Valley Christian Punches Ticket to Semifinals with 37-12 Win over El Rancho

PICO RIVERA – The Valley Christian Crusaders scored on four of its first five possessions enroute to a 37-12 win over host El Rancho Friday in a CIF Division 9 quarter final matchup.

Junior quarterback Isaac Joseph led the way for the Crusaders, throwing for three touchdowns, while running backs Dominic Paul and Gianni Hurd each ran for scores as the Crusaders who won its ninth consecutive game.

“We had better execution,” Joseph said of this game’s performance. Last week the Crusaders struggled early on in the game before being able to put everything together. “It didn’t feel right early on in the first game.”

Joseph finished 10 of 18 for 254 yards and the three touchdowns. Quory Smith added 150 yards on five catches and a touchdown. He also had a 61 yard catch that set up the crusader’s first touchdown of the game.

“It’s the playoffs,” Valley Christian coach Woodie Grayson said. “In order to get to the playoffs you have to have more than one play-maker.’’

It was Valley Christian who struck first and never looked back. After smith’s 61 yard catch set up the Crusaders at the one yard line, Gianni Hurd finished off the drive with a one-yard dive to take a quick 7-0 lead. Garrett Williams then caught a swing pass and returned it 40 yards for the second score of the night for the Crusaders with less than a minute left to go in the first quarter.

“We were able to see what they wanted to do and adjust to it,” Grayson said. “As they adjusted we were also able to see that and took advantage of it.”

El Rancho, however, wouldn’t go away. Marcus Week scored the first of his two touchdowns, a nine yard run, on the Dons’ first drive in the second quarter. Weeks would score again on essentially its final play of the game, but the result has already been determined.

“They (El Rancho) are a very good team, and they scored a lot of points against their opponents during the season,” Grayson said. “For us to hold them to only 12 points, that’s big for us.”

Valley Christian hosts Riverside Notre Dame in one semifinal game next Friday. Kickoff is at 7pm.

Photo: Quarterback Issac Joseph looks to the sideline for the next play