A tightly contested first half turned into a blowout Friday night, as the Valencia Vikings scored 24 unanswered points in the second half en route to a 45-19 win over Golden Valley at Canyon High.
The Grizzlies took the first possession down to the Vikings 8-yard line, but a blocked field goal by the Vikings left the game scoreless. Golden Valley scored on its next possession, a 72-yard pass from Josh Valano to Jalin Lewis that made the score 7-0.
Valencia answered immediately with a 63-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Thomas to Mykael Wright. Tied 7-7, Valano found Lewis again to help the Grizzlies regain the lead, but a missed extra point left the score 13-7.
The Vikings took the lead with a minute left in the first when Thomas found Wright for a 10-yard touchdown pass. The extra point brought the score to 14-13.
Valano opened the second quarter with an interception by Clayton Pokorny. The Vikings scored on a 15-yard pass from Thomas to running back Jayvaun Wilson, growing the lead to 21-13.
Golden Valley scored again on a 43-yard touchdown pass from Valano to Lewis. A failed two-point conversion made the score 21-19 going into halftime.
Valencia’s defense shut out Golden Valley in the second half, while its offense added a 35-yard field goal by Jake Calver and an 82-yard touchdown run by Wilson in the third quarter to enter the final frame up 31-19.
The Vikings scored twice in the fourth quarter on a 4-yard run by Moises Haynes and a 26-yard touchdown pass from Thomas to Wright, bringing the final score to 45-19.
“I was proud of our second half effort,” Vikings head coach Larry Muir said. “We have to learn from the first half, but give credit to Golden Valley.”
The Grizzlies will look for their first Foothill League win as they travel to Canyon High School to face the Canyon Cowboys on Friday night.
Valencia looks to win three games in a row in the Foothill League when it hosts the 7-0 Saugus Centurions on Friday.
