By: Brian Haas This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it | Posted: Saturday, October 23, 2010 12:33 am

TEMECULA ---- Vista Murrieta used a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns from John Hardin on Friday night to edge a feisty Temecula Valley team, 33-22, in a Southwestern League contest.

"You have to be up every week to play here in the Southwestern League," Vista Murrieta coach Coley Candaele said. "Anyone can beat anyone out here. We knew Temecula Valley had a much improved football team and they proved it tonight."

Vista Murrieta (5-1, 2-0) opened the contest with some hard luck, which created opportunities that Temecula Valley (3-3, 0-2) took advantage of.

 

After holding the Golden Bears to a punt on their first possession, the Broncos fumbled the return, and the ball was recovered by Chris Rodriguez to keep Temecula Valley's opening drive hopes alive.

Vista Murrieta once again forced a Temecula Valley punt, but on their second offensive play of its first possession, Derrick Brown dropped back to pass but the ball slipped out of his hands and was recovered by Nicholas Robinson on Broncos' 15-yard line. Temecula Valley capitalized on the mistake and took the early lead when Tyler Dudley connected on a 22-yard field goal.

"We came out here flat, didn't have that much emotion," Vista Murrieta quarterback Derrick Brown said.

Vista Murrieta found its way back into the game after a botched punt from Temecula Valley gave the Broncos excellent field position. Brown would then find end zone on a 1-yard run to give Vista Murrieta a 7-3 lead.

Derrick Tarin wasted no time getting the Bears back on top, as he connected on a 80-yard touchdown pass to Darren Maiden just 7 seconds later to put Temecula Valley back on top by three.

Brown took over in the second quarter rushing for a 35-yard touchdown and connecting on a 22-yard touchdown pass to Michael Mazur, which was set up with a brilliant pump fake.

"We have been throwing stops all year, but haven't really thrown that many stop-and-goes," Brown said. "The corners were playing us pretty tight, so I told (Mazur) to run that stop-and-go, and it worked. (Mazur) made a great catch on that ball."

Two more field goals by Tyler Dudley would draw the Bears to within four points at the beginning of the fourth quarter but they would come no closer.

Hardin locked up the game for the Broncos in the fourth with touchdown runs of 24 and 23 yards. Hardin finished his night rushing 21 times for 139 yards.

"John picked up a lot of the slack tonight and made the plays that we needed," Candaele said.

Kason Kennedy led the Bears in rushing with 15 carries for 101 yards, but would leave the game at the end of the third quarter after suffering an apparent hip pointer injury. Tarin was 14-of-27 in the air for 223 yards and had a rushing touchdown.

The Broncos had seven sacks in the game.

"We did well rushing the passer today," Candaele said, "But we didn't do so well protecting the draw. It was a give and take. They did a great job exposing some weaknesses that we have to fix."