Valley’s Flowers Blooms as Monarchs Roll, 44-21

VAN NUYS — In a game that was never close, Valley College unleashed its high-power passing attack to beat Mt. San Jacinto, 44-21, in a nonconference game Saturday night at Monarch Stadium.

Aaron Flowers, a sophomore transfer from Utah State, completed 20 of 32 passes for 253 yards and one touchdown for the Monarchs.

Valley (2-0) was not threatened by a Mt. San Jacinto team that generated no offense until the fourth quarter.

The Monarchs kept Mt. San Jacinto (0-2) to only a field goal in the first half and limited quarterback Andy Hixon to 60 yards passing. His replacement, Jazz Gomez, completed 13 of 23 for 182 yards and two touchdowns.

Valley iced the game with touchdown runs of one and two yards by Marcel Desir early in the fourth quarter. A 50-yard pass play from Zack Hernandez to Tweedy Steiner gave the Monarchs a 44-15 lead.

An Eagle mistake helped set up Desir’s first score.

On fourth and 22, the Monarchs punted, but Mt. San Jacinto’s Travis Williams fumbled and Felipe Aguilar recovered at the Eagle 27. Desir scored four plays later.

The Monarchs drove 76 yards in 15 plays in the game’s opening series and took a 7-0 lead on a 10-yard run by Marcus Harvey.

Valley made it 14-0 with 6:35 left in the half on a 31-yard pass play from Flowers to Cameron Perry.

Elijah Raphael made it 20-0 on a 42-yard run along the right sideline. The extra-point attempt was blocked and the Eagles closed the gap to 20-3 on a 39-yard field goal by Ryan Palomino with 50 seconds left in the half.

Harvey had 107 yards in 17 carries and Raphael, a sophomore from Kennedy High, had 73 in five carries.

Perry, a sophomore from Hart, had 72 yards on four receptions, and David Eastham caught five passes for 51 yards.