VALLEY CENTERVALLEY CENTER — After falling behind by two scores, the Fallbrook High football team switched on its mojo.
The Warriors scored 42 unanswered points and rolled to a 42-22 road victory over Valley Center in a key Valley League matchup Friday night. Junior running back Chris Bausch scored four touchdowns and went over 1,000 yards rushing for the season as Fallbrook (5-2, 2-0) took the driver’s seat in the league race.
“There’s been some games where we started slow, but we know we can come back,” said Bausch, who scored a pair of touchdowns just 48 seconds apart late in the first half before adding two more scores in the third quarter. “Ever since we were 3-1, we’ve liked our chances every time out.”
Bausch finished with 193 yards on 19 carries before sitting out the fourth quarter, giving him 1,106 yards on the season. Sean Farish added a pair of touchdown runs to add to the spoiling of Valley Center’s homecoming, which took an even bigger hurt when Fallbrook defensive back Trent Pack came up with two interceptions on the Jags’ first two possessions of the second half.
“The quarterback threw it up there, and it was whoever got the highest,” said Pack, whose picks led to TD runs of 6 yards by Bausch and 17 yards by Farish. “This is the first time we’ve beaten Valley Center in a long time, but we can’t get too ahead of ourselves because we have more league games left to play.”
Fallbrook’s last win over the Jaguars came in 2014, a 21-7 triumph at Valley Center which was a signature statement for the Warriors during their most recent outright, unbeaten run to a Valley League championship.
That was the first year in the Valley League for the Warriors after being longtime of the Avocado League, and the Jaguars had won seven straight over Fallbrook since, all by convincing margins of victory. Valley Center went on to claim three straight league titles outright after sharing the crown with Fallbrook in 2015.
The Warriors got this year’s league campaign off to an impressive start with their 24-7 win over Ramona before dropping a nonleague decision to Imperial Valley stalwart Brawley prior to making the trek to Valley Center.
“We got off to a bit of a stressful start, but I’m glad we were able to recover,” said Fallbrook coach Ross Johnson. “We knew Valley Center was going to play hard.”
Valley Center (3-4, 2-1) began league play with a pair of road wins over San Pasqual and Escondido, but the Jaguars suited up only 26 players for the Fallbrook game.
“And I think we finished with 20 with all the injuries going on,” said longtime Valley Center coach Rob Gilster. “Every week is a league championship game for us. This Fallbrook team was a good freshman unit, and coach Johnson has done a great job with them.
“We didn’t have any answers tonight.”
Valley Center claimed the early momentum with a pair of Colton Paxton touchdown es on two of the Jaguars’ first three possessions.
An interception by Aiden Cuevas on Fallbrook’s first attempt of the night gave the hosts a first down at their own 47-yard line 3½ minutes into the contest. The Valley Center offense converted two third downs and a fourth down before Paxton connected with tight end Luke Stehly for a 4-yard touchdown on the 13th play of the drive with 2:34 remaining in the opening period.
Two Fallbrook punts later, it was Keven Garcia on the receiving end of three Paxton es, including a 22-yard TD reception after Garcia spilt a pair of Fallbrook defenders to give the Jaguars a 14-0 advantage with 7:14 left in the first half.
That’s when the Bausch show got going.
Following an exchange of punts, the Warriors took possession at midfield, and Bausch broke numerous tackles on a 31-yard run to the right side two plays before he took a direct snap and rumbled 11 yards for Fallbrook’s first score of the night with 2:49 left in the half.
Bausch scored again just 48 seconds later after three Valley Center es resulted in no yardage, forcing another punt. On first down, Bausch bolted 57 yards over the right side for the game-tying score.
Paxton then had to be carried off the field with a right leg injury with 1:10 left in first half after taking a hard hit as he released a . He was replaced by Jason Vasquez.
A partially blocked punt enabled the Warriors to attempt a 25-yard field goal as time expired in the half, but the kick sailed wide right, leaving the scored tied 14-14 at the intermission.
It took the visitors less than four minutes into the third period to take a 28-14 lead following Pack’s interceptions, and the rest of the Warriors defense came up with two more turnovers later in the second half to preserve the victory.
Fallbrook 42, Valley Center 22
Fallbrook 0 14 21 7 — 42
Valley Center 7 7 0 8 — 22
VC — L. Stehly 4 from Paxton (Rosario kick)
VC — Garcia 22 from Paxton (Rosario kick)
F — Bausch 11 run (Gomez kick)
F — Bausch 57 run (Gomez kick)
F — Bausch 6 run (run failed)
F — Farish 17 run (Leon run)
F — Bausch 10 run (Gomez kick)
F — Farish 4 run (Gomez kick)
VC — J. Stehly 2 run (Garcia from Vasquez)
