INLAND FIELDHOUSE

I covered the Moreno Valley Valley View-Riverside Arlington varsity football game for The Press-Enterprise on Friday, Sept. 30, 2011, and for the first time this season, I watched a team come from ahead to lose.

The Lions (1-3 overall, 0-1 Inland Valley) scored exactly zero points in the second half, and gained just 54 yards.

And Arlington was hampered by eight penalties for 75 yards, with three of its four second-half drives best by yellow flags. The other one? An interception killed that drive inside the Lions’ own 30.

Conversely, the Eagles (5-0, 2-0) scored 13 points (1 TD, 1 XP, 2 FGs) in the second half on 131 yards.

Aside from a two personal foul penalties and one false start, Valley View was a well-disciplined side in the second half. The Eagles scored on three of their five second-half possessions, the fifth ending in three kneel-downs by QB Abraham Nuno.

Pretty simple. Almost numbingly so.

It wasn’t nearly as high-scoring as previously predicted, probably to be credited to the number of takeaways (four) in the first half. Careless with the football, some might say. To wit: Both team’s opening drives were halted by turnovers, with Valley View fumbling on its second play and Arlington intercepted on its third.

For all its sloppiness, the second half had its bright moments. There was Nuno’s 34-yard completion to receiver Sterling Winston, and Nuno’s 23-yard completion to receiver Andrew Walker, but … that was it. Seriously. Those were the only two plays longer than 20 yards.

So is Valley View for real? How’s TBD for an answer. The Eagles play Rancho Verde in Week 5.

Valley View coach Jack Fogarty:
“The offense just got enough. We’ve been a great second half team all year. That’s what we do. Attitude. They just believe in themselves. We had a very simple idea on defense. We play a very simple defense. The offense knows… Mike’s a hell of a running back. I wish he could 100 percent but he makes plays when we need them. He’s been banged up all year. He’s got bad ankles, and he’s still the best back in the league. He just makes things happen. He’s a great kid. It’s huge (to be 5-0). We’re finally getting… we’ve been better… I’m not happy with the progress and how long it took us but we’re there. And these kids, there’s not a lot to – look at us, we’re a bunch of midgets – I mean we don’t physically match up to anybody but they have so much heart it’s unbelievable. They just have guts. They play hard. They’re strong. Physically we don’t get dominated. We’re just playing straight. But it’s huge.”

Riverside Arlington coach Pat McCarthy:
“They played better than us in the second half, without question. Our kids played hard to the end. They just made better plays than we did. Our kids didn’t quit. They played hard. They deserve to win. I give them credit. They made the plays down at the end. That’s what it came down to. Turnovers always affect you, yeah, of course.”