Antelope Valley Stays Unbeaten With 43-7 Win Over East L. A.

Ask any player on the Antelope Valley College football team about it and he will give the same answer: Coach Brent Carder is still running a conservative, take-no-big-chances, make-no-mistakes offense.

The execution has improved recently, though, and so have the numbers.

“We’re still running the same basic plays,” Antelope Valley tailback Steve Miller said. “It’s just that now, our offense is coming together. The offensive line really did a great job tonight.”

Miller’s 217 yards rushing in 16 carries and two touchdowns underscored that performance as the Marauders routed East Los Angeles, 43-7, in a Foothill Conference game at home Saturday night.

The victory improved Antelope Valley’s overall record to 5-0-1 (3-0-1 in conference play). It is the Marauders’ best start since the 1954 season when they finished 10-0-1.

“We knew that we were capable of playing like this,” Miller said. “It just took us a while to get going.”

After scoring 80 points in its first four games, Antelope Valley has scored 77 points in its past two.

The Marauders set one school record and tied another against the Huskies.

Marty Washington and tight end Thomas Reimer combined on a 98-yard touchdown play to set one record, and Miller’s 95-yard run in the third quarter tied another.

One constant throughout the season has been the Antelope Valley defense.

Against East L. A., the Marauders forced five turnovers (two fumbles and three interceptions) and held quarterback Santiago Alvarez to seven completions in 21 attempts for 52 yards.

Alvarez had completed 60% of his passes for 896 yards and six touchdowns.

Antelope Valley led, 30-7, at halftime, with the Marauders converting three Husky turnovers into 17 points.

The Huskies’ Steven Dumas fumbled the opening kickoff and Jason Camp kicked a 38-yard field goal to give Antelope Valley a 3-0 lead.

On the Huskies’ next series, Mike Gilliam fumbled and Antelope Valley strong safety Rick Starling recovered at the East L. A. 35-yard line.

Three plays later, Miller took a pitch and went 30 yards around right end for a touchdown that gave Antelope Valley a 10-0 lead with 10 minutes 30 seconds left in the first quarter.

Antelope Valley’s usually conservative offense produced a big play after an East L. A. punt had pinned the Marauders on their two-yard line.

Washington hit Reimer with a short pass over the middle on first down and Reimer broke Armando Torres’ tackle and rumbled down the left sideline for the school-record touchdown.

The score remained 17-0 until midway through the second quarter. John Johnson intercepted his fourth pass of the season and returned it to Antelope Valley’s 23-yard line. Three plays later, Tony Simmons turned a draw play into a 51-yard touchdown.