Tyler Bray, Kingsburg Vikings carve up Central Valley Christian, 49-7
BY ANDREW BETTENCOURT • abettenc@visalia.gannett.com • October 24, 2009
Tennessee-bound Tyler Bray, a Citizen Potawatomi Nation member, riddled the Central Valley Christian High, California Cavaliers for 240 yards and two touchdowns on Friday, October 23. Bray’s Kingsburg, California Vikings rode that performance and Garrett Steele’s 97 yards rushing yards and three TDs to a 49-7 win.
The No. 13 Vikings rolled in the Central Sequoia League game in Visalia as Bray completed 19 of 26 passes and connected with his cousin Benton Bray and Michael Torres on scoring passes of 9 and 4 yards, respectively. Connor Potts led the Cavaliers with 20 carries for 110 yards and scored on a 10-yard run.
Tyler Bray displays very few chinks in his armor. If skeptics go to Kingsburg games looking for any flaws in one of the nation’s top college football quarterback recruits, they will find Bray is as good as advertised. But, he is not the sole reason why the Kingsburg Vikings have emerged as heavy favorites to win the Central Sequoia League title, and why the Vikings are likely to be hoisting a Central Section Division IV championship plaque at season's end.
Bray has plenty of help from a Kingsburg team that doesn't have any glaring weaknesses. Kingsburg kept its perfect season intact with a 49-7 drubbing of the Central Valley Christian Cavaliers on Friday, October 23 in a Central Sequoia League game at CVC.
"Oh, yeah. For sure. Not even close," CVC coach Mason Hughes said when asked if Kingsburg was the best team the Cavaliers have played this season. "I don't want to provide any locker-room fodder, but they're very good. They played very well (Friday), but I don't think (Kingsburg) played their absolute best against us and they won going away. (Kingsburg) is a very good team. ...
"I think they're going to win (the CSL title), without a doubt. They have three games left, and they'll have to stub their toe pretty bad not to win (the league title). In the playoffs, who knows? Anything can happen. But they're a very good team. They're going to be tough to stop."
Kingsburg amassed 433 yards of total offense, and the Viking attack was fairly balanced with 244 yards passing and 189 yards rushing. What was even more impressive than that number was a Viking defense that allowed just 124 yards after CVC’s initial series (a 59-yard scoring drive by the Cavaliers that tied the game at 7-7 late in the first quarter). Kingsburg (7-0, 4-0) hasn't allowed more than 21 points in any game this season, and has kept six of its opponents below 15 points.
Bray, a Tennessee Volunteer verbal commit, was 19-of-25 passing for 244 yards with two touchdowns, exhibiting a throwing arm that is unmatched in the Central Section, and throughout most of the state. He connected with six different receivers, and four of them had at least three catches. Bray was at his best when he needed to be, connecting on three of four passes during third-and fourth-down situations in the first half. Those passes produced first downs on Viking scoring drives. Kingsburg held a 21-7 halftime lead, and extended it to 35-7 by the end of the third quarter.
Through seven games, Bray is 97-of-154 for 1787 yards passing. He is completing 63% of his passes. Cousin Benton Bray has caught 18 passes for 250 yards.
Supporting Bray offensively was the running back tandem of Garrett Steele and Jonathan Alcala. Steele had a game-high 113 yards rushing and scored three touchdowns. Alcala had 72 yards on 12 carries. "It's a special group of kids," Kingsburg coach Dave Steele said. "They've got a lot of talent, they work hard, and they play hard. This more than just one person. Tyler (Bray) is a great player, but it's more than that with this team."