High-Powered Valley Wins Easily Against Lowly West L.A., 63-9

Death and taxes are not the only sure things in life.

Western State Conference football teams have discovered that they also can count on West Los Angeles College for a rout.

It happened again Saturday at West L. A., when it was Valley’s turn to club the Oilers.

Final score: 63-9. The Monarchs improved to 5-2 overall, 5-1 in the WSC, and 2-0 in the Southern Division.

Surprising? Hardly.

West L. A. (0-7, 0-6), forced by budget cuts to discontinue its football program 3 years ago, reinstated it this season but with less than a bang. In their previous 5 games, the Oilers had been outscored, 251-6.

“We could have tried to set some world records, but we opted to play all of our guys,” Valley Coach Chuck Ferrero said.

Indeed, 10 different Monarchs scored as a balanced Valley attack piled up 428 yards--219 through the air and 209 on the ground.

Todd Studer completed 18 of 24 passes for 209 yards and 3 touchdowns--26 yards to Brandy Harris, 15 yards to James Matthews and 5 yards to Adrian Davis.

Studer, who at one juncture completed 9 consecutive passes, threw for 2 scores in the first period as Valley built a 21-0 lead.

Tailback Roman Carter, who entered the game with 601 yards and 9 rushing touchdowns, was held to 47 yards and a 3-yard touchdown run in 10 carries. Carter also had 6 receptions for 44 yards.

With the Oilers keying on Carter, fullback LaMonte Simmons sprang loose for 70 yards in 7 carries and scored on a 9-yard run in the first period.

“They gave us the trap all day, so we went to Simmons. It worked,” Ferrero said.

So did just about everything else.

Tight end Sean Brown scored on a 6-yard reverse to put Valley ahead, 28-0, in the second period, and defensive tackle Marcus Buenabad added another touchdown just 3 seconds later when he recovered a fumble in the end zone.

A 9-yard touchdown run by Jomo Gordon and Jim Harper’s seventh conversion kick of the half put the Monarchs ahead, 49-0, just before intermission.

West L. A. managed a 38-yard field goal by Renee Barbosa with 2 seconds left in the first half, but Valley came right back on its first possession of the third quarter, going 70 yards to score on Davis’ 5-yard reception from Studer.

A 1-yard touchdown run by Brian West and Harper’s ninth conversion put the Monarchs in front, 63-3, with 4:10 to play in the third period.

The Oilers gained 245 yards and scored their only touchdown on Myron Phillips’ 3-yard run early in the fourth quarter.