JUNIOR COLLEGE FOOTBALL ROUNDUP : Valley Rallies to Set Stage for Title Showdown

In a span of six minutes Saturday, Valley College won a football game, lost it, then won it back.

It took a touchdown pass play by a pair of substitutes in the final two minutes to give visiting Valley a 41-35 triumph over Santa Monica in a Western State Conference Southern Division game.

The victory sets up a showdown for the Southern Division championship next Saturday between Valley (5-4, 4-0 in division play) and Bakersfield.

Valley looked like a sure winner early in the fourth quarter. The Monarchs built a 34-20 lead with 12:39 to play on the strength of three field goals by Jim Harper, scoring runs by Donald Dozier (68 yards) and LaMonte Simmons (10 yards), an 84-yard kickoff return by Lamark Allen and a 20-yard pass from Trendell Williams to Marcus Bridges.

Then the roof caved in.

Santa Monica’s Randy Cole blocked Tony Esposito’s punt to start the Corsair comeback with less than eight minutes to play. Santa Monica (4-5, 3-5) took over at the Valley 12-yard line, and two plays later Charles McKinzie scored from the seven. Travis Moore passed to McKinzie for the two-point conversion, and Valley’s lead was 34-28 with 6:50 to play.

Esposito attempted another punt on the ensuing possession, but he bobbled a low snap and Adonias Lucero blocked the kick. Gordon Jones recovered for Santa Monica and raced 36 yards for the touchdown. After Xedro Saucedo’s kick, the Corsairs led, 35-34, with 3:15 left.

Valley wasn’t too stunned to rebound, however.

Williams completed a 35-yard pass to Rodney Guy and a 24-yard pass to Dozier, putting the ball at the Corsair 11. Williams injured his shoulder on the second completion and was replaced by Mark Mengoni.

After Dozier gained one yard on first down, Mengoni avoided a hard rush and found a sliding Todd Thompson in the end zone from the 10 with 1:44 to play. It was only Thompson’s fourth catch of the year and his first touchdown.

“I was surprised when (Coach Chuck Ferrero) called a pass. I hadn’t even warmed up,” Mengoni said. “I was just saying to myself, ‘Don’t throw an interception, whatever you do.’ ”