bone-rattling hit to knock the ball away.
Fiehler has the ball stripped away, but when the Bulldogs recover and try to get away, QB Ryan Kleiman drops the ball-carrier with a solid tackle.
Kleiman puts up a deep pass for McInerny, but the Ramona CB makes a good play and comes away with the interception.
Jean-Marc Brierre breaks through the line to drop the Ramona quarterback for a sack on third down late in the third quarter.
On fourth down, Kleiman rolls out and heaves the ball deep down the middle, where Gearhart out-jumps his defender to come down with the catch that set up the game-winning touchdown.
Fiehler plows into the pile and escapes for a 13-yard touchdown that proved to be the game-winning points.
Dylan Fredenburg slips through the offensive line to drop the ball-carrier with a big hit late in the fourth quarter.
Martin Cunningham comes on the blitz, hits the QB hard and forces a fumble late in the fourth quarter.
Shaun Woods gets to the QB on third-and-21 for a sack that forced a desperation fourth-down pass that came up short and all but sealed the win for the Jaguars.
Fiehler hits the hole and takes off for a 67-yard touchdown run with 41 seconds left in the game to put the game out of reach.
video by Everett Bean
Ryan Kleiman hits Michael McInerny on a slant, and the receiver outruns the defense for a 79-yard score early in the first quarter.
The Bulldogs try to connect on a pass near the sideline, but JD Frankovich drops off his man in time to snag the interception.
Kleiman runs the quarterback draw, eludes a few defenders and finds his way into the endzone for a ten-yard touchdown.
On a run by the Bulldogs, Zach Tests flies around the end and delivers a big hit on the runner.
On a post pattern over the middle, VC WR Cody Gearhart dives to make the catch, but the pass is ruled incomplete, even though Gearhart came up with the ball securely in his hands.
Garrett Fiehler drives through the line to score a one-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-goal midway through the second quarter.
The Bulldogs try to pick up a first down through the air, but Gearhart delivers a bone-rattling hit to knock the ball away.
Fiehler has the ball stripped away, but when the Bulldogs recover and try to get away, QB Ryan Kleiman drops the ball-carrier with a solid tackle.
Kleiman puts up a deep pass for McInerny, but the Ramona CB makes a good play and comes away with the interception.
Jean-Marc Brierre breaks through the line to drop the Ramona quarterback for a sack on third down late in the third quarter.
On fourth down, Kleiman rolls out and heaves the ball deep down the middle, where Gearhart out-jumps his defender to come down with the catch that set up the game-winning touchdown.
Fiehler plows into the pile and escapes for a 13-yard touchdown that proved to be the game-winning points.
Dylan Fredenburg slips through the offensive line to drop the ball-carrier with a big hit late in the fourth quarter.
Martin Cunningham comes on the blitz, hits the QB hard and forces a fumble late in the fourth quarter.
Shaun Woods gets to the QB on third-and-21 for a sack that forced a desperation fourth-down pass that came up short and all but sealed the win for the Jaguars.
Fiehler hits the hole and takes off for a 67-yard touchdown run with 41 seconds left in the game to put the game out of reach.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Video: Valley Center vs. Lincoln football
The Jaguars won their third straight football game with a 24-7 win over Lincoln on Friday night. Here are the video highlights:
video by Dan Kidder
Ryan Kleiman airs it out to Michael McInerny for a 45-yard touchdown on the Jaguars' first offensive play of the game.
Tommy Aguilar slices through the Lincoln blockers to drop the runner for a loss.
JD Frankovich steps in front of a Lincoln pass to knock it away.
Kleiman connects with McInerny on a long pass down the sideline, and the receiver takes it all the way down to the one yard line.
Garrett Fiehler finds a sliver of an opening in the line and slips in for a one-yard touchdown.
Shaun Woods darts through the Lincoln line and drags the QB down on a fourth down try early in the game.
JD Frankovich takes advantage of a tipped pass to come down with the interception in the first half.
Fiehler pushes the pile to score a six-yard touchdown.
Martin Cunningham reads the play, steps in front of the Lincoln receiver and nearly comes away with an interception.
The Hornets go for it on fourth and goal from the one, and after a fumbled snap, VC LB Matt Preston dives on the loose ball to give possession back to the Jaguars.
Anthony Ricks goes up to knock down a Lincoln pass in the corner of the end zone.
Frankovich comes up with his second interception of the game on another tipped Lincoln pass.
Late in the fourth quarter, the Jaguars punt the ball away, and after the return, VC LB Jacob Beason is hit late with a vicious shot to the head, well after the whistle is heard. Beason left with an apparent concussion, and no flag was thrown on the play.
Jean-Marc Brierre gets to the Lincoln QB on a third-down play late in the game.
Brierre lays a big hit on the Lincoln QB to get the sack on the second-to-last play of the game.
video by Dan Kidder
Ryan Kleiman airs it out to Michael McInerny for a 45-yard touchdown on the Jaguars' first offensive play of the game.
Tommy Aguilar slices through the Lincoln blockers to drop the runner for a loss.
JD Frankovich steps in front of a Lincoln pass to knock it away.
Kleiman connects with McInerny on a long pass down the sideline, and the receiver takes it all the way down to the one yard line.
Garrett Fiehler finds a sliver of an opening in the line and slips in for a one-yard touchdown.
Shaun Woods darts through the Lincoln line and drags the QB down on a fourth down try early in the game.
JD Frankovich takes advantage of a tipped pass to come down with the interception in the first half.
Fiehler pushes the pile to score a six-yard touchdown.
Martin Cunningham reads the play, steps in front of the Lincoln receiver and nearly comes away with an interception.
The Hornets go for it on fourth and goal from the one, and after a fumbled snap, VC LB Matt Preston dives on the loose ball to give possession back to the Jaguars.
Anthony Ricks goes up to knock down a Lincoln pass in the corner of the end zone.
Frankovich comes up with his second interception of the game on another tipped Lincoln pass.
Late in the fourth quarter, the Jaguars punt the ball away, and after the return, VC LB Jacob Beason is hit late with a vicious shot to the head, well after the whistle is heard. Beason left with an apparent concussion, and no flag was thrown on the play.
Jean-Marc Brierre gets to the Lincoln QB on a third-down play late in the game.
Brierre lays a big hit on the Lincoln QB to get the sack on the second-to-last play of the game.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Video: Valley Center at La Jolla football
The Jaguars won their second straight lopsided game with a 53-14 win over La Jolla on Friday, behind huge efforts from QB Ryan Kleiman (which is not pronounced "KLEE-man"--see below for more), WR Michael McInerny (also not pronounced "Mick-IN-rey" or "Mick-LEARN-ey") and RB Garrett Fiehler (not pronounced "FILE-er"). Maybe we can get a memo out to visiting team's announcers...and perhaps the Prep Pigskin Report, who decided to not even bother trying to pronounce "MACK-in-er-ney" or "KLY-man"...
And if his name really is pronounced "KLEE-man," then apparently this also applies:
Now, on to the real highlights from the game:
video by Kelly Kidder
Kleiman to McInerny for 10 yards:
Fiehler plows in for 2-yard TD:
Matt Preston makes a big tackle for a loss:
Kleiman to Gearhart for 65 yards:
Fiehler draw play for 10-yard TD:
Fiehler one-yard TD plunge:
Kleiman to McInerny 78-yard TD:
Fiehler 2-yard TD run:
Martin Cunningham lays a big hit on the La Jolla returner:
Kleiman hits McInerny for a 35-yard TD just before halftime:
La Jolla run stuffed by Jacob Beason:
Dylan Glass runs in a six-yard TD:
Fiehler recovers a fumble on a La Jolla kick return:
Kleiman rolls out and hits Damian Stehly for a 10-yard TD:
Zach Tests puts a big hit on La Jolla's kick returner:
And if his name really is pronounced "KLEE-man," then apparently this also applies:
Now, on to the real highlights from the game:
video by Kelly Kidder
Kleiman to McInerny for 10 yards:
Fiehler plows in for 2-yard TD:
Matt Preston makes a big tackle for a loss:
Kleiman to Gearhart for 65 yards:
Fiehler draw play for 10-yard TD:
Fiehler one-yard TD plunge:
Kleiman to McInerny 78-yard TD:
Fiehler 2-yard TD run:
Martin Cunningham lays a big hit on the La Jolla returner:
Kleiman hits McInerny for a 35-yard TD just before halftime:
La Jolla run stuffed by Jacob Beason:
Dylan Glass runs in a six-yard TD:
Fiehler recovers a fumble on a La Jolla kick return:
Kleiman rolls out and hits Damian Stehly for a 10-yard TD:
Zach Tests puts a big hit on La Jolla's kick returner:
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Video: Valley Center at Imperial football
The Jaguars got their first win of the season by beating Imperial 47-14 on Friday night. Here are some of the big plays that helped the Jags get the win:
video by Kelly Kidder
Imperial screen pass blown up by the VC defense:
Garrett Fiehler runs in a 14-yard touchdown:
Tommy Aguilar runs in the 2-point conversion:
Ryan Kleiman hits Cody Gearhart for a big gain:
Aguilar deflects the Imperial pass and Gearhart makes the diving interception:
Kleiman hits Damian Stehly for a 45-yard touchdown:
Kleiman's pass for Gearhart gets intercepted:
Kleiman throws deep for Michael McInerny, who takes it down to the five:
Fiehler runs in a five-yard touchdown:
Kleiman finds McInerny again, this time for a 68-yard touchdown:
Fiehler plunges in for a one-yard touchdown:
Dylan Glass runs in a nine-yard touchdown:
Anthony Ricks gets the second of his two interceptions in the game:
video by Kelly Kidder
Imperial screen pass blown up by the VC defense:
Garrett Fiehler runs in a 14-yard touchdown:
Tommy Aguilar runs in the 2-point conversion:
Ryan Kleiman hits Cody Gearhart for a big gain:
Aguilar deflects the Imperial pass and Gearhart makes the diving interception:
Kleiman hits Damian Stehly for a 45-yard touchdown:
Kleiman's pass for Gearhart gets intercepted:
Kleiman throws deep for Michael McInerny, who takes it down to the five:
Fiehler runs in a five-yard touchdown:
Kleiman finds McInerny again, this time for a 68-yard touchdown:
Fiehler plunges in for a one-yard touchdown:
Dylan Glass runs in a nine-yard touchdown:
Anthony Ricks gets the second of his two interceptions in the game:
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Video: Valley Center at San Pasqual football
The Jaguars opened the 2011 football season at San Pasqual and couldn't get the offense they needed in a 28-7 loss. Despite the lopsided score, there were a number of exciting plays in the game. Here are the video highlights:
Ryan Kleiman hits Cody Gearhart on the post for a nice pitch-and-catch.
Garrett Fiehler picks up good yardage, dragging tacklers along the way.
Kleiman hits John Watkins for a big first down.
Fiehler plows in for a seven-yard touchdown.
Kleiman fumbles the ball on a rollout in the second quarter.
Kleiman rolls out and fumbles again, but recovers it himself this time.
The Jaguar defense forces an incomplete pass on fourth down.
Fiehler slashes through the line for a good gain.
Kleiman hits Watkins on a hitch, and Watkins breaks a tackle for a good gain.
Kleiman fumbles the ball on a fake handoff, but recovers the loose ball.
Kleiman hits Watkins on the slant for a nice gain.
Kleiman hits Damian Stehly on a quick pass that turns into a big gain.
video by Dan Kidder
Ryan Kleiman hits Cody Gearhart on the post for a nice pitch-and-catch.
Garrett Fiehler picks up good yardage, dragging tacklers along the way.
Kleiman hits John Watkins for a big first down.
Fiehler plows in for a seven-yard touchdown.
Kleiman fumbles the ball on a rollout in the second quarter.
Kleiman rolls out and fumbles again, but recovers it himself this time.
The Jaguar defense forces an incomplete pass on fourth down.
Fiehler slashes through the line for a good gain.
Kleiman hits Watkins on a hitch, and Watkins breaks a tackle for a good gain.
Kleiman fumbles the ball on a fake handoff, but recovers the loose ball.
Kleiman hits Watkins on the slant for a nice gain.
Kleiman hits Damian Stehly on a quick pass that turns into a big gain.
video by Dan Kidder
Friday, August 26, 2011
Video: VCHS football scrimmage vs. Chula Vista
The Valley Center varsity football team hosted Chula Vista for a scrimmage on Friday night, and although no official score was kept, the Jaguars came away with two touchdowns while holding the Spartans scoreless.
Click here to see photos from the scrimmage, courtesy of Gabriel Santana.
Here are some video highlights from the action:
Garrett Fiehler scores on a 65-yard touchdown run:
Jean-Marc Brierre sacks the Spartan QB:
Anthony Ricks intercepts a deep pass:
Matt Preston gets the second of his two sacks in the game:
Cody Gearhart makes a big tackle for a loss on a Chula Vista reverse:
Damian Stehly, Jacob Beason and Jean-Marc Brierre combine for a sack:
Jacob Beason picks off a screen pass:
Garrett Fiehler bounces off tacklers for a great gain:
Garrett Fiehler takes the handoff in for a 7-yard touchdown:
Ryan Kleiman drops off a screen pass to Fiehler for a good gain:
video by Dan Kidder
Click here to see photos from the scrimmage, courtesy of Gabriel Santana.
Here are some video highlights from the action:
Garrett Fiehler scores on a 65-yard touchdown run:
Jean-Marc Brierre sacks the Spartan QB:
Anthony Ricks intercepts a deep pass:
Matt Preston gets the second of his two sacks in the game:
Cody Gearhart makes a big tackle for a loss on a Chula Vista reverse:
Damian Stehly, Jacob Beason and Jean-Marc Brierre combine for a sack:
Jacob Beason picks off a screen pass:
Garrett Fiehler bounces off tacklers for a great gain:
Garrett Fiehler takes the handoff in for a 7-yard touchdown:
Ryan Kleiman drops off a screen pass to Fiehler for a good gain:
video by Dan Kidder
Friday, June 17, 2011
15 candidates for 2011 Roadrunner Athlete of the Year
Great athletes make sports fun to watch.
They turn average contests into you-totally-should-have-been-there events. They make your head spin with a combination of speed, strength and grace that can’t be fully appreciated in a Sportscenter highlight. Basically, they turn a UFL game into an NFL game.
And while we may not get to see the likes of Adrian Peterson, Albert Pujols, David Villa, Dirk Nowitzki or Steven Stamkos here in Valley Center, we have a bevy of athletic talent that makes a Jaguar game anything but average.
This year, I had the privilege of covering Valley Center High School sports from fall to spring, from football to baseball, and everything in between. I must admit right up front that I know I didn’t get to see that much of some of our local teams and athletes, but hopefully we’ll get to hear those stories from you (more on that in a little bit).
Accordingly, I made a list through the various seasons that I titled, simply, “Favorite players to watch 2011.”
I whittled the list down to 15 athletes (not an easy task) that I thought were deserving of another mention because of the way they played on the field. In the coming week, I’ll be choosing one of these 15 athletes as the first-ever Roadrunner Athlete of the Year. The winner will get a full interview in an upcoming issue, and the criteria for winning are mainly athletic, although some other factors, such as attitude and leadership. Basically, I’m going to choose the athlete who I think best represented the Jaguars on the field. I am, however, always open to suggestion, so if you have a strong opinion about one or more of the athletes below, write to me this week at sports@valleycenter.com and tell me why I should choose your athlete.
Just to be clear, this list is based entirely on my experience as a sports fan, primarily, and is in no way intended to rank the included athletes or exclude any other athletes deserving of recognition. This is just the list of a sports fan who wanted to share some thoughts about the outstanding sports he saw this year, and recognize the athletes who helped make it such a fantastic year.
So, in no particular order, here are the candidates for Athlete of the Year:
Travis Bernard—football
Plays like: Barry Sanders
Also a little bit like: Lionel Messi
It had to be hard to follow a great player like Stanton Upson, but Bernard stepped up to the challenge in a big way. The always-shifty Bernard left VC fans gasping at the lightning-quick change of direction, the where-did-he-go cutbacks and the thrill of knowing that the Jaguars were never more than a play away from scoring a touchdown, no matter where they were on the field.
The speed and agility were what made him a great athlete, but to me, the drive and determination are what set him apart as one of the truly phenomenal athletes I’ve ever gotten to see in person. He’s got a chance to see significant playing time at Northern Colorado this fall, and I have a feeling we’ll be hearing more from him before the season’s over.
David Last—football
Plays like: Ronnie Lott
And a little like: George Blanda
In football, the kicker is usually the spry little fellow prancing about on the sideline of the stadium, fiddling with some stick-and-net contraption and trying not to look bored until he’s suddenly called upon to do something productive.
David Last is not your usual kicker.
Not only did he boot a school-record 51-yard field goal against Escondido this year and send nearly every kickoff out the back of the endzone, he was a dominant defensive player at cornerback and a handy weapon as a receiver on offense.
I had the most fun watching him play defense. Of the dozens of big hits I saw from the sidelines this year, at least ten to 15 of them belonged to Last.
Teams didn’t like throwing the ball his way because they knew that, at best, they’d get a completion and an immediate stop. He was rarely out of position, he was fearless in pursuing (and often flattening) the ball-carrier, and he only seemed to get better as the game wore on.
Kevin Murphy—football, water polo, wrestling, swimming, golf
Plays like: Jim Thorpe
And a little like: Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Some athletes are gifted in such specific ways that they're fun to watch--but only when they're doing that one thing they're good at.
Murphy doesn't have to worry too much about that--he's got 11 varsity letters from his four years at VCHS, and he capped off his senior year by playing five sports in three seasons. Five. He started with football and water polo, then (in what must have seemed like a break, going to just one sport after playing two) he joined the wrestling team for the winter season before going out with a bang in golf and swimming in the spring season.
Now, anybody can show up to practice and be on a sports team--just look at half of the Padres' roster this year (seriously--who are these guys?).
But it's another thing altogether to actually be good.
Murphy was the long snapper on the football team, a position that is not for the faint of heart (just for fun, go out in your back yard with a football, then bend over and try to heave the ball between your legs to another person 20 yards away while simultaneously whipping your head back up so you don't get railroaded by a humongous person trying to knock you flat on your back). In the same season, he was also one of the key offensive weapons on the boys water polo team. On the wrestling team, he was a mainstay in the 140-150 range, and helped the Jaguars win the Valley League title. He was also one of the top contributors on the golf team while balancing his time with the swim team.
Each of those things requires a specific skill that would take a long time for anyone to master. And here Murphy was, mixing it up on the varsity level in five completely different sports. Even if he had just played water polo and golf, those two alone astonish me. Then add wrestling...it boggles the mind.
Kelly Hagadorn—field hockey, soccer, lacrosse
Plays like: Alexander Ovechkin, only on turf
And a little like: Ed Reed
There are athletes who impress with skill, and there are athletes who impress with determination. There are also athletes who impress with skill and determination.
Then there are athletes who scare the bejeezus out of you.
If you follow the NFL, you probably know who Ed Reed is. He plays safety for the Baltimore Ravens, and underneath that black helmet, his bushy black beard and his silent scowl could make a running back’s blood go cold (for video evidence, search YouTube for “Ed Reed decleated Knowshon Moreno big hit forced fumble” and get ready to send the kids out of the room).
Hagadorn plays with the same quiet intensity that has made me think, more than once, that I’m glad I don’t play field hockey. Or soccer. Or lacrosse. Or Powder Puff football.
What separates her from the thugs that sports can sometimes breed is the fact that she can back up her swagger with incredible skill. She was the focal point of the offense for the VCHS field hockey team that went deep into the CIF playoffs, and she was a rock on defense for the girls soccer team and the girls lacrosse team.
She was a leader. When she walked onto the field, the rest of the team knew they had a really good chance to win, because they knew she was going to be the one of the best players on the field, no matter what it took.
Melina & Vanessa Heredia—volleyball, soccer, lacrosse
Play like: Charlie Davies, only there’s two of him
And a little like: Deion Sanders, minus the showing off
I hate to put them together—I’m sure that, as twin sisters, it’s happened pretty much all their lives thus far—but it really is impossible to talk about the athletic prowess of one without mentioning the other.
As freshmen, they both played significant time on three varsity teams this season. My first glimpse of these dynamos was in volleyball, where they both showed incredible athleticism around the net and a willingness to learn from the upperclassmen around them.
In soccer, they flashed some of the eye-popping speed that quickly caught the attention of the other team (and the fans).
But it wasn’t until lacrosse season that I fully understood what I was seeing. Both of them have the capability of changing the momentum of a game in the blink of an eye, and they dropped plenty of jaws both in the crowd and on the opposing sideline.
By the end of the season, I learned to sit up a little straighter and watch just a little more closely whenever one of the Heredia sisters got the ball, no matter where they were on the field. A handful of times, I watched as one of the two of them would collect the ball behind their own net, jog with the defender for about 30 yards, then turn on the jets and absolutely blow past one, two, even three defenders before slamming the ball into the net.
Can’t wait to see what they do for an encore in their sophomore seasons.
A.J. Broomell—basketball
Plays like: A young Jason Kidd
And a little like: A young John Stockton, minus the short shorts
Of all the sports I used to follow closely as a kid, basketball is one in which I’ve slowly lost interest, mainly due to the look-at-me preening of the typical NBA star.
But even I couldn’t help but look forward to VCHS basketball games, because players like Broomell only come around so often.
Watching Broomell in each Jaguars game was a study in how to morph your game to match the weakness of your opponent. On a team that ran its offense through center Stehly Reden—with good reason—Broomell was so much more than just a John Stockton to Reden’s Karl Malone.
Broomell proved time and time again that he could carry the team when they needed him, just as adroitly as he found ways to make his teammates better. They say that you can tell how good a basketball player is by the job he does when he doesn’t have the ball, and Broomell passed this test with flying colors.
Whether he scored 20 points or only five, Broomell built a reputation as a smart, clutch player who got the best out of those around him.
James Siva—basketball
Plays like: Spud Webb
And a little like: Kevin Bacon in The Air Up There
He wasn’t the biggest player on the court—not by a long shot. But the players you love to have on your team are the ones who practice hard, play hard and refuse to accept losing as an option.
Siva led the Jaguars in scoring a few times, but mostly he provided the energy and determination that was infectious.
I think the perfect stamp of Siva’s impact on the team this season came in the first round of the CIF playoffs at Santana (click here to watch the video). The Sultans held a one-point lead and had the ball with under a minute left in the game. The Jaguars double-teamed the opposing center, who forced up an off-balance shot that ricocheted off the rim and bounced off Reden’s hands before Siva swooped in to grab the ball at the baseline. After faking a pass, Siva darted up the floor, past four surprised Sultans jogging back on defense, and slipped a perfect bounce pass to Beau Reilly, who banked in the easy layup that gave the Jags a one-point lead.
And Siva wasn’t done. On defense with under 20 seconds left, the Jaguars forced Santana to try a contested three-pointer that missed the mark. As the big men slammed into each other going after the rebound, Siva once again weaved through the traffic, stuck his hand out and tipped the ball away from one of the Sultans. He stayed with the ball, scooped it up and was fouled with under a second remaining, all but sealing the win for VC.
Miriam Zabinsky—girls basketball
Plays like: Magic Johnson
And a little like: Julie Connor from the Saturday morning classic Hang Time.
It’s great when a player plays his or her position well, but when they play multiple positions at a high level, you know you’re watching something special.
Zabinsky showed her versatility in nearly every basketball game this season, from running the offense as a point guard to taking outside shots as a shooting guard to crashing the boards and posting up her defender like a power forward. She’s obviously talented; a casual observer can see that almost immediately. But her focus and intensity put her on another level, and her toughness only serves to shine a brighter spotlight on her skills.
Eddie Alba—soccer
Plays like: Wayne Rooney
And a little like: The Italian kids in the Will Ferrell movie Kicking and Screaming.
Alba is another one of those athletes who isn’t very big and probably isn’t the fastest guy on the field. But his quickness, especially with the ball at his feet, is explosive, and he impressed me more than once with his field vision. I’m not a soccer expert, but I can distinctly recall a handful of times during the boys soccer games when Alba would get the ball and it looked like there was nothing there, but he would find a seam with a pass, or make one extra move and get off a shot when it looked completely closed down.
He was never one to jaw with opponents, or flop to the ground at the slightest whisper of contact (as is the unfortunate case for some soccer players in the world). I remember Alba getting a hard red card at the end of the game against Orange Glen, a penalty that results in ejection. The crowd was understandably upset; the game had been increasingly rough-and-tumble throughout the second half, and Orange Glen had come close to causing some serious injuries with reckless challenges. Alba made an aggressive challenge and caught some of the opposing player’s foot as he slid for the ball, but compared to what had been going on without so much as a whistle, the play seemed harmless.
Alba didn’t complain, didn’t mouth off to the ref or whine about it. He definitely looked surprised, and stood on the field for a while as if in disbelief, but ultimately, he accepted the unjust punishment in a close game that the Jaguars eventually lost without taking his frustration out on the ref, his coaches or his teammates.
Hannah Sanders—girls soccer
Plays like: Shannon Boxx
And a little like: Keira Knightley in Bend It Like Beckham.
The VCHS girls soccer team was fun to watch this season. They had a lot of talented players, especially on offense, and they had a lot of confidence heading into the season.
Sanders was the key cog in the middle, handling the ball often and with more than once with jaw-dropping skill. She always seemed to have another gear to shift into when she got the ball, and she made a lot of defenders look foolish. And for being a willowy blonde, she wasn’t afraid of contact, either.
It was a lot of fun watching how in sync she was with forward Sam Koch, and how often they seemed to know exactly where to go when the other one had the ball.
Dylan Smith—football, wrestling
Plays like: The Ultimate Warrior
And a little like: “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan
Defensive tackles are usually the fattest guys a football team can dig up without resorting to pillaging sumo arenas (although that always seems to happen in every football comedy movie).
Smith is built a little more like a wide receiver—a big receiver, but still, not exactly earth-mover-esque.
But his motor doesn’t seem to have a brake pedal, because he just never quits.
As impressed as I was with him in football, I was doubly so when wrestling season rolled around. He had a way of pacing around the ring, staring down his opponent before the handshake, then launching himself across the mat when the whistle blew to start the match. He showed how tough he is, but I marveled at his quickness, especially when getting at his opponent’s feet.
Dan Henderson—basketball, baseball
Plays like: Tom Glavine
And a little like: Eddie Harris from Major League
Nice guys finish last, as the old saying goes.
They don’t get much nicer than Dan Henderson, and you don’t have to go far to find somebody who will adamantly agree.
What makes him a great athlete to watch is his approach to the game, no matter what that game might be. He does the little things right—he hustles, he pays attention, he’s not afraid to ask questions, and he is never at a loss when it comes to an encouraging thing to say to his teammates (and, on occasion, his opponents).
On a personal level, I had a great time watching him play because he is exactly what I tried to be when I was a high school athlete. I also played baseball, and I also tried my best to be the guy who was first to practice, last to leave, first to hop up for the stray foul balls, first to high five the guy who just struck out, and always ready when the coach needed me.
But I can’t in any way claim to have done it as well or as thoroughly as Dan Henderson, who not only accomplished all these things, but showed time and time again that he’s also a really good ballplayer. He started the baseball season as an afterthought when it came to the pitching rotation, but by the end, the coaches were counting on him in some tight spots as the team tried to stay alive in the battle for the league title.
When he wasn’t pitching, he was still in the lineup and played third base, which wasn’t the spot they had him in at the beginning of the year. He still picked it up as the season went along, and became a solid defender at a tough position.
Anna Luna—softball
Plays like: Cat Osterman
And a little like: If Randy Johnson pitched underhand
When it comes to softball in Valley Center, you only need to talk to two people: Bob & Pat Tousley, who have been a part of the youth softball program and the high school softball program in various forms for the past… Let’s just say there aren’t many people who can remember that far back anymore.
So when Pat Tousley told me that she saw a photo of Anna Luna pitching and added, “That’s exactly how we teach the kids to pitch,” I knew the Lady Jaguars were going to have a good season.
The above comparisons aside, Luna reminds me quite a bit of Orel Hershiser, the former Dodgers pitcher who earned the nickname “Bulldog” for his gutsy pitching performances in the late 80s and early 90s.
Luna has the same lanky build that Hershiser always had, and the same tenacity in the pitcher’s circle. A change in high school softball regulations moved the pitcher back three feet this year, and early in the season, the difference was clear. Offenses had just a little more time to pick up the pitch, and hitters were finding ways to exploit the mistakes that pitchers used to be able to cover up.
The Lady Jaguars were no different—they had a tremendous offensive year and advanced to the quarterfinals of the CIF playoffs. Luna’s pitching was a huge part of that run, especially late in the regular season. She found herself in some tight spots more than once, but she quickly gained a reputation for cranking up the intensity and pitching her best when it counted.
Garrett Fiehler—boys lacrosse
Plays like: Sidney Crosby
And a little like: Peyton Hillis
It’s easy to see why so many VCHS football players ended up on the boys lacrosse team this season. It’s a very different game than what the girls play, right down to the different lines on the field.
Fiehler was the third running back on the varsity football team that went undefeated until they lost a heartbreaker in the CIF championship game at Qualcomm Stadium. Travis Bernard was the starter and Michael Rodriguez was the primary backup, but Fiehler showed more than enough evidence in his limited action to indicate that he’s going to be the starting running back next season.
The same mentality he played with in football translated easily to lacrosse, and it was easy to see that he’s been playing lacrosse for a long time. Where some players were still struggling to get used to the mechanics of running and keeping the ball in the cage at the end of the stick, Fiehler fairly glided around the field with that same powerful stride he showed in football.
As a midfielder, the offense ran through him, and his quick first step led to more goals this season than I can count. He never shied away from contact; more often than not, he was the one initiating a hit, even when he had the ball. I can still see in my mind’s eye the opening night game against Temecula, when Fiehler barreled into an oncoming offensive player in one of the fiercest collisions I’ve ever seen.
(Quick aside: the hardest sports hit I’ve ever seen in person came courtesy of James Johnson, Valley Center’s phenom wide receiver who graduated in 2009. In a home game against Orange Glen in ’09, the Jaguars were on offense, and Tyler Bernard dropped off a pass in the flat to the tight end, I think it was Jeremy Dozier. Johnson had gone on a deep corner route, but turned around to come back and block once the ball was caught. One of the Orange Glen corners was trying to chase Dozier down when Johnson completely blindsided him with a totally legal, but absolutely bone-rattling hit, shoulder to chest. It happened about seven yards directly in front of me, and I can distinctly remember hearing all the air get forcibly pancaked out of the kid.)
John Turori—rugby
Plays like: Adrian Peterson
And a little like: If Troy Polamalu played both offense and defense
Honestly, the Adrian Peterson comparison is the closest thing I can come up with to accurately explaining how Turori plays. NFL commentators gush about how Peterson runs “with violence” and how he is a nightmare to try to tackle in the open field.
Turori runs with the same ferocity, and all the more so because he’s doing it in a game without pads. His legs never stop churning, no matter how many defenders he has draped on his back, ankles, or wherever they can try to get a hold of him. And he knows how to use his strength, squeezing his broad frame into the tiniest crack of an opening between defenders to keep them off balance and allow him to gain those precious extra yards.
And he’s smart, too. He’s not just plowing through the nearest defender because he can, he is active away from the ball, feeling out the weak spots in the defense and carefully positioning himself to maximize his efforts once the ball does come his way. And he usually doesn’t have to wait long—the ball finds him in a hurry, another mark of a truly gifted athlete playing at an elite level.
— — —
There you go, 15 athletes who made this year in sports so much fun for me to watch. I had more, but there’s only so much room, and only so many amusing comparisons to movie and/or TV athletes I can think of.
But if there’s anyone I left out, or anyone you think deserves a mention, write to me at sports@valleycenter.com and I’ll add them to consideration.
You can also visit the Roadrunner's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/valleycenter to share your thoughts about your choice for 2011 Athlete of the Year.
They turn average contests into you-totally-should-have-been-there events. They make your head spin with a combination of speed, strength and grace that can’t be fully appreciated in a Sportscenter highlight. Basically, they turn a UFL game into an NFL game.
And while we may not get to see the likes of Adrian Peterson, Albert Pujols, David Villa, Dirk Nowitzki or Steven Stamkos here in Valley Center, we have a bevy of athletic talent that makes a Jaguar game anything but average.
This year, I had the privilege of covering Valley Center High School sports from fall to spring, from football to baseball, and everything in between. I must admit right up front that I know I didn’t get to see that much of some of our local teams and athletes, but hopefully we’ll get to hear those stories from you (more on that in a little bit).
Accordingly, I made a list through the various seasons that I titled, simply, “Favorite players to watch 2011.”
I whittled the list down to 15 athletes (not an easy task) that I thought were deserving of another mention because of the way they played on the field. In the coming week, I’ll be choosing one of these 15 athletes as the first-ever Roadrunner Athlete of the Year. The winner will get a full interview in an upcoming issue, and the criteria for winning are mainly athletic, although some other factors, such as attitude and leadership. Basically, I’m going to choose the athlete who I think best represented the Jaguars on the field. I am, however, always open to suggestion, so if you have a strong opinion about one or more of the athletes below, write to me this week at sports@valleycenter.com and tell me why I should choose your athlete.
Just to be clear, this list is based entirely on my experience as a sports fan, primarily, and is in no way intended to rank the included athletes or exclude any other athletes deserving of recognition. This is just the list of a sports fan who wanted to share some thoughts about the outstanding sports he saw this year, and recognize the athletes who helped make it such a fantastic year.
So, in no particular order, here are the candidates for Athlete of the Year:
Travis Bernard—footballPlays like: Barry Sanders
Also a little bit like: Lionel Messi
It had to be hard to follow a great player like Stanton Upson, but Bernard stepped up to the challenge in a big way. The always-shifty Bernard left VC fans gasping at the lightning-quick change of direction, the where-did-he-go cutbacks and the thrill of knowing that the Jaguars were never more than a play away from scoring a touchdown, no matter where they were on the field.
The speed and agility were what made him a great athlete, but to me, the drive and determination are what set him apart as one of the truly phenomenal athletes I’ve ever gotten to see in person. He’s got a chance to see significant playing time at Northern Colorado this fall, and I have a feeling we’ll be hearing more from him before the season’s over.
David Last—footballPlays like: Ronnie Lott
And a little like: George Blanda
In football, the kicker is usually the spry little fellow prancing about on the sideline of the stadium, fiddling with some stick-and-net contraption and trying not to look bored until he’s suddenly called upon to do something productive.
David Last is not your usual kicker.
Not only did he boot a school-record 51-yard field goal against Escondido this year and send nearly every kickoff out the back of the endzone, he was a dominant defensive player at cornerback and a handy weapon as a receiver on offense.
I had the most fun watching him play defense. Of the dozens of big hits I saw from the sidelines this year, at least ten to 15 of them belonged to Last.
Teams didn’t like throwing the ball his way because they knew that, at best, they’d get a completion and an immediate stop. He was rarely out of position, he was fearless in pursuing (and often flattening) the ball-carrier, and he only seemed to get better as the game wore on.
Kevin Murphy—football, water polo, wrestling, swimming, golfPlays like: Jim Thorpe
And a little like: Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Some athletes are gifted in such specific ways that they're fun to watch--but only when they're doing that one thing they're good at.
Murphy doesn't have to worry too much about that--he's got 11 varsity letters from his four years at VCHS, and he capped off his senior year by playing five sports in three seasons. Five. He started with football and water polo, then (in what must have seemed like a break, going to just one sport after playing two) he joined the wrestling team for the winter season before going out with a bang in golf and swimming in the spring season.
Now, anybody can show up to practice and be on a sports team--just look at half of the Padres' roster this year (seriously--who are these guys?).
But it's another thing altogether to actually be good.
Murphy was the long snapper on the football team, a position that is not for the faint of heart (just for fun, go out in your back yard with a football, then bend over and try to heave the ball between your legs to another person 20 yards away while simultaneously whipping your head back up so you don't get railroaded by a humongous person trying to knock you flat on your back). In the same season, he was also one of the key offensive weapons on the boys water polo team. On the wrestling team, he was a mainstay in the 140-150 range, and helped the Jaguars win the Valley League title. He was also one of the top contributors on the golf team while balancing his time with the swim team.
Each of those things requires a specific skill that would take a long time for anyone to master. And here Murphy was, mixing it up on the varsity level in five completely different sports. Even if he had just played water polo and golf, those two alone astonish me. Then add wrestling...it boggles the mind.
Kelly Hagadorn—field hockey, soccer, lacrossePlays like: Alexander Ovechkin, only on turf
And a little like: Ed Reed
There are athletes who impress with skill, and there are athletes who impress with determination. There are also athletes who impress with skill and determination.
Then there are athletes who scare the bejeezus out of you.
If you follow the NFL, you probably know who Ed Reed is. He plays safety for the Baltimore Ravens, and underneath that black helmet, his bushy black beard and his silent scowl could make a running back’s blood go cold (for video evidence, search YouTube for “Ed Reed decleated Knowshon Moreno big hit forced fumble” and get ready to send the kids out of the room).
Hagadorn plays with the same quiet intensity that has made me think, more than once, that I’m glad I don’t play field hockey. Or soccer. Or lacrosse. Or Powder Puff football.What separates her from the thugs that sports can sometimes breed is the fact that she can back up her swagger with incredible skill. She was the focal point of the offense for the VCHS field hockey team that went deep into the CIF playoffs, and she was a rock on defense for the girls soccer team and the girls lacrosse team.
She was a leader. When she walked onto the field, the rest of the team knew they had a really good chance to win, because they knew she was going to be the one of the best players on the field, no matter what it took.
Melina & Vanessa Heredia—volleyball, soccer, lacrossePlay like: Charlie Davies, only there’s two of him
And a little like: Deion Sanders, minus the showing off
I hate to put them together—I’m sure that, as twin sisters, it’s happened pretty much all their lives thus far—but it really is impossible to talk about the athletic prowess of one without mentioning the other.
As freshmen, they both played significant time on three varsity teams this season. My first glimpse of these dynamos was in volleyball, where they both showed incredible athleticism around the net and a willingness to learn from the upperclassmen around them.
In soccer, they flashed some of the eye-popping speed that quickly caught the attention of the other team (and the fans).
But it wasn’t until lacrosse season that I fully understood what I was seeing. Both of them have the capability of changing the momentum of a game in the blink of an eye, and they dropped plenty of jaws both in the crowd and on the opposing sideline.
By the end of the season, I learned to sit up a little straighter and watch just a little more closely whenever one of the Heredia sisters got the ball, no matter where they were on the field. A handful of times, I watched as one of the two of them would collect the ball behind their own net, jog with the defender for about 30 yards, then turn on the jets and absolutely blow past one, two, even three defenders before slamming the ball into the net.
Can’t wait to see what they do for an encore in their sophomore seasons.
A.J. Broomell—basketballPlays like: A young Jason Kidd
And a little like: A young John Stockton, minus the short shorts
Of all the sports I used to follow closely as a kid, basketball is one in which I’ve slowly lost interest, mainly due to the look-at-me preening of the typical NBA star.
But even I couldn’t help but look forward to VCHS basketball games, because players like Broomell only come around so often.
Watching Broomell in each Jaguars game was a study in how to morph your game to match the weakness of your opponent. On a team that ran its offense through center Stehly Reden—with good reason—Broomell was so much more than just a John Stockton to Reden’s Karl Malone.
Broomell proved time and time again that he could carry the team when they needed him, just as adroitly as he found ways to make his teammates better. They say that you can tell how good a basketball player is by the job he does when he doesn’t have the ball, and Broomell passed this test with flying colors.
Whether he scored 20 points or only five, Broomell built a reputation as a smart, clutch player who got the best out of those around him.
James Siva—basketballPlays like: Spud Webb
And a little like: Kevin Bacon in The Air Up There
He wasn’t the biggest player on the court—not by a long shot. But the players you love to have on your team are the ones who practice hard, play hard and refuse to accept losing as an option.
Siva led the Jaguars in scoring a few times, but mostly he provided the energy and determination that was infectious.
I think the perfect stamp of Siva’s impact on the team this season came in the first round of the CIF playoffs at Santana (click here to watch the video). The Sultans held a one-point lead and had the ball with under a minute left in the game. The Jaguars double-teamed the opposing center, who forced up an off-balance shot that ricocheted off the rim and bounced off Reden’s hands before Siva swooped in to grab the ball at the baseline. After faking a pass, Siva darted up the floor, past four surprised Sultans jogging back on defense, and slipped a perfect bounce pass to Beau Reilly, who banked in the easy layup that gave the Jags a one-point lead.
And Siva wasn’t done. On defense with under 20 seconds left, the Jaguars forced Santana to try a contested three-pointer that missed the mark. As the big men slammed into each other going after the rebound, Siva once again weaved through the traffic, stuck his hand out and tipped the ball away from one of the Sultans. He stayed with the ball, scooped it up and was fouled with under a second remaining, all but sealing the win for VC.
Miriam Zabinsky—girls basketballPlays like: Magic Johnson
And a little like: Julie Connor from the Saturday morning classic Hang Time.
It’s great when a player plays his or her position well, but when they play multiple positions at a high level, you know you’re watching something special.
Zabinsky showed her versatility in nearly every basketball game this season, from running the offense as a point guard to taking outside shots as a shooting guard to crashing the boards and posting up her defender like a power forward. She’s obviously talented; a casual observer can see that almost immediately. But her focus and intensity put her on another level, and her toughness only serves to shine a brighter spotlight on her skills.
Eddie Alba—soccerPlays like: Wayne Rooney
And a little like: The Italian kids in the Will Ferrell movie Kicking and Screaming.
Alba is another one of those athletes who isn’t very big and probably isn’t the fastest guy on the field. But his quickness, especially with the ball at his feet, is explosive, and he impressed me more than once with his field vision. I’m not a soccer expert, but I can distinctly recall a handful of times during the boys soccer games when Alba would get the ball and it looked like there was nothing there, but he would find a seam with a pass, or make one extra move and get off a shot when it looked completely closed down.
He was never one to jaw with opponents, or flop to the ground at the slightest whisper of contact (as is the unfortunate case for some soccer players in the world). I remember Alba getting a hard red card at the end of the game against Orange Glen, a penalty that results in ejection. The crowd was understandably upset; the game had been increasingly rough-and-tumble throughout the second half, and Orange Glen had come close to causing some serious injuries with reckless challenges. Alba made an aggressive challenge and caught some of the opposing player’s foot as he slid for the ball, but compared to what had been going on without so much as a whistle, the play seemed harmless.
Alba didn’t complain, didn’t mouth off to the ref or whine about it. He definitely looked surprised, and stood on the field for a while as if in disbelief, but ultimately, he accepted the unjust punishment in a close game that the Jaguars eventually lost without taking his frustration out on the ref, his coaches or his teammates.
Hannah Sanders—girls soccerPlays like: Shannon Boxx
And a little like: Keira Knightley in Bend It Like Beckham.
The VCHS girls soccer team was fun to watch this season. They had a lot of talented players, especially on offense, and they had a lot of confidence heading into the season.
Sanders was the key cog in the middle, handling the ball often and with more than once with jaw-dropping skill. She always seemed to have another gear to shift into when she got the ball, and she made a lot of defenders look foolish. And for being a willowy blonde, she wasn’t afraid of contact, either.
It was a lot of fun watching how in sync she was with forward Sam Koch, and how often they seemed to know exactly where to go when the other one had the ball.
Dylan Smith—football, wrestlingPlays like: The Ultimate Warrior
And a little like: “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan
Defensive tackles are usually the fattest guys a football team can dig up without resorting to pillaging sumo arenas (although that always seems to happen in every football comedy movie).
Smith is built a little more like a wide receiver—a big receiver, but still, not exactly earth-mover-esque.
But his motor doesn’t seem to have a brake pedal, because he just never quits.
As impressed as I was with him in football, I was doubly so when wrestling season rolled around. He had a way of pacing around the ring, staring down his opponent before the handshake, then launching himself across the mat when the whistle blew to start the match. He showed how tough he is, but I marveled at his quickness, especially when getting at his opponent’s feet.
Dan Henderson—basketball, baseballPlays like: Tom GlavineAnd a little like: Eddie Harris from Major League
Nice guys finish last, as the old saying goes.
They don’t get much nicer than Dan Henderson, and you don’t have to go far to find somebody who will adamantly agree.
What makes him a great athlete to watch is his approach to the game, no matter what that game might be. He does the little things right—he hustles, he pays attention, he’s not afraid to ask questions, and he is never at a loss when it comes to an encouraging thing to say to his teammates (and, on occasion, his opponents).
On a personal level, I had a great time watching him play because he is exactly what I tried to be when I was a high school athlete. I also played baseball, and I also tried my best to be the guy who was first to practice, last to leave, first to hop up for the stray foul balls, first to high five the guy who just struck out, and always ready when the coach needed me.
But I can’t in any way claim to have done it as well or as thoroughly as Dan Henderson, who not only accomplished all these things, but showed time and time again that he’s also a really good ballplayer. He started the baseball season as an afterthought when it came to the pitching rotation, but by the end, the coaches were counting on him in some tight spots as the team tried to stay alive in the battle for the league title.
When he wasn’t pitching, he was still in the lineup and played third base, which wasn’t the spot they had him in at the beginning of the year. He still picked it up as the season went along, and became a solid defender at a tough position.
Anna Luna—softballPlays like: Cat Osterman
And a little like: If Randy Johnson pitched underhand
When it comes to softball in Valley Center, you only need to talk to two people: Bob & Pat Tousley, who have been a part of the youth softball program and the high school softball program in various forms for the past… Let’s just say there aren’t many people who can remember that far back anymore.
So when Pat Tousley told me that she saw a photo of Anna Luna pitching and added, “That’s exactly how we teach the kids to pitch,” I knew the Lady Jaguars were going to have a good season.
The above comparisons aside, Luna reminds me quite a bit of Orel Hershiser, the former Dodgers pitcher who earned the nickname “Bulldog” for his gutsy pitching performances in the late 80s and early 90s.
Luna has the same lanky build that Hershiser always had, and the same tenacity in the pitcher’s circle. A change in high school softball regulations moved the pitcher back three feet this year, and early in the season, the difference was clear. Offenses had just a little more time to pick up the pitch, and hitters were finding ways to exploit the mistakes that pitchers used to be able to cover up.
The Lady Jaguars were no different—they had a tremendous offensive year and advanced to the quarterfinals of the CIF playoffs. Luna’s pitching was a huge part of that run, especially late in the regular season. She found herself in some tight spots more than once, but she quickly gained a reputation for cranking up the intensity and pitching her best when it counted.
Garrett Fiehler—boys lacrossePlays like: Sidney Crosby
And a little like: Peyton Hillis
It’s easy to see why so many VCHS football players ended up on the boys lacrosse team this season. It’s a very different game than what the girls play, right down to the different lines on the field.
Fiehler was the third running back on the varsity football team that went undefeated until they lost a heartbreaker in the CIF championship game at Qualcomm Stadium. Travis Bernard was the starter and Michael Rodriguez was the primary backup, but Fiehler showed more than enough evidence in his limited action to indicate that he’s going to be the starting running back next season.
The same mentality he played with in football translated easily to lacrosse, and it was easy to see that he’s been playing lacrosse for a long time. Where some players were still struggling to get used to the mechanics of running and keeping the ball in the cage at the end of the stick, Fiehler fairly glided around the field with that same powerful stride he showed in football.
As a midfielder, the offense ran through him, and his quick first step led to more goals this season than I can count. He never shied away from contact; more often than not, he was the one initiating a hit, even when he had the ball. I can still see in my mind’s eye the opening night game against Temecula, when Fiehler barreled into an oncoming offensive player in one of the fiercest collisions I’ve ever seen.
(Quick aside: the hardest sports hit I’ve ever seen in person came courtesy of James Johnson, Valley Center’s phenom wide receiver who graduated in 2009. In a home game against Orange Glen in ’09, the Jaguars were on offense, and Tyler Bernard dropped off a pass in the flat to the tight end, I think it was Jeremy Dozier. Johnson had gone on a deep corner route, but turned around to come back and block once the ball was caught. One of the Orange Glen corners was trying to chase Dozier down when Johnson completely blindsided him with a totally legal, but absolutely bone-rattling hit, shoulder to chest. It happened about seven yards directly in front of me, and I can distinctly remember hearing all the air get forcibly pancaked out of the kid.)
John Turori—rugbyPlays like: Adrian Peterson
And a little like: If Troy Polamalu played both offense and defense
Honestly, the Adrian Peterson comparison is the closest thing I can come up with to accurately explaining how Turori plays. NFL commentators gush about how Peterson runs “with violence” and how he is a nightmare to try to tackle in the open field.
Turori runs with the same ferocity, and all the more so because he’s doing it in a game without pads. His legs never stop churning, no matter how many defenders he has draped on his back, ankles, or wherever they can try to get a hold of him. And he knows how to use his strength, squeezing his broad frame into the tiniest crack of an opening between defenders to keep them off balance and allow him to gain those precious extra yards.
And he’s smart, too. He’s not just plowing through the nearest defender because he can, he is active away from the ball, feeling out the weak spots in the defense and carefully positioning himself to maximize his efforts once the ball does come his way. And he usually doesn’t have to wait long—the ball finds him in a hurry, another mark of a truly gifted athlete playing at an elite level.
— — —
There you go, 15 athletes who made this year in sports so much fun for me to watch. I had more, but there’s only so much room, and only so many amusing comparisons to movie and/or TV athletes I can think of.
But if there’s anyone I left out, or anyone you think deserves a mention, write to me at sports@valleycenter.com and I’ll add them to consideration.You can also visit the Roadrunner's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/valleycenter to share your thoughts about your choice for 2011 Athlete of the Year.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Fast, physical play has Jags’ lacrosse team thrilling the home crowd
Damian Stehly (in white) puts pressure on a St. Augustine attacker.Valley Center’s JV boys lacrosse team has played a pair of thrilling games in the past two weeks, as the Jaguars rolled to a big win over St. Augustine on March 16 then came back from a two-goal deficit late in the game to register a tie against Rancho Bernardo on Friday.
The Jags jumped out to a big lead early in the game against St. Augustine and never looked back, as they cruised to a 6–3 victory.
Conner Macfarlane scored just two minutes into the game to get things started for the Jaguars, then Jason Blasius added a goal three minutes later and Sullivan Shimer closed out the first period with a goal that came 12 seconds before the whistle.
Leading by three after the first quarter, the Jags scored less than 30 seconds into the second period when Nick Sharp curled in front for the score. St. Augustine forced its way back into the game with two goals in less than 30 seconds to make the score 4–2 at halftime.
The teams traded goals in the third quarter, as Shimer scored his second of the game with just over two minutes left in the period. The Saints answered with only 19 seconds left in the quarter after a turnover in the Valley Center zone led directly to a goal.
As time wound down, the Jaguars got the insurance goal they were looking for when Macfarlane finished off a series of scintillating passes on the fast break with the score that sealed the win.
Friday’s game against Rancho Bernardo was a much more physical contest, and as both teams absorbed big hit after big hit, the Jaguars steadily clawed their way back into the game to make it a 5–5 tie.
The game might have turned out much differently had the first shot of the game, an absolute laser from Garrett Fiehler, found its way into the net instead of clanking off the post and finally coming to rest about 30 yards out of bounds.
But Fiehler wasn’t to be denied, as he took the ball from behind his own net, outran the defense and bounced a shot past the goalie to score the first goal of the game less than three minutes in.
Rancho Bernardo answered in the second quarter, scoring a goal on a shot to the top shelf just 48 seconds into the period to tie the game. The Broncos took the lead just over a minute later on a spinning shot that found its way home. The first half wound down as the physicality of the game heightened, punctuated by a big hit from Fiehler that earned him a penalty for unnecessary roughness.
Fiehler atoned for the penalty early in the second half, as he once again took the ball coast-to-coast and slung a sidearm shot past the goalie to tie the game up once again.
But the Broncos scored two quick goals as the third quarter came to an end, the first a bouncing shot with just over a minute on the clock and the second a Valley Center turnover that wound up in the back of the net with 43 seconds left in the third period.
The Jags came back with a goal from Blasius just over a minute into the fourth, but Rancho Bernardo pulled ahead by two with five minutes left in the game, using consistent pressure in the offensive zone to wear down the Valley Center defense.
Blasius scored another big goal a minute later, as he faked out his defender in the corner and found a sliver of open net for the score. As he put the shot home, one of the Bronco defenders delivered a crushing hit that temporarily knocked Blasius out of the game. The Broncos took an unnecessary roughness penalty for the hit, which led to a one-man advantage for the Jags.
Fiehler took advantage of the open space, as he casually drifted toward the zone and unleashed another sidearm shot from about 20 yards away that may have left a vapor trail.
As the final three minutes of the game ticked away, Fiehler had another shot ring off the post, then the Jaguar crowd leapt to its feet when defender Damian Stehly took off on a long run and let fly with a huge shot that just went wide as time expired.
Valley Center’s next game is at Scripps Ranch at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, then the Jaguars return home to face Serra at 6:30 p.m. on Monday.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Jaguars win first ever boys lacrosse game in school history
Click here for a photo gallery of the Jaguars' first game!
BY: DAN KIDDER
After years of planning, preparation and hard work, it took only 16 seconds for Valley Center’s high school boys lacrosse program to make its mark.
The inaugural season for the Jaguar boys officially began Monday night with a home game against Temecula Valley, and after a pair of lightning-fast scores to open the game, the Jags went on to take an 8–2 victory.
“Seeing it all come together tonight, I’m just ecstatic,” said head coach Robert Talley. “The guys were getting really excited all week, and they were pumped to get out on the field tonight. They played a great game.”
Valley Center Pauma Unified School District (VCPUSD) Superintendent Dr. Lou Obermeyer threw out the honorary first ball, and it wasn’t long after that the Jaguars were celebrating their first goal in school history. The program is only fielding a junior varsity team this season, but plans to move up to the varsity level next year.
Midfielder Garrett Fiehler took the opening draw, scooped up the ball, fired it to attacker Sullivan Shimer, who wheeled into the middle of the field, ran straight to the goal and fired the first shot of the game past the Temecula Valley goaltender as the home crowd went wild.
“It felt really good to score the first goal,” Shimer said after the game. “I owe it all to my team. We were so excited for our first game. We worked hard in practice and we knew we needed a win to help pump up our sport. Our offense really moved the ball well tonight with some great passes, and our defense really shut them down.”
Fiehler followed up the swift score with another one just 13 seconds later. Once again, he won the midfield draw and scooped up the ball, but this time he took off down the center of the field himself and slung the ball past the bewildered keeper to give the Jags a two-goal lead just 29 seconds into the game.
“It was awesome to come out and see what we had,” Fiehler said. “I’m really proud of our guys, especially how the new kids have stepped up and become leaders.”
The game settled down after the furious flurry to open the contest, and despite a couple of near misses by both teams, the score remained 2–0 at the conclusion of the first ten minutes.
Early in the second quarter, Temecula Valley was called for back-to-back penalties, which gave the Jaguars a two-man advantage for nearly a minute. They cashed in before the second player returned from the penalty box, as Shimer unleashed a cannonade of a shot that gave the Jags a 3–0 lead less than a minute into the second period.
Another penalty on the Golden Bears nearly a minute later led to another goal for Valley Center, this time on another run down the middle by Fiehler, who bounced his shot off the turf in front of the goalie and into the back of the net.
Temecula Valley got its first goal midway through the period on a good run up the middle and a bouncing shot that found its way past the keeper.
But as the final seconds of the first half wound down, Fiehler took matters into his own hands once again, splitting the defenders, bouncing back and forth off of body checks and scoring on a perfectly-placed low shot that gave the Jaguars a 5–1 lead at halftime.
The Jags opened the second half much the same way the opened the first half, with a faceoff win by Fiehler, a great pass on the run to Shimer, and another goal on a pinpoint shot to the top corner of the net.
Valley Center extended the lead with another power play goal midway through the quarter, as Jason Blasius ripped a low shot past the goalie to put the Jags out in front 7–1.
Temecula Valley answered with a goal less than a minute later after a Jaguar turnover that led to a long run and a cleverly maneuvered shot to beat the keeper.
Leading 7–2 heading into the fourth quarter, the Jaguar defense stifled the Golden Bears’ attack again and again. Fiehler found one more way to electrify the home crowd with just under six minutes left in the game. With one of the Golden Bears flying down the hashmarks near the home sideline, Fiehler dropped his shoulder and delivered an absolutely obliterating hit to the ball carrier, flattening him in his tracks with a textbook body check. The collision knocked loose, among other things, the ball, which Fiehler alertly scooped up, carried nearly 60 yards and fired past the Temecula Valley goaltender to put the cap on the thrilling win.
“I just saw the guy coming down into our zone, and I didn’t want to let him get past me,” Fiehler said of the thunderous hit. “We’ve got a lot of guys from the football team out here, and I think that being aggressive on the football field transfers to lacrosse really well. And having played with those guys really helps our team unity.”
Fiehler led the scoring with four goals and a pair of assists, while Shimer added three goals and Blasius scored once. In goal, Kyle Stroud stymied the Golden Bears’ offense again and again to earn the victory.
“We had tryouts two weeks ago, so we only had one full week of practice to prepare for this game, so to get a win like that is solid,” Talley added. “This was a dream start to our season.”
All the hard work put in by so many parents, coaches and administrators finally came to fruition for the boys lacrosse program, but the start of the season was nearly derailed by an issue with the field.
“The game almost didn’t happen because the lines for boys lacrosse are different than they are for the girls,” Talley said. “But [VCHS Athletic Director] Mike Cummings came out here in the rain yesterday to paint the new lines so we could play.”
The Jaguars have a pair of away games next on the schedule—at Maranatha Christian at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday and at San Marcos at 5 p.m. on Monday—before they return home next Wednesday for a 6:30 p.m. game against St. Augustine.
“Come out and support the team, it’s a lot of fun to watch,” Talley said. “If you come out once, I know you’ll be back.”
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Photos: Valley Center vs Mission Bay football
Here are some photos from Valley Center's big win over Mission Bay last Friday:
photos by Gabriel Santana
The teams shake hands after the coin toss:
Jean-Marc Brierre gets upended after making a catch:
Tomas Wheeler goes to block:
Beau Reilly dives for the goal line...
...and scores the game's first touchdown:
Kenny Thomas (57) and Martin Cunningham (52) have led the defense all season:
David Last goes up for the catch early in the game:
Travis Bernard breaks a run to the outside:
The Jaguar defense didn't allow much room to run:
Bernard breaks into the clear...
...and cuts to the sideline:
Bernard plows into the endzone a few plays later:
Dylan Smith (28) drops the Mission Bay runner:
Bernard escapes a tackle...
...and gets wrestled down along the sideline:
Shonta Chaloux dives for the ball on a pass from Reilly...
...and makes the catch for a three-yard touchdown:
Smith and Stehly Reden (66) drag the runner down:
Taylor Oshinski heads upfield after making the catch:
Bernard follows Luis Rios (56) to the goal line:
Bernard eludes a tackle at the line of scrimmage...
...and turns on the after-burners in the open field:
Bernard scores another touchdown:
Reden gets a big sack on the Buccaneers' quarterback:
Chaloux drills the QB as he lets go of the pass:
Chaloux gets to the QB again to force a hurried throw:
Thomas, Reden and Zach Blanco (91) run down the QB...
...and Reden drags him down for the sack:
Thomas (wearing the No. 88 jersey on offense) gets his first carry of the season as a running back:
Bernard turns the corner again:
Chaloux gets a big sack on third down:
Garrett Fiehler breaks into the clear in the fourth quarter:
Last kicks a long field goal near the end of the game:
The Jaguars get some face time on the Prep Pigskin Report:
photos by Gabriel Santana
The teams shake hands after the coin toss:
Jean-Marc Brierre gets upended after making a catch:
Tomas Wheeler goes to block:
Beau Reilly dives for the goal line...
...and scores the game's first touchdown:
Kenny Thomas (57) and Martin Cunningham (52) have led the defense all season:
David Last goes up for the catch early in the game:
Travis Bernard breaks a run to the outside:
The Jaguar defense didn't allow much room to run:
Bernard breaks into the clear...
...and cuts to the sideline:
Bernard plows into the endzone a few plays later:
Dylan Smith (28) drops the Mission Bay runner:
Bernard escapes a tackle...
...and gets wrestled down along the sideline:
Shonta Chaloux dives for the ball on a pass from Reilly...
...and makes the catch for a three-yard touchdown:
Smith and Stehly Reden (66) drag the runner down:
Taylor Oshinski heads upfield after making the catch:
Bernard follows Luis Rios (56) to the goal line:
Bernard eludes a tackle at the line of scrimmage...
...and turns on the after-burners in the open field:
Bernard scores another touchdown:
Reden gets a big sack on the Buccaneers' quarterback:
Chaloux drills the QB as he lets go of the pass:
Chaloux gets to the QB again to force a hurried throw:
Thomas, Reden and Zach Blanco (91) run down the QB...
...and Reden drags him down for the sack:
Thomas (wearing the No. 88 jersey on offense) gets his first carry of the season as a running back:
Bernard turns the corner again:
Chaloux gets a big sack on third down:
Garrett Fiehler breaks into the clear in the fourth quarter:
Last kicks a long field goal near the end of the game:
The Jaguars get some face time on the Prep Pigskin Report:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)