Friday’s Southern Section Playoff Highlights : Antelope Valley Flattens Palos Verdes, 41-14

Antelope Valley High School knocked Palos Verdes’ best player, running back Matt Seaburn, out of the game with a bruised hip in the first quarter Friday night, then proceeded to knock the Sea Kings out of the Coastal Conference playoffs, beating them, 41-14, in the first round at Torrance High.

The Antelopes, runner-up last season to Pasadena Muir and one of the favorites for the title in 1987, even as the third-place team out of the Golden League, got another standout game from junior running back/tight end/linebacker Tommie Smith. Smith finished with 46 yards and 2 touchdowns receiving and 68 yards and 1 score rushing.

Wide receiver Shon Grimes caught the last of three touchdown passes by quarterback Ron Whipple (14 of 25, 151 yards).

Byron Russell (79 yards in 13 carries) and Wayne Walter also had touchdown runs.

Palos Verdes got its scores from running back Greg Branch (a 13-yard run) and wide receiver Blake Grant, on a 29-yard pass from quarterback Dave Walsh.

Antelope Valley, whose losses this season have come against three good teams--L.A. Loyola, Palmdale and Canyon Country Canyon--scored on four of their first six possessions to go ahead, 28-7. And, it was clear at that point, it had come along way to go a little--the touchdowns came on drives of 68, 49, 47 and 26 yards.

The good field position, the result of bad punting by Palos Verdes and a solid, hard-hitting Antelope Valley defense, continued in the third quarter as the Antelopes (8-3) increased their lead to 41-14. The drives: 12 yards (after a Sea King fumble) and 25 yards (after an interception).

Seaburn, who had 1,137 yards and 15 touchdowns in the 10 regular-season games, went out just before the Sea Kings (6-5) scored their first touchdown with 3:34 to play in the opening quarter and never returned.

“That was the key to it,” Antelope Valley Coach Brent Newcomb said. “We watched them on film, and he (Seaburn) is as good as any back we’ve seen.”

Except that Friday night, nobody saw much of him on the field.