As a zipback in the Arroyo Grande High School football team's traditional-fly formation offense, senior James Valez is usually content to let his fellow running backs receive most of the carries and do other things that the coaching staff wants him to do.

In the Eagles' home opener against St. Joseph on Friday night, however, Valez's role changed, and he took advantage of it.

In Arroyo Grande's 21-7 victory, Valez scored both of his team's offensive touchdowns, both in spectacular fashion. At the end of the first half, he set a school record with a 99-yard touchdown run to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead. Then, with two minutes remaining in a 7-7 contest, Valez scored again on a nifty 17-yard scamper to give the Eagles a lead they didn't relinquish.

Valez probably won't become a workhorse back anytime soon - he ran the ball only six times, and eight other Eagles received at least one carry. But with his recent performances (he returned a kickoff 85 yards for a score in last Friday's loss at Madera), he is making a bid to become much more involved in Arroyo Grande's game plan.

"We're running a rudimentary offense right now, and that means a lot of sweeps," said Arroyo Grande coach Jon Huss. "(Valez is great on sweeps) because he does cut back well, he's hard for the defense to find and he's got a lot of stamina. The kid keeps himself in great shape."

The Eagles were doing nothing on offense in the first half until they were put in the worst possible position. Facing a third-and-9 situation from their 1-yard line, the Eagles were set to run a play-action pass until they were penalized for delay of game. Huss changed the play call to a sweep and watched Valez burst through a hole on the right side of the line, make a great cut to the right to elude a Knights safety and outrun the rest of the secondary on his way to the end zone for the game's first score.

"I was just trying to get a first down," said Valez, who ran for 127 yards. "I saw the fullback lead and swallow up a linebacker, and I dipped inside. Then I caught a safety (out of position) and hit the sideline. I knew that run gave us the lead, but I also knew that it didn't mean the game was won."

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It wasn't. After both teams pitched defensive shutouts in the third quarter, a gritty St. Joseph team finally got some offensive momentum, with quarterback Brian McConkey capping off an eight-play, 65-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7 with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

On the Knights' next possession, however, McConkey was intercepted by safety Dillon Bedford, and the Eagles' ensuing drive ended with Valez's second score.

With a minute and a half left, McConkey's first pass on St. Joseph's next offensive series was picked off by cornerback DeAngelo Waller, who ran 43 yards untouched into the end zone to seal Arroyo Grande's first win.

"It was a heck of a game," said Knights coach Mike Hartwell. "Our kids played our hearts out. Our offense is still a work in progress, and we ran into a tough defense tonight."

Sept. 10, 2005