Video: 2012 VCHS Powderpuff Football

Here are the video highlights from the 2012 Powderpuff football game at VCHS, a game that the class of 2012 won, 14-6.

The boys in the class of 2012 put together this cheer routine:


The junior boys in the class of 2013 put together this routine:


Senior QB Sidney Reilly runs the option and pitches to RB Miriam Zabinsky, who runs in for the 1st touchdown of the game.


Junior QB Anndrea Torres hits WR Vinessa Perryman for a big play on this pass.


Senior safety Alex Scoles grabs the ball on a tipped pass for her first (of 4) interceptions in the game.


Senior QB Sidney Reilly rolls out and hits TE Lauren Gilster for a good gain.


Alex Scoles jumps in front of this deep pass for her second interception of the game.


Junior LB Makayla Markey breaks up this pass to stall the seniors' drive.


Senior QB Sidney Reilly runs the option and appears to pitch back to RB Miriam Zabinsky, but the officials say that Reilly's flag was pulled before the pitch. Did she get the ball out in time? You decide...


Junior QB Vinessa Perryman throws deep for WR Melina Heredia, who comes up with a great catch in traffic.


Senior LB Sidney Reilly breaks through the juniors' line to bring down QB Vinessa Perryman for a big sack.


Alex Scoles grabs her third interception of the game.


Senior RB Miriam Zabinsky takes the pitch and breaks off a long run.


Senior RB Miriam Zabinsky gets a good gain on the ground, but right tackle Taylor Yates (#53) gets hurt on the play.


Junior LB Hana Gilbert breaks through the line and gets to QB Sidney Reilly for a big sack.


Junior safety Vinessa Perryman drifts under the deep pass and gets the interception.


Junior QB Anndrea Torres takes off up the middle and runs through a would-be tackler for a good gain.


Alex Scoles grabs her fourth interception of the game and nearly returns it for a touchdown.


Senior QB Sidney Reilly escapes the pressure in the backfield and eludes tacklers on her way to the endzone for what proved to be the game-winning score.


Junior returner Vanessa Heredia brings back the kickoff, but senior Elsie Emanuel goes in for the tackle instead of grabbing the flag.


Junior QB Vinessa Perryman escapes the pressure, weaves her way through the defense and outruns the defenders to the corner for a touchdown late in the game.


Sidney Reilly breaks off a long run to put the game away for the class of 2012.


video by Dan Kidder

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.

VCHS Powder Puff Football 2011

In a thrilling defensive battle, the class of 2011 defeated the class of 2012 by a score of 6-0 in this year's Powder Puff Football Classic at Valley Center High School.
The seniors scored early in the first half when tailback Kelly Hagadorn took a pitch from quarterback Victoria Navarro and rumbled in from four yards out for the touchdown, bowling over defenders and stretching the ball across the goal line for the score.
Check out some of the video highlights from the action:
(Scroll down to the bottom to see the boys' cheer routines at halftime)
(And click here to see more videos on my YouTube channel)

Bailey Hall returns the opening kickoff:


Victoria Navarro keeps the ball and gets upended:


The Juniors run a reverse:


Navarro runs another keeper, but gets stopped for a loss:


Sidney Reilly picks up some good yardage down the sideline:


Raelyn Rodriguez runs a QB keeper and gets hit hard:


Tyler Carr almost intercepts a pass from Navarro:


Kate Richards gets a good gain running to the outside:


Kelly Hagadorn cuts back for a good gain as the 1st half ends:


Hagadorn (on defense this time) busts up a short pass play in the backfield:


Hall brings back a punt return and gets knocked down:


Hagadorn flashes a fierce stiff arm on an inside run:


Hagadorn weaves through the defense for a good gain:


Navarro hits Morgan Marcon on a slant for a nice completion:


Navarro runs the option with Hagadorn, and they take the ball down inside the 10 yard line:


Touchdown! Navarro pitches to Hagadorn, who barrels her way into the endzone for the game's only score:


The seniors kickoff to Sidney Reilly, who doesn't find much room to run:


Rodriguez zips a pass in to Erica Kiesow for a first down:


Rodriguez's pass is almost intercepted by Amanda Nealis:


Big hit! Hagadorn makes the catch over the middle and gets leveled by Taylor Yates. (Note: both players were ejected for the extracurricular physicality):


Navarro runs another QB keeper and shrugs off tacklers left and right:


Hall tries to run to the outside, but gets wrapped up by Laura Glennie (Note: this would have been a perfect tackle had the game not been flag football, and Glennie was summarily ejected for the play):


Reilly pitches to Zabinsky for a nice cutback run:


The Juniors run a final play, but can't beat the clock, as time runs out and the seniors celebrate the win:


The Senior boys halftime dance:


The Junior boys halftime dance:


Video by Dan Kidder

Lady Jaguars fall in first round of CIF girls basketball playoffs

Valley Center’s varsity girls basketball team exceeded many of the preseason predictions for the 2010-11 season, posting an outstanding overall record, earning a share of the Valley League title and taking the No. 7 seed and a home game in the CIF Division III playoffs.
But the season came to an end last Tuesday, as the Lady Jaguars couldn’t get the offense going when they needed it in a 53–43 loss to Santana in the first round of the playoffs.
The Lady Jags battled back from an early deficit to pull within one, 12–11, at the end of the first quarter. Valley Center tied the game at 17 on a fast-break basket by Victoria Navarro with 3:30 left in the first half, but Santana responded with a 12-point run to close out the second quarter and the Lady Jags trailed 29–17 at halftime.
The Lady Jaguars bounced back in a big way in the third quarter, as they scored 21 points in the period to tie the score at 38 heading into the fourth quarter. Sidney Reilly led the charge with seven points in the period, while Vinessa Perryman and Miriam Zabinsky added five points each to propel the Lady Jags back into the game.
But the Lady Sultans opened the final quarter with a six-point run and held Valley Center off down the stretch by converting their free throw opportunities to hang on for the ten-point win.
Reilly finished with 15 points in the game, while Zabinsky scored 11, Perryman had nine, Lauren Gilster had four and Navarro and Andie Wagner each had two.
Valley Center finishes the season with a 15–13 overall record.

Another big win earns share of Valley League basketball title for Lady Jags

The Valley Center varsity girls basketball team finished off the regular season with an impressive win, earned a share of the Valley League championship and advanced to the CIF playoffs this week.
The Lady Jaguars polished off Orange Glen in the season finale, earning them the league co-championship with Del Norte and the No. 7 seed in CIF Division III, which gave them a home game against Santana at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in the first round of the post-season.
To get to the playoffs, the Lady Jags have been on a roll since mid-January, winning five of their last six games and eight of their last ten.
Finishing off the season at Orange Glen on Friday night, the Lady Jaguars dominated the first half and cruised down the stretch to take a 69–47 victory.
Lauren Gilster showed up in a big way for Valley Center, scoring the first 11 points of the game and leading the Lady Jaguars to a 13–9 lead after the first quarter.
Miriam Zabinsky took over for the Lady Jags in the second quarter, scoring 11 of Valley Center’s 28 points in the period, which extended the lead to 25 at halftime.
The Lady Jaguars pushed the lead out even further in the third quarter, even with the bench getting plenty of playing time, to put the Lady Patriots down by 28 heading into the fourth quarter.
Orange Glen played outstanding offense down the stretch, racking up 22 points in the final period, but the Lady Jags were solid inside and from the free throw line to hold on for the 22-point win.
Zabinsky’s 19 points led all scorers in the game, while Gilster added 18, Andie Wagner had 16, Sidney Reilly had seven, Vinessa Perryman had four, Kelli Imgrund had three and Darin Gilmore had two.
Valley Center finished the season with a 15–12 overall record and a 6–2 league mark. The Lady Jaguars will have played at home on Tuesday at 7 p.m. against Santana in the CIF playoffs. The winner of that game will play again on Saturday against the winner of the game between Mt. Miguel and No. 2 La Jolla.
Be sure to check out the Valley Roadrunner’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/valleycenter for all the latest sports updates throughout the week.

Lady Jags overcome slow start to win one of two in basketball

Valley Center’s varsity girls basketball team had a pair of slow starts in two games this week, but the Lady Jaguars managed to overcome one deficit to pull out a victory heading into the season’s final game.
The Lady Jags could only muster seven points in the first quarter of their game against Del Norte at home last Tuesday, and couldn’t find their stride on offense down the stretch in a 37–33 loss.
Despite the low-scoring opening period, the Lady Jaguars played solid defense and trailed by only three after the first quarter. They closed the gap to one point with a good second quarter, scoring ten points to trail 18–17 at halftime.
Sidney Reilly came through with seven points in the third quarter to lead Valley Center back out in front, 28–22, heading into the fourth.
But Del Norte clamped down on defense, holding the Lady Jags to just five points, while racking up 15 points of their own, to take away the win.
Reilly played an outstanding game to lead all scorers with 19 points, while Miriam Zabinsky added eight, Andie Wagner had four and both Vinessa Perryman and Lauren Gilster had one.
But the Lady Jaguars recovered for Friday’s game at San Dieguito, and a great defensive effort led to a 42–33 win.
Once again, the Lady Jags scored only seven in the opening period, but this time the defense held the Lady Mustangs to just four points in the first quarter. San Dieguito pulled back within two points at halftime, but Valley Center dominated the second half with 17 points in the third quarter and 12 more in the fourth to seal the win.
Zabinsky led the way with 14 points, while Wagner had ten, Gilster had seven, Reilly had five, and Victoria Navarro, Darin Gilmore and Perryman each had two.
The Lady Jaguars are now 14–12 overall and 5–2 in league play, with the final game of the regular season coming up on Friday at Orange Glen at 7 p.m.
And as a correction to our girls basketball article from last week, the Lady Jaguars honored four seniors before the game against Canyon Crest Academy: Navarro, Kelli Imgrund, Sophie Hernandez and Amy-Jo Lange. We apologize for the error.

(photos by Ray Flores)

Gilster, Zabinsky lead Lady Jaguars to another big win

After a rough stretch of four consecutive losses in early January, Valley Center’s varsity girls basketball team has been on fire lately with wins in five of the last six games, including another win against Canyon Crest on Friday for a third straight victory.
The Lady Jaguars put the pressure on early in the game and held strong to the end for a 51–37 win for the home fans on Friday night.
The Lady Jags honored seniors Victoria Navarro and Kelli Imgrund before the game, then got right down to business in taking an early lead against the Lady Ravens.
Valley Center pulled ahead by six in the opening minutes of the game, but Canyon Crest came back with solid outside shooting to pull within two, 16–14, at the end of the first quarter.
The Lady Jaguars responded in the second quarter by feeding the ball down low to Lauren Gilster, who racked up eight points in the quarter to put Valley Center back in front 28–22 at halftime.
The Lady Jags kept the defensive pressure on in the third quarter, holding the Lady Ravens to just five points in the period. Meanwhile, Miriam Zabinsky drained four shots from the floor, including a three-pointer, to put up nine points in the quarter and lead Valley Center to a 41–27 lead through three quarters.
Down the stretch, the Lady Jaguars simply kept pace with Canyon Crest and made sure the backups got some playing time in cruising to the 14-point win.
Gilster led all scorers with 20 points, while Zabinsky wasn’t far behind with 19 points, Navarro and Sidney Reilly each scored five and Vinessa Perryman added two in the win.
The Lady Jaguars are now 13–11 overall and 4–1 in league, with the next game coming on Friday night at San Dieguito at 5:30 p.m.

Strong defense helps Lady Jags win two straight in basketball

Lauren Gilster (21) goes up for the opening tip-off against Canyon Crest. (photos by Ray Flores)

A suffocating defense an a balanced offense were the keys to a pair of Valley League wins for the Valley Center varsity girls basketball team this week.
The Lady Jaguars held their two opponents to a total of 52 points for the week, while racking up an average of 52 points on offense over those same two contests.
The first win came last Tuesday at home against San Dieguito Academy, as the Lady Jags clamped down on defense right out of the gate in taking a 51–29 win.
The Lady Mustangs couldn’t bury a basket to save their lives, especially in the first half, as Valley Center held them to just nine points in the two opening periods. The Lady Jaguars, meanwhile, patiently moved the ball around and scored eight in the first quarter and 12 more in the second to hold an 11-point lead at the break.
San Dieguito finally started hitting some shots in the third quarter and came up with 13 points in the period, but the Lady Jags scored 12 in the quarter and still held a ten-point advantage heading into the final period. In the fourth quarter, Valley Center outscored San Dieguito 19–7 to end any hopes of a comeback.
Miriam Zabinsky led all scorers with 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Sidney Reilly added 11 points and ten rebounds, Lauren Gilster had seven points and 12 rebounds, Vinessa Perryman had seven points, Andie Wagner had four points and seven rebounds, Sophie Hernandez had two points and Kelli Imgrund had one point.
The Lady Jaguars went on to host league rival Orange Glen on Friday, and this time turned up the defensive pressure in the second half to take a 53–23 victory.
In both of the first two quarters, the Lady Jags outscored the Lady Patriots 16–8, giving Valley Center a 16-point lead at halftime.
In the second half, the Lady Jaguars completely snuffed out any offense Orange Glen attempted to muster, holding the Lady Patriots to just seven points in the half. Meanwhile, the Lady Jags scored 13 in the third quarter and eight more in the fourth to put the game away.
Zabinsky once again scored 19 points to top the scoring, while Reilly added 11 points, Wagner had seven, Victoria Navarro had five, Gilster had four, Tyler Carr and Perryman each had three and Darin Gilmore had one.
Valley Center is now 12–11 overall and 3–1 in league. The next game is a home game against Canyon Crest on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

Lady Jags split two basketball games

Valley Center’s varsity girls basketball team put together another solid win to start league play this week, but came up just three points short of making it two in a row.
The Lady Jaguars played an outstanding game from start to finish in a 47–34 win over Canyon Crest Academy last Tuesday.
The Lady Jags doubled up the Lady Ravens with 16 points in the first quarter, but Canyon Crest narrowed the margin by two points in the second quarter to leave Valley Center with a six-point lead at halftime.
But that was as close as the Lady Ravens would get, as the Lady Jaguars held them to just seven points in each of the final two periods, while racking up 21 points of their own in the half to put the win away.
Lauren Gilster led all scorers with 16 points, while Miriam Zabinsky wasn’t far behind with 15 points, Sidney Reilly scored five, Andie Wagner had four, Victoria Navarro had three, and Vinessa Perryman and Darin Gilmore each had two.
Valley Center played again on Friday at Del Norte, but after a slow start, the Lady Jags just missed out on a big comeback in a 43–40 loss.
The Lady Jaguars could only muster four points in the first quarter, while Del Norte didn’t fare much better with eight points in the opening period. Valley Center narrowed the gap by one with nine points in the second quarter, but the Lady Nighthawks still held a three-point lead at the break.
Del Norte came out of the locker room on fire, scoring 13 in the third quarter, while holding the Lady Jaguars to just seven, to push the lead up to nine heading into the final period.
In the fourth quarter, the Lady Jaguar offense came to life with 20 points, but Del Norte tacked on 14 to take the close win.
Zabinsky racked up 15 points to lead the way for Valley Center, while Gilster added nine, Reilly had seven, Kelly Imgrund had five and Perryman had four.
The Lady Jaguars are now 10–11 overall and 1–1 in league. They play again on Friday at home against Orange Glen at 5:30 p.m.

Lady Jags battle back to win one of three in basketball

It was an up and down week for the Valley Center varsity girls basketball team, as the Lady Jaguars struggled on offense in a big loss on the road to start the week, nearly came back from a big deficit to suffer a two-point loss in the middle of the week, then bounced back for a dominating win at home to finish off the week’s action.
The Lady Jags started out on the road at Westview last Tuesday, and despite taking an early lead, faded down the stretch in a 55–26 loss.
Valley Center started strong on offense, scoring 11 points in the first quarter and taking a two-point lead through the opening period. But the Lady Wolverines came roaring back with 11 points in the second quarter, while holding the Lady Jaguars to just four, giving Westview a five-point lead at halftime.
It was more of the same in the second half, as Westview scored 18 in the third and 17 in the fourth, while the Lady Jags could only muster 11 points in the final two periods combined.
Miriam Zabinsky led Valley Center with seven points, while Andie Wagner scored six, Vinessa Perryman had four, Kelly Imgrund scored three and Victoria Navarro, Sidney Reilly and Darin Gilmore each scored two.
On Thursday, the Lady Jaguars traveled to Ramona, and got a boost from the return of the injured Lauren Gilster. But after falling behind early, the Lady Jags couldn’t come all the way back and lost, 44–42.
Both teams played well in the first quarter, but the Lady Bulldogs came out with a one-point lead after the opening period. In the second, however, Ramona found a slight edge and scored 16, while holding Valley Center to just nine, to take an eight-point lead at the half.
The Lady Jaguars cut into the lead with an outstanding defensive effort in the third quarter, as they limited Ramona to just four points in the period. Valley Center could only score eight points in the quarter, however, and the Lady Bulldogs still led by four heading into the fourth quarter.
The Lady Jags started connecting on their shots down the stretch and wound up with 15 points in the final period, but Ramona stayed patient and hit its free throws to score 13 in the quarter and hold on for the win.
Wagner had a great game with 12 points, while Zabinsky scored eight, Gilster scored seven, Navarro had five, Reilly and Perryman each had four and Imgrund had two.
The solid effort of Thursday’s game carried over into Valley Center’s next game, at home against El Capitan on Friday, as the Lady Jaguars scored early and often to take a 57–28 win.
It was clear right out of the gate that the Lady Jags were in control of this game, as they scored the first 16 points of the game and didn’t allow a point to El Capitan until more than five minutes into the game.
After building a 19–7 lead in the first quarter, the Lady Jags moved the ball around very well and dominated the second quarter, 16–1, giving Valley Center a 35–8 lead at halftime.
El Capitan came back with a solid third quarter, but the Lady Jaguars kept pace and extended the lead to 47–19 through three periods. Down the stretch, coach Tony Casillas made sure all of his players saw some playing time, and the Lady Jags cruised to the big win.
Zabinsky took over the game from the opening tip and finished with 20 points on the night, while Reilly added 11, Gilster scored six, Navarro, Perryman, Wagner and Sophie Hernandez each scored four and Gilmore and Imgrund each had two.
Valley Center is now 9–10 overall and plays again on Friday at Del Norte at 5:30 p.m.

Lady Jags beat Fallbrook, fall to Escondido in basketball

Sidney Reilly blocks a shot against Escondido.

Valley Center’s varsity girls basketball team started off the week with a key defensive win, but the Lady Jaguars couldn’t keep momentum rolling in a big loss to finish off the week.
The Lady Jags started off with a game at Fallbrook on Wednesday, and the combination of a solid offense and a stifling defense led to a 46–30 win.
Valley Center practically flew out of the gate, scoring 14 points in the first quarter, while holding the Lady Warrriors to just four, to take an early ten-point lead. It was more of the same in the second quarter, as the Lady Jaguars racked up ten points and held Fallbrook to just six to take a 14-point lead at halftime.
The Lady Jags added 12 more points in the third quarter, while once again limiting Fallbrook to just six, which increased the lead to 20 points heading into the final period. Valley Center’s coaches made sure that the subs got plenty of playing time down the stretch, and even though the Lady Warriors scored 14 in the fourth quarter, the Lady Jaguars tacked on ten points of their own to seal the win.
Miriam Zabinsky dropped 22 points to lead all scorers, while Andie Wagner added seven, Sidney Reilly, Sophie Hernandez and Vinessa Perryman each scored four, Victoria Navarro and Kelli Imgrund each scored two and Tyler Carr scored one.
But Valley Center couldn’t match the defensive effort of Wednesday’s win in Friday’s away game at Escondido, and the Lady Jaguars were handed a tough 60–39 loss.
The Lady Jags started out on a positive note, scoring 12 points in the first quarter and taking a two-point lead through the opening period. But the Lady Cougars roared back with 16 points in the second quarter, while holding Valley Center to just seven, to pull ahead by seven at halftime.
The teams played a mostly-even third quarter on both sides of the ball, but Escondido started creating points off of turnovers late in the period to total 18 points in the quarter and hold a 12-point lead heading into the fourth. Down the stretch, the Lady Cougars kept the pedal to the metal and outscored the Lady Jaguars 16–7 in the final period to ice the 21-point win.
Navarro and Reilly each scored ten points to lead the Lady Jags, while Zabinsky and Wagner each scored eight and Perryman scored three.
The Lady Jaguars are now 9–7 overall and play two more games this week, starting with an away game at Ramona on Thursday, followed by a home game against El Capitan on Friday. Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m.
Andie Wagner takes a baseline jump shot at Escondido.

Lady Jaguars come within one point of holiday tournament title

After an outstanding run to the finals, the Valley Center varsity girls basketball team came up one point short of winning the title in prep division of the San Diego Holiday Classic tournament last week.
The Lady Jaguars won their first three games in impressive fashion, but suffered the one-point defeat on a shot in the final 30 seconds of the championship game against Mira Mesa.
In their first three games, the Lady Jags beat Parkland, a team visiting from Texas, by a huge 57–16 margin. They followed that up with a 51–38 win over Valhalla and a 47–35 win over Southwest High School.
The championship game pitted the Lady Jaguars against Division I Mira Mesa at El Capitan High School. Both teams played tough defense throughout the game, but Mira Mesa came up with the last-minute shot to take a 37–36 win.
“We battled so hard right until the end,” head coach Tony Casillas said after the tournament. “The girls have played thirteen games in December and battled through a lot of adversity, including a lot of sickness.”
Miriam Zabinsky was named to the All-Tournament Team, averaging over 20 points, six steals and seven rebounds per game. Sidney Reilly also played well for the Lady Jaguars, averaging ten points and nine rebounds per game. Andie Wagner averaged eight points and 12 rebounds per game in the tournament as well.
Valley Center is now 7–6 overall with away games coming this week at Fallbrook on Wednesday and Escondido on Friday, followed by the regular season home opener against Mission Hills on Monday. Each of these games is scheduled for 7 p.m.