Running Gives Valley Christian Both Anniversary, Homecoming Gift in "The Classic"

By Loren Kopff

Crusader Field could have nearly passed for Hollywood Blvd. last Saturday night as stars from today and yesteryear made their way to Valley Christian s homecoming game with longtime rival Ontario Christian. Yes, it was another homecoming game but the game with the Knights also marked the school s year-long remembrance of 75 years as an institution.
Representatives from Valley s 29 California Interscholastic Federation-Southern Section championship teams were honored at halftime, including the 1986 and 1995 football teams. Indeed, the stars were aligned on this night as Valley pulled away in the second half and posted a 35-24 victory in what former Crusader coaching legend Mike Wunderley dubbed The Classic . The Crusaders now own a 24-12-1 record against their rivals from the Inland Empire. Up until last season s 21-14 overtime victory, Ontario Christian had won four in a row. But the win was exactly what Valley needed to prevent going 0-3 at home this season.
When I exchanged films with coach [Laing] Stevens last week, I told him that we can both be 0-5 or 5-0, said Valley head coach Erick Streelman. They can be 0-5 and we can be 5-0 or vice versa and it s going to be a close game. It s definitely a classic rivalry. ##m:[more]##
The Crusaders (3-2 overall) scored nearly four minutes into the game as senior quarterback Kevin Running found senior wide receiver Tanner Miller over the middle for a six-yard connection. Then the defense got into the action and held the Knights to eight plays in the quarter thanks to a sack by senior lineman Samuel Phillips of Andrew Lachelt that resulted in a 12-yard loss on fourth and 11, a sack by senior lineman Dane Hunt of Rob Coachman in the end zone and a fumble recovery by senior defensive back John Zipper that led to Running s 14-yard touchdown pass to junior wide receiver Darrell Bush on the last play of the first quarter.
Valley was looking to add to its lead early in the second quarter but Running was sacked for a 13-yard loss on first down and the Knights would take advantage of great field position, plus several penalties. Ontario Christian scored its first touchdown, and then recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, which led to another touchdown. Then with 2:33 remaining in the half, Lachelt threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Kloosterman and just like that, the Knights had an 18-16 lead.
We were up 16-0 and we went for the kill shot and ran that trick play and dropped the pitch, Streelman said. That killed us. Then we threw two picks on screen passes, which doesn t happen very often.
The Crusaders, though, refused to give the Knights any more momentum because 75 seconds later, Running found junior wide receiver Tyler Boer for a big 65-yard scoring play and the Knights were unable to do anything offensively until the fourth quarter. The lead would increase to 29-18 late in the third quarter when senior running back Anthony Binford scored from 15 yards out.
After Manual Macias scored on a seven-yard run two plays into the final quarter, Running found Boer in the left corner for a 14-yard connection with 8:20 left in the game. The Knights would waste a 14-play, five minute drive when Lachelt was incomplete on fourth down at the nine-yard line and the game would be sealed with 90 seconds remaining when junior defensive back Chris Binford intercepted a Lachelt pass at the 18-yard line. Running was 13 of 21 for 216 yards with Miller catching four of those passes for 82 yards and Bush another four for 40 yards. But the ground game was stymied by Ontario Christian s defense as the Crusaders picked up 75 yards on 29 carries.
They did a great job at defending our run, Streelman said. We were not getting pushed on their defensive line. We weren t pushing down the field. We have the right front to run the ball. On paper, everything looks greats but it seemed like they beat us physically a little bit run wise.
Defensively, the Crusaders sacked Lachelt five times, two each by Phillips and senior linebacker George Taylor and forced him to end the game with nine straight incompletions. Zipper had four and a half tackles, Anthony Binford four tackles and junior linebacker Tim Walton added three and a half tackles. Valley Christian now has its toughest task of the season when it visits St. Margaret s tonight. The Tartans are the top ranked team in the East Valley Division and sit at 5-1. They have won the divisional championship three straight seasons and had won 44 straight games before losing to San Diego based Francis Parker in the first week of the season.
I told the kids this week that this is a really important game for our season, Streelman said. We go to St. Margaret s [tonight] and you never know what s going to happen there. They re really good. Ontario is always a tough game and we don t want to go into league at 2-4.