When the NCP preseason was released prior to the season, Saturday's matchup between Valley Christian and Serra looked to be a highly anticipated season finale for the West Catholic Athletic League opponents. Both teams started the season in the top 10, but only the Padres were ranked at game time. In addition, Serra was looking to avenge two losses to the Warriors from last season including a season ending playoff loss.
Valley Christian started the season slow but looked more dominant in victories the past two weeks. The Padres had a strong start but had a few hiccups the past few weeks. Both teams brought solid two-headed running attacks but Serra won the turnover battle and used a 28-0 first half advantage to win easily 44-21 to take 2nd place in the WCAL.
Offense: The final stats were misleading as the Warriors had 320 total yards while Serra had 389 yards, all of which on the ground. However, the Warriors had three key turnovers that were drive killers and momentum shifters. The Padres only attempted one pass the entire day but Valley Christian's run defense was still unable to stop the Serra running game despite knowing what was coming.
Padres senior Erich Wilson had 190 yards rushing with three touchdowns while junior Eric Redwood had 174 yards rushing with two touchdowns. Wilson set the career rushing mark for Serra that was accomplished on an 89 yard run in the third quarter to seal the game. Warriors seniors Jarrod Lawson and Byron Marshall had 88 and 75 yards on the ground with one touchdown each.
The Defenses: Valley Christian's defense gave up touchdown runs of 59, 41, 89, and 33. In four of their five losses, the Warrior defense gave up more than 35 points and was porous in run defense. The Padres, on the other hand, were opportunistic and made the stops early to coast after leading big. The Serra defense had one real bad showing in the season during its loss to Archbishop Mitty, giving up 35 points.
Special Teams: Valley Christian was unable to recover a kickoff in the first quarter that bounced and was eventually recovered in the scrum by Serra at the 1-yard line. The subsequent touchdown put Serra ahead 21-0. This special teams play was indicative of VC's day.
Valley Christian Outlook: In the Warriors' five losses including this one, they were physically outmatched in the ground game. VC has a potent running game of its own but cannot be expected to keep up with opposing teams who have strong offenses. The Warriors' postseason will go only as far as consistent defensive performances will take them.
Serra Outlook: If the Padres play in the Open bracket as opposed to Division I, a rematch with league champion Bellarmine is inevitable. Most of the top teams speculated to be in the Open includes Bellarmine, Palma, and Oak Grove. The common theme for all these teams is strong running games with consistent defenses. When Serra has had success in the season, this formula proved to be the key.
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