A STOKES OF GENIUS; WIDE RECEIVER HAD GAME OF HIS CAREER.Byline: Scott Magoloff Staff Writer In his own words, Valencia High all-purpose threat Stephen Stokes Stokes , William 1804-1878. British physician. Known especially for his studies of diseases of the chest and heart, he expanded on the observations of John Cheyne in describing the breathing irregularity now known as Cheyne-Stokes respiration. is ``not a real partier.'' Therefore, Stokes' weekend was nothing special. His day in school Monday was basically normal. Stokes caught five passes for 205 yards and three second-half touchdowns to lead Valencia to a 26-21 win over Notre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam] is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame in the Southern Section Division III
Division III (or DIII) is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the United States. quarterfinals Friday. The victory put the Vikings, only in their fifth season of football, in the semifinals for the second consecutive year. ``I just didn't want to quit at all; I wanted to play more games,'' said Stokes, a senior. ``At halftime, when I left the huddle I told the team if they didn't want to play, not to come out of the locker room. That's what it seemed like in the first half.'' Stokes (two catches for 29 yards in the first half) and the Valencia offense were out of rhythm. Quarterback Kyle Bauer was 7 of 13 for 56 yards in the opening half, and two of those completions went for minus-15 yards. What a difference a halftime makes. Bauer completed 4 of 5 passes for 181 yards in the second half, with three of those passes (42, 46 and 88 yards) caught for touchdowns by Stokes. The play that won the game - the 88-yard bomb - came on fourth-and-18 from the Vikings 12. ``To tell you the truth, I wasn't the least bit nervous and neither were my teammates,'' Stokes said of the huddle before the big play. ``We've done the play before, now let's just go out and do it, let's just run it and see what happens. We were pretty calm. ``That will help us out in the next two games if it comes down to the wire.'' Lost in the fray fray 1 n. 1. A scuffle; a brawl. See Synonyms at brawl. 2. A heated dispute or contest. tr.v. frayed, fray·ing, frays Archaic 1. To alarm; frighten. 2. : Amid the excitement of Valencia's comeback victory against Notre Dame stood a backup quarterback who became the starter through injury. Ever since Bauer moved into the starting role - he was never that far behind original starter Zack Sapp - he has consistently improved. The second half was a virtuoso performance of throwing the long ball. ``He's a stud,'' Stokes said of Bauer. ``If he was six feet I bet he'd go to any college he wanted. I've never seen anyone throw the long ball like him. ``That (88-yard touchdown) was the easiest catch. It was so beautiful, and he always hits me right in stride Adv. 1. in stride - without losing equilibrium; "she took all his criticism in stride" in good spirits .'' Foresight: Just before the start of Valencia's quarterfinal against Notre Dame, former Knights star Justin Fargas Justin Fargas (born January 25, 1980 in Encino, California) is a football player in the NFL. Professional career He was drafted in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. As of 2006, he is the Raiders' second-string running back. , speaking about the Vikings' Manuel White Manuel White (born July 2, 1982) is an American football running back. , said, ``It could be his night tonight.'' He was right. Although Stokes stole the show, White made history in the first quarter when he surpassed Fargas to become the region's career rushing leader. Fargas, a redshirt red·shirt tr.v. red·shirt·ed, red·shirt·ing, red·shirts To keep (a college or school athlete) out of varsity competition for one year in order to extend the athlete's period of eligibility. this year at Michigan, spent time two years ago tutoring White on the finer points of power running. ``He was a big guy,'' Fargas said was his first impression of White. ``Obviously, just by coming down to work with us, it showed he wanted to get better. It seems like that's paying off for him.'' CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: (color) Valencia's defense shut down Trevin Lund, center, and Notre Dame last Friday. Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer Box: Playoff games Noun 1. playoff game - one game in the series of games constituting a playoff game - a single play of a sport or other contest; "the game lasted two hours" playoff - any final competition to determine a championship |
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