Ark Valley News - HORNET FOOTBALL: Winning season for Valley Center

Camryn Kaufman runs for a gain in the first half against Eisenhower.

HORNET FOOTBALL: Winning season for Valley Center
By Chris Strunk
Last Updated: October 29, 2020

The Valley Center High School football team guaranteed itself a winning season for the first time in three years with a 23-7 victory over Goddard Eisenhower at home Friday (Oct. 23).

The Hornets will play at 5-2 Bishop Carroll in the the Class 5A Round of 32 Oct. 30.

"It feels great," Hornet coach Scott L'Ecuyer said. "The seniors sit down and talk about goals at the beginning of the year. Sometimes they can get a little crazy. … This group was real realistic. When they came in they said they wanted to have a winning season. So, I'm super proud for those guys that they were able to come in and accomplish that goal."

That goal appeared to be in the Hornets' minds all night against 3-5 Eisenhower.

Valley Center took advantage of short fields to take a 14-0 lead in the first quarter.

Eisenhower cut the lead to 14-7 by halftime.

Valley Center extended its lead to 17-7 with a field goal in the third quarter and then put the game out of reach with a 12-play, 64-yard touchdown drive that ate up nearly six minutes of the fourth quarter.

"That was the formula we talked about all off-season," L'Ecuyer said. "We were going to play good defense and out-possess the opponent, and to do that, you have to have a solid run game."

The solid run game began in the first quarter.

An interception by Hunter Sharp set up Valley Center's first touchdown drive, which started at the Eisenhower 35. Kaleb Harden pitched the ball to Dominic Phillips, who scored from the 7-yard line.

Valley Center's second touchdown drive started in the Eisenhower half of the field. Harden completed a 30-yard pass to Camryn Kaufman to get inside the Tiger 20. Fullback Ben Warner spun up the middle for the six-yard touchdown run.

Eisenhower capitalized on a Hornet turnover in the second quarter inside the Valley Center 10 as Cody Hawks scored on a one-yard run.

Valley Center turned the ball over three times in the game.

Sharp kicked a field goal to end a third-quarter defensive battle, giving the Hornets a 17-7 lead.

Valley Center then went on its long drive in the fourth. The march stayed on the ground as Dominic Phillips carried most of the load with short and steady gains. An unsportsmanlike penalty against Eisenhower helped the Hornets.

Phillips was rewarded for the work, taking a Harden pitch on the left side and beating the Eisenhower defense on the edge for a three-yard touchdown run.

Phillips finished the game with 142 yards and two scores on 28 carries. Warner gained 71 yards. Harden completed 11 of 18 passes for 130 yards.

Eisenhower was held to just 58 yards of total offense.

Eisenhower's starting quarterback, Nick Hogan, left the game in first quarter with an apparent knee injury. He did not return.