Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Division IV: Valley Center vs. Madison

Jaguars capture second straight section crown

Valley Center running back Justin Lawrence scores a touchdown in the second quarter of the Division IV championship game. The Jaguars beat Madison 31-20 at Qualcomm Stadium.

The last couple of years have been special for Valley Center’s football team. Friday afternoon the Jaguars won their second Division IV section title in a row and third in four years, beating Madison 31-24 at Qualcomm Stadium.

“This group of guys – they’re really neat to be around, they have fun every day at practice, no discipline problems, no academic problems,” said Valley Center head coach Rob Gilster. “The guys came ready to work every day and it was so much fun to coach them.”

Valley Center opened the scoring midway through the first quarter when quarterback Tyler Bernard found tight end Patrick Preston for a nine-yard touchdown. Bernard found wide receiver James Johnson for a 28-yard score just before halftime to give the Jaguars a 21-7 lead at the half.

Madison got going in the second half behind the running of Robbie Rouse. After a Valley Center fumble to open the third quarter, Rouse scored on a seven-yard touchdown. Rouse’s one-yard score in with 8:44 in the fourth quarter cut Madison’s deficit to four at 24-20. Madison’s senior running back finished with 238 yards and three touchdowns on 36 carries.

With their lead shrunk to four, Valley Center responded on their next drive. Bernard found Johnson again, who faked out a Madison defensive back and ran untouched into the endzone from 56 yards out for the game’s final score. “When we get him the ball, we know things are going to happen,” Bernard said.

It was a record-setting day for Johnson, who became the section’s all-time leader in receiving yards, passing El Camino’s Nelson Rosario (2005-2007). Johnson’s 162 yards on six receptions in the game gave him 2,930 career receiving yards.

“We were trying to get him the record, but it’s tough when they’re doubling,” Bernard said. “For him to get open and break tackles – he got it on his own, no help from me.”

Johnson broke the record wearing teammate Jeremy Rubio’s No. 23 jersey. Rubio was injured in practice this week and unable to play in the game.

“I’ll be playing again in the future and he will never get a chance to play again,” said Johnson, who is considering Colorado, Oregon and Utah, “so why not honor him by wearing his jersey.

“Of course I want to go out there and make plays – do whatever I need to do. But wearing his jersey in honor of him makes me feel that much better.”

After their win over Madison in the Division IV championship, anyone wearing a Valley Center jersey has to feel pretty good.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all

Previous article

OSHA rules wall falls our fault

Who, U.S.?

Jaguars capture second straight section crown

Valley Center running back Justin Lawrence scores a touchdown in the second quarter of the Division IV championship game. The Jaguars beat Madison 31-20 at Qualcomm Stadium.

The last couple of years have been special for Valley Center’s football team. Friday afternoon the Jaguars won their second Division IV section title in a row and third in four years, beating Madison 31-24 at Qualcomm Stadium.

“This group of guys – they’re really neat to be around, they have fun every day at practice, no discipline problems, no academic problems,” said Valley Center head coach Rob Gilster. “The guys came ready to work every day and it was so much fun to coach them.”

Valley Center opened the scoring midway through the first quarter when quarterback Tyler Bernard found tight end Patrick Preston for a nine-yard touchdown. Bernard found wide receiver James Johnson for a 28-yard score just before halftime to give the Jaguars a 21-7 lead at the half.

Madison got going in the second half behind the running of Robbie Rouse. After a Valley Center fumble to open the third quarter, Rouse scored on a seven-yard touchdown. Rouse’s one-yard score in with 8:44 in the fourth quarter cut Madison’s deficit to four at 24-20. Madison’s senior running back finished with 238 yards and three touchdowns on 36 carries.

With their lead shrunk to four, Valley Center responded on their next drive. Bernard found Johnson again, who faked out a Madison defensive back and ran untouched into the endzone from 56 yards out for the game’s final score. “When we get him the ball, we know things are going to happen,” Bernard said.

It was a record-setting day for Johnson, who became the section’s all-time leader in receiving yards, passing El Camino’s Nelson Rosario (2005-2007). Johnson’s 162 yards on six receptions in the game gave him 2,930 career receiving yards.

“We were trying to get him the record, but it’s tough when they’re doubling,” Bernard said. “For him to get open and break tackles – he got it on his own, no help from me.”

Johnson broke the record wearing teammate Jeremy Rubio’s No. 23 jersey. Rubio was injured in practice this week and unable to play in the game.

“I’ll be playing again in the future and he will never get a chance to play again,” said Johnson, who is considering Colorado, Oregon and Utah, “so why not honor him by wearing his jersey.

“Of course I want to go out there and make plays – do whatever I need to do. But wearing his jersey in honor of him makes me feel that much better.”

After their win over Madison in the Division IV championship, anyone wearing a Valley Center jersey has to feel pretty good.

Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Division IV State Bowl: Bishop’s vs Brookside Christian

Next Article

Bracket Breakdown: Division IV

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.