Florence is step up in competition for Valley Christian

November 12, 2004

Valley Christian might have to turn off its cruise control tonight on its drive to the 2A championship.

The Trojans have had an easy time of it for a month, winning its last four games by a score of 176-20.

Tonight’s quarterfinal game against Florence, however, will require Valley Christian’s full attention.

"We haven’t had a game this tough in a while," said Valley Christian coach Sean Loomer. "They hit real well and they knocked us out of the playoffs last year in the first round."

Florence opened the playoffs with a 34-14 win over Teec Nos Pos Red Mesa and are led by 1,700-yard rusher Jason Calhoun and quarterback Chuck Lopez.

The Gophers finished second in the tough Copper Region, which still has three teams alive in the playoffs, as does the Metro Region.

Valley Christian welcomed back running back J.B. Brissette to full-time duty in last week’s 42-0, first-round win over Wellton Antelope. Brissette rushed for 143 yards on 17 carries and scored four touchdowns.

"The number of carries was good for him, he’s back in the swing of things," said Loomer. "He was a little rusty, but he looks good."

Another player that has looked good is quarterback Ben Bergsma. After throwing for just 358 yards and five interceptions in the first six weeks, Bergsma has completed 22-of-37 passes for 500 yards and no interceptions in the last four games, three of which came during Brissette’s absence.

"He’s getting more confident," Loomer said of Bergsma. "He kind of came into his own during that time. He likes knowing that we are going to throw the ball more."