PLACENTIA – Valencia seemed motivated to make last week’s defensive performance look like an aberration against visiting Laguna Hills on Thursday night.
A week after allowing a season-high 31 points in a loss to Troy, the Tigers looked stingy once again in a 37-7 nonleague win over Laguna Hills.
Valencia (4-1) allowed Laguna Hills (1-4) to gain only 146 yards in the game, 27 in the first half when Valencia took a 17-0 lead to the break.
The Hawks didn’t advance the ball into Tigers territory until early in the fourth quarter and had only one first down in the first half. The Tigers have allowed 10.8 points per game this season.
“We’ve been really good against the run all year, but last week, in the first half, we gave up big plays,” Valencia coach Mike Marrujo said. “Up front, we played like we have. That’s the strength on this team.”
On offense, the Tigers had difficulties sustaining drives at times, but made up for it with big plays.
Four of the Tigers’ five touchdowns were on plays of 41 yards or more. Valencia quarterback Patrick Godoy threw for three touchdowns and 206 yards on 10-of-14 passing. Darren Sandoval had a 41-yard touchdown run to go along with a game-high 145 yards rushing. Receiver Jake Watkins had 109 yards receiving, including a 53-yard touchdown catch.
A bright spot for Laguna Hills was the return of BYU-bound linebacker Will Sedgwick, who had 13 tackles after missing four games with a thumb injury.
Contact the writer: jbalan@ocregister.com
