Valencia Rallies to Top El Dorado, Stay Undefeated

Valencia overcame a 12-point first-half deficit and went on to defeat El Dorado, 27-12, and remain unbeaten Friday night at Bradford Stadium.

The game was billed as a rushing duel between Valencia’s Ryan Roskelly and the Golden Hawks’ Bryan Warner, but neither player contributed heavily. Warner was held to 32 yards in nine carries; Roskelly rushed five times for 10 yards.

Instead, it was Valencia’s Willie Barnes who did most of the damage for the Tigers (3-0). Barnes ran 194 yards in 22 carries as Valencia dominated the ground game and the statistics.

The Hawks (2-1) raced to the early lead on touchdown passes from Jim Beck to Blayne Leitner. Beck hit Leitner for a 3-yard score on the opening drive, then the pair connected on a 61-yard pass play.

Valencia took a 13-12 lead at the half on a eight-yard run by Roskelly and a 32-yard touchdown pass from Mark O’Brien to Korey Alexander on fourth-and-eighth.

Kevin Alexander caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from O’Brien to make it 20-12 early in the third and Korey Alexander’s 11-yard run early in the fourth quarter put in away.