http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnV5PAVvNfw

Jaguars start fast, hold off Sultans to capture section crown

QUALCOMM STADIUM – After falling in the finals in consecutive seasons, Valley Center is back on top of Division IV. Led by a strong defensive effort, the second-seeded Jaguars started quickly and held off fourth-seeded Santana in the final minutes for a 20-14 victory on Monday.

“We knew we had to finish, and that was our motto through the whole year,” Valley Center senior defensive back Tommy Aguilar said. “We didn’t finish the past two years.”

On the game’s opening drive, Aguilar intercepted a pass by Santana quarterback Kyle Gasner to set Valley Center (12-1) up at midfield. On the next play, the Jaguars went deep and took a 7-0 lead on a Ryan Kleiman 52-yard touchdown pass to Michael McInerny.

“They played man-to-man on the outside and McInerny is a good receiver, so I felt if we were in the right spot on the field that was going to be the first play,” Valley Center head coach Rob Gilster said. “We got a turnover, and everybody likes to throw the ball deep after a turnover. It fit for us.”

Santana (11-2) used its special teams to pull even late in the first quarter, when linebacker Wesley Green blocked a Valley Center punt and the Sultans took over at the Jaguars two-yard line. Two plays later, Tyler Weiss tied the game at seven with a two-yard touchdown run.

Valley Center took a three-point lead in the second quarter and extended its lead following an interception by defensive back Cody Gearhart. The Jaguars started at the Santana 41-yard line and made it 17-7 on a Garrett Fiehler 25-yard scoring run with 5:50 left in the first half.

“When you have an offensive line like that, they carry you most of the way and it makes it pretty easy,” Fiehler said.

After a scoreless start to the second half, Valley Center extended its lead to 20-7 early in the fourth quarter on a McInerny 30-yard field goal. The Jaguars kept Santana at a distance until Gasner guided the Sultans on a 91-yard scoring drive to make it a one-score game with 10-yard pass to Shawn Padberg with 1:22 remaining.

“We got flustered and were trying to get other personnel on the field to match up with their offense – we weren’t thinking how we usually do,” Aguilar said.

Santana attempted an onside kick following the score, but the Sultans’ comeback bid fell short as the kick failed to go the necessary 10 yards. Valley Center ran out the clock to preserve the championship victory.

“This is what we’ve been working for, and to finally be able to do is just awesome,” Fiehler said. “It was nailbiter, but I’m glad we pulled it off.”

Fiehler finished the game with 205 yards on 41 carries just four days after carrying the ball 40 times against Madison in the semifinals. The senior was one of the few healthy players on last year’s flu-ridden team that lost in the finals.

“We were chewing on him trying to get every last bit of effort out of him and he gave it,” Gilster said. “When your defense is playing great, you try to keep them on the sidelines and make your first downs.”

After losing to San Pasqual in the season opener, Valley Center won its final 12 games en route to its seventh section title in eight seasons. The Jaguars captured this championship with a stellar defensive performance.

“We all got together and we became a family – that’s what helped us the most,” Aguilar said. “We all hung out as much as we possibly could and we knew we were playing for each other on the field.”

Pictured: Valley Center running back Garrett Fiehler carries the ball against Santana