PHOTOS: Santa Ana Valley’s turn-around season ends with loss in quarterfinals

Santa Ana Valley running back Mario Trujillo runs for a gain during the second quarter of the CIF Division 12 quarterfinal game against Hueneme. Photos: Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone).

Hueneme High School of Oxnard scored three second-half touchdowns to break a tie game and went on to defeat Santa Ana Valley 26-14 in a CIF Division 12 quarterfinal playoff game Friday night at Santa Ana Valley High.

Aiden Avita was the Vikings’ workhorse as the junior runningback carried the ball 34 times for 218 yards and scored three touchdowns. Hueneme advances to the semifinals and will play Valley Christian in the semifinals next Friday.

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The Vikings (6-6) started the season 1-5, but have won five of their last six games. Santa Ana Valley finished the season 9-3.  

“It’s amazing we’re going to the semifinals; I wasn’t even alive when Hueneme last reached the semis in 1999,” said Avita.  

Avita broke up a 7-7 tie when he scored on a 25-yard run with 3:11 left in the third quarter. Hueneme missed the PAT and led 13-7. Then on the first play of the fourth-quarter, SAV came up short on a fourth-and-one running play at midfield. The Vikings took control of the ball and marched 52-yards in seven plays for a touchdown.

The drive was capped on a nine-yard TD pass from Josiah Sanchez to Oswaldo Collazo giving Hueneme a 19-7 lead with 9:27 to play.

The Falcons turned the ball over on the ensuing possession and the Vikings capitalized as Avita scored his third TD of the game, this one on a 28-yard run upping he lead to 26-7.

Santa Ana Valley rallied as quarterback Tom Guzman tossed a 18-yard TD pass to Juan Vargas to cut the lead to 26-14 with 4:24 remaining.

The Falcons failed to recover the ensuing onside kick but did recover a fumble five plays later. However, Guzman was sacked on a fourth-down play and Hueneme took possession of the ball and ran out the clock.

“It’s been a great season,” said Falcons Coach Fred Macias. “To go from 2-8 to 9-3 and make it to the quarterfinals is wonderful for our program. All the hard work these guys put in really paid off. We just ran into a tough running back (Aiden Avita) who seemed to get stronger as the game wore on.”

Mario Trujillo led Santa Ana Valley with 134 yards rushing on 15 carries. He gave the Falcons a 7-0 lead when he blasted off tackle in the opening quarter on a 53-yard TD run.

“This season has been a complete 180,” Trujillo said “We proved everybody wrong, but Hueneme got the best of us tonight.”  

SAV had another scoring opportunity late in the first-quarter as they drove to the Vikings 14-yard line, but a Falcons 32-yard field goal attempt was blocked.

The Vikings moved the ball on the ground effectively in the first half, but the SAV defense, led by linebackers Luis Salgado and Bruce Sanchez and Trujillo (defensive back), came up with key stops on critical third-downs plays to foil several Hueneme drives. Trujillo had an interception and Sanchez had a fumble recovery as the Falcons forced four turnovers in the game.  

The Vikings tied the a 7-7 with 2:37 left in the half when Avita capped off a seven-play, 53-yard scoring drive with an 11-yard TD run.  

“We played big and physical and Aiden Avita is like a little bowling ball; he’s a special talent,” said Vikings Coach Ryan Frazier.

NOTES:

• Friday was the first time Hueneme and Santa Ana Valley have ever played each other in football.

• Santa Ana Valley senior Karla Ayala sang the National Anthem. She will enter the US Army after graduation and is scheduled to be stationed in Korea.

—Tom Connolly, For OC Sports Zone