VALLEY CENTER — A dominant defense and a freshman running back turned a seven-point halftime deficit into a Valley League championship.

Trailing at halftime, the Oceanside High School football team scored twice in the fourth quarter half and held Valley Center to minus-4 yards rushing, beating the Jaguars 13-7.

The win came a year after Valley Center beat Oceanside in the final game of the regular season to rob the Pirates of the league title.

Im only a freshman, so I wasnt involved in last years game, said Oceanside running back Neke Letuli after a 16-carry, 117-yard performance. But I wanted this game for the seniors, the guys that lost to these guys last year. I know how upset the guys were last season.

Junior defensive end Ezaya Tokio made big plays for Oceanside (7-3, 6-0).

The coaches got us together at halftime and we regrouped, said Tokio, who won a CIF championship last season at St. Augustine.

Really, it was 100% on the coaches getting us into the right spots, making the right calls. This is two championships in a row for me, but this one is really sweet.

Valley Center (7-3, 5-1) scored the only points of the first half, driving 75 yards on 11 plays with Daniel Stehly bulling in from two yards out.

The key play was a 23-yard run on a fake punt by Stehly, giving the Jaguars a first down at the Oceanside 23. A pass interference penalty in the end zone put the ball at the 11. Five plays later, Stehly scored.

Oceanside had five first-half possessions. The results: an interception, a turnover on downs, two punts and a missed field goal.

The Pirates finally scored early in the fourth quarter, with quarterback Joseph Vinup capping a 55-yard drive with a 4-yard pass to David Daniels.

Oceanside took the lead with 1:32 to play on Vinups 1-yard run. The go-ahead score came after a 26-yard punt return by See Poumele and a 13-yard penalty on Valley Center that put the Pirates at the Jaguars 13.

After a taunting penalty gave Valley Center its best field position of the second half, the Jaguars had one final chance to steal the win.

But four passes fell incomplete.

Valley Center had seven possessions in the second half, crossing midfield just once.

Oceanside rushed for 200 yards, with 117 coming from Letuli and 51 by Vinup. Vinup threw for 85 yards.

Valley Center rushed 23 times for 39 yards. Quarterback Braylon Mitchell threw for 89 yards.

Oceanside is coming back, Letuli said. Coach Fale (Poumele) has done a great job building back this program.

Oceanside 13, Valley Center 6

Oceanside 0 0 0 13 — 13

Valley Center 0 7 0 0 — 7

VC — D. Stehly 2 run (Rizo kick)

O — Daniels 4 pass from Vinup (Sanchez kick)

O — Vinup 1 run ( kick falied)