Barons pass, run way to victory

Opposing teams focus on senior running back Kyle Middlebrooks when trying to stop Fountain Valley, and deservedly so.

But Thursday night, senior quarterback Dominic Ragland showed he can pass the test as well.

Big-time.

Ragland threw for 234 yards and four touchdowns as the Barons ran away from Foothill, 44-21, in both teams’ season opener at Huntington Beach High.

[Ragland] has to make some plays with his arm, and he did,” Fountain Valley Coach John Shipp said. “The offensive line stepped up in the pass [protection], but it’s great to see a kid like thjat work that hard in the off-season to make himself the total player.”

Last year, it was Ragland stepping into the quarterback spot early in the season when the starter got injured. This year, he’s off to a great start after picking apart the Foothill secondary. The Ragland to senior Ryan Steadman connection was the most effective; Steadman caught touchdown passes of 37 and 47 yards en route to 142 yards receiving on the night.

Middlebrooks also got in on the fun, with a 70-yard touchdown run as well as a 45-yard touchdown pass from Ragland. He finished with 153 all-purpose yards, 97 of those on the ground.

“Me and my receivers, we’ve got our timing down just like that,” Ragland said, snapping his fingers. “When they crowd the box for Kyle, it’s even better for our receivers.”

Fountain Valley appeared to be running away with the game early in the third quarter, up 24-0. But the Knights responded with a pair of touchdown passes from Aaron Dupin to Noah Stillman, trimming the lead to 10. Dupin was formerly with Foothill of Henderson, Nev., who Fountain Valley beat in the previous two season-openers.

The Barons, undeterred, scored again near the end of the third quarter when Ragland rolled right and found a wide-open Steadman on a 47-yard touchdown pass.

Ragland found Middlebrooks on the 45-yard strike over the middle on Fountain Valley’s next possession, then the Barons scored their final points when senior Jacob Siluano returned an interception 45 yards.

Sophomore Andrew Mosley also had an interception for the Barons, who stopped Foothill in the red zone three times in the first half.

“We just wanted to hit somebody in another jersey,” said Ragland, who surpassed his touchdown total (three) from all last year. “We were ready for this game. Everybody seemed poised. Our line, they were giving me the best past protection I’ve ever had.”

The Barons’ starting offensive line included Anthony Vega, Courtland Drummond, Irving Munoz, Brandon Moss and Christian Larson.

There were still things the Barons need to clean up, however. Fountain Valley unofficially had 12 penalties in the game, for 97 yards.

“We just have got to clean up our overall game,” Shipp said. “We can’t win football games playing like this in the Sunset League.”

The Barons play host to Tesoro on Sept. 11 at Orange Coast College.