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the times
September 5, 2013
Back-to-back Oregonian
Cup 3A Champions
(2012 and 2013)
valleycatholic.org/athletics
Off Murray Blvd. Between TV Hwy. & Farmington in Beaverton
427195.090513 FBP
2012 RECORD:
2-6 (5th in Lewis & Clark)
NOtablE:
Valley Catholic brings back most
of its 2012 roster, including all-leaguers
Liam Walsh, Clay Kemper and John Tate
.
V
alley
C
atholiC
Valley Catholic wants to make 3A playoff push
By MATT SINGLEDECKER
The Times
The parts are in place for a playoff
push.
The returners are motivated and amped.
The field is well-lit and ready for prime-
time Friday night football.
Valley Catholic hasn’t been to the playoffs
in the school’s history but the Valiants think
2013 is the year to get off the schneid.
“We feel we have a lot of stuff that’s click-
ing,” said head coach Doug Ierardi. “We have
a lot of returners who are solid, they know
what they’re doing. They understand the
concepts of the offense and defense. We have
a lot of skill guys returning so I’m super ex-
cited about what we’re doing.”
OffENsE
Senior quarterback Carter Buuck comes
into his second year as a starter. He’s is one
of the captains guiding the Valiants’ ship this
season. Buuck is the trigger man for Valley
Catholic’s zone-read option offense and is
lethal from the pocket when he has time to
throw.
“He’s been in leadership roles regardless
of it’s football, basketball or baseball,” said
Ierardi. “He has a super competitive edge.
He understands the game on both sides of
the ball so he’s going to be big for us.”
Running backs LiamWalsh and Clay Kem-
per return in the backfield with all-league
resumes and slews of experience. Walsh can
bring the boom inside but worked hard dur-
ing the summer to improve his wheels.
“Walsh is big (6’1, 225 pounds) but he’s
quite a bit faster this season,” said Ierardi.
“He has real good field vision so if sees an
ally he can cut back quickly and get up a
seam pretty fast. But, he’s definitely a guy
Talented Valiant squad thinks
its time is here and now
that if we got in short yardage situations I
can give it to him and get two or three yards.”
Wide receivers Kazuma Lane, Jacob Vin-
cent, Alex Hyland and J.D. Menkins who’s
coming back to football after a few years off
make up the pass catching core. Ierardi pre-
fers to let his players make decisions on their
own while spreading the field and trying to
go vertically and horizontally.
“Carter’s surrounded by a lot of skill guys,”
said Ierardi. “That’s what we learned this
summer during 7 on 7 that if Carter has three
seconds to throw, we can complete passes to
guys that catch it. There’s not just one guy to
key on. The whole backfield and skill guys
have to be defended.”
The whole offensive line returns from last
year and only John Tate is a senior. Center
Drew VanderZanden, guards Conner Wil-
liams and Brian Oakes are juniors and soph-
omore Jacob Pruitt is out at left tackle. Tate
will protect Buucks’ blindside at right tackle.
“It’s a really solid line,” said Ierardi. “They
understand their run blocking schemes with
no confusion which is huge. They know who
to block, who the read guy is, who the pitch
guy is. We’re hoping for big things from
them.”
DEfENsE
Valley Catholic is blessed with enough tal-
ented depth to rotate guys through at the
skill position players and linemen. Instead of
running 10 guys both ways the Valiants are
able to get little breaks here and there and
keep their legs crisp.
“When an offense and defense switch posi-
tions on the field and five new guys come
running in, that’s a little intimidating some-
times,” Ierardi. “To think ‘hey, those guys
have been on the sidelines for a while and
they’re fresh and ready to go’. That’s what
we’re trying to do.
They run a 3-5 base defense and have play-
ers who fit the scheme’s mold, especially at
linebacker. Walsh and Jakob Pruitt are big
‘backers who roam the middle. Lane is an out-
side linebacker who Ierardi says is “big, fast
and strong and fits our personnel.”
Ierardi said the defensive line will consist
of some combination of Tate, VanderZanden,
Oakes, Williams, Jeffrey Williams, Rob
Woodruff.
“That’s an advantage that we haven’t had
in the past,” said Ierardi. “We’re getting to
the point where we can take a guy off, get him
some water, talk about what’s going on, send
him back out there and keep them fresh as
long as possible.”
Valley Catholic wants to give Rainier and
Clatskanie a run for their money in the Lewis
and Clark League and possibly get one of the
two seeds. The Valiants face off against Blan-
chet Catholic and Colton at home the first two
games under the bright lights and then head
to Sheridan.
“Those are going to be some physical
games and see how we do against them,” said
Ierardi.
“We know for sure that Rainier will be a
physical game. We want to see how we can
compete in those (preseason) games and if
the changes we brought to the offense are go-
ing to pan out for us. I think these first five
games are going to tell us a lot about what we
can do.”
TIMES FILE PHOTO
Valley Catholic running back Clay Kemper is part of a loaded Valiant offense itching to put up points this season.
