PLACENTIA — For three quarters, the Lambda League opener between Westminster and Valencia on Thursday night was devoid of offensive points from either team.
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The Lions finally found their way with two fourth‑quarter touchdowns and then thwarted a 2‑point conversion attempt in the final seconds to secure a 14-12 victory over the Tigers.
“The coach always preaches, ‘Buy in, you’ve got to believe,’ every single day,” Westminster quarterback Nathan Bernal said. “At halftime, we were just picking each other up, being with each other, understanding that this game is played as a team.”
Westminster (5-1, 1-0) was trailing Valencia 6-0 when Bernal, who entered the game in the fourth quarter, took the snap from the shotgun formation and confused the defense with a fake handoff on a read‑option before running for a 36‑yard touchdown.
Jacob Aguilar’s extra point gave the Lions a 7-6 lead over the Tigers (4-2, 0-1).
“I think the offensive line was just on it,” Bernal said. “I didn’t cross the path of a defensive player until I was three yards past the line.”
On the ensuing possession, the Tigers came up a yard short on a fourth‑and‑9, giving Westminster possession again at its 31.
That’s when Alim Hopwood came through with a series of big plays.
He took a handoff on first down, on another read‑option play, and ran for 20 yards. Hopwood ran for 19 yards on a second-down play later in the drive. He then scored on a 2‑yard run to give the Lions a 14-6 lead.
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With three minutes remaining, Valencia’s Aaron Lazcano returned the ensuing kickoff 47 yards. The Tigers took advantage of the good field position and drove inside the Westminster 10.
The Tigers scored on fourth‑and‑goal from the 1 when Lukas Delatorre picked up a fumble and ran it in for a 1‑yard touchdown. The score cut Westminster’s lead to 14-12.
The game came down to the Tigers’ 2‑point conversion attempt.
Quarterback Deacon Belsey completed a pass at the 1, but Hopwood preserved the victory with a clutch tackle at the spot of the reception.
The only points in the first half came when Valencia defensive end Nicholas Jones returned a fumble 40 yards for a touchdown that gave the Tigers a 6-0 lead in the second quarter.
Aside from Jones’ 40‑yard fumble return, the first half was uneventful offensively, with the Lions and Tigers combining for nine punts.
Of six first‑half possessions, the Lions managed only two first downs, while the Tigers made two first downs in their four first‑half possessions.
“I was expecting us to be fresh and roll right in, but maybe a little bit of rust from the bye week kind of carried over, unfortunately,” Westminster coach Alex De Giacomo said of his team’s slow start. “That’s on me. But after we got our wheels going and got a feel for the game … it all worked out.”
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