Jake Solley ran for 100 yards and two touchdowns as the two-time defending Foothill League champion Valencia Vikings opened 2011 league play with a 31-14 win over the West Ranch Wildcats.

The game was televised by SCVTV.

Valencia wide receiver Tedrck Thompson hauled in five passes for 69 yards and a touchdown to earn U.S. Army Player of the Game honors.

On the first offensive play of the game for Valencia, quarterback Sean Murphy’s pass was intercepted by Jake Stone.  On the very next play, West Ranch junior quarterback Gerrit Mouw hit Matt Christensen for a 63-yard touchdown.

Valencia subsequently answered with a one-yard score from Murphy and Solley’s first touchdown, this one from eight yards out.

West Ranch (4-2, 0-1) came right back in the second quarter when Jake Miura plunged in from the one to even the score at 14.

Valencia (3-3, 1-0) used the final 1:03 of the first half to move the ball to the West Ranch 18 yard line.  With .6 seconds to play in the half, the Vikings Brett Schreiber kicked a 35-yard field goal to give Valencia a 17-14 halftime lead.

Starting the third quarter, both teams gave the other opportunities.  The Wildcats’ Devin Georgio recovered a Vikings fumble, but Valencia’s Billy Shipman intercepted a Mouw pass to return the turnover favor.  Murphy then completed four passes in a row to Tedrick Thompson, with the final being a 10-yard touchdown to stretch the Vikings lead to 10.

Solley closed out the scoring with a 7-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter to give the Vikings the win.

West Ranch’s Jeff Coprich finished with 118 yards on 14 carries, but appeared hobbled by his ankle injury.

Mouw completed 7-of-19 for 135 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

Valencia’s Murphy was 10-of-20 for 168 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

Also Friday:

Hart 28

Golden Valley 3

Canyon 51

Saugus 28