After Winning Title, Eight Is Not Enough : Football: Antelope Valley Christian will step up to 11-man version on the heels of a 13-0 championship season.

In 1990, his football team scored 658 points and allowed only 88. The average margin of victory was 43 points, the team posted five shutouts and of its 13 games--all victories--only four were completed; the others were ended because of the “mercy rule.”

And still Ted Knapp, the first-year coach of Antelope Valley Christian, feels obliged to make excuses for his players’ individual statistics.

“When it’s over at halftime, it’s hard to build up your stats,” Knapp said. “My first teamers (were) frustrated about getting yanked.”

To keep the players happy, Knapp has found a new challenge for a team that went 13-0 and won the Southern Section Eight-Man Small Schools Division title: The school will move up to play 11-man football next season.

Valley-area schools such as Montclair Prep and Camp Kilpatrick have made the jump from eight-man to 11-man and enjoyed great success. There is reason to believe that Antelope Valley Christian, located in Lancaster, might follow in their cleat-steps.

“I think they can make the move,” said Viewpoint Coach Steve Sherman, whose team lost to the Eagles, 50-0, in midseason. “They have more athletes than other small schools, and that is the first thing they need. They have the talent and you can see that when they play.

“Most eight-man teams don’t pass well, (but) they do it with regularity. They also have the facilities, the equipment and the support. Those things should make it easier for Coach Knapp. Really, from a coaching standpoint, there isn’t much of a difference.”

Besides being able to impress those on the field, Knapp has won backing from key administrators in the Southern Section.

“Everything we have heard about playing 11-man is positive,” Knapp said. “(Southern Section Commissioner) Stan Thomas is supporting our move and several football people have said we are ready.”

When Antelope Valley Christian begins practice next August, the team will be trying to develop some much-needed depth. The current roster numbers 27. The Eagles do have a junior varsity (4-0-1 last season) and additional players will come from that group. Still, Antelope Valley Christian, with an enrollment of 95, will be one of the smallest schools in Division X.

Antelope Valley Christian, a co-educational private school, has been in existence for only three years. In its first two years, the team won only three games. A school that is still somewhat unproven and certainly small, Antelope Valley Christian has not convinced everyone it is ready to play 11-man football.

“I think the next step should be to the (eight-man) large division,” said retiring Central Valley Christian Coach Keith Houtsma, whose team lost to the Eagles, 54-26, in this year’s small schools final played Dec. 1. “They are going to have a tough time competing anywhere in the Southern Section. I don’t think they can play with the Division 10 schools, and if they think they can they are going to have another think coming.”

Antelope Valley Christian already has scheduled Trona, Montclair Prep and Christian High in El Cajon for next season. The Eagles will play as a Division 10 independent team in 1991 and move into the Desert-Inyo League in 1992.

The players are confident after the success of this season. “I think we’ve proved we can play with anyone,” sophomore quarterback Kris Kershaw said. “We’ve shown that we have what it takes to succeed. With some more success, some dads are going to start taking notice and may send their kids here instead of Quartz Hill and some other schools.”

Some of the top performances of this past season came from young players. Kershaw threw for 33 touchdowns, completed 65% of his passes and threw but one interception. Another sophomore, fullback Vinny Galis, averaged 9.6 yards a carry and scored 16 touchdowns. A linebacker on defense, Galis had 138 tackles and 13 sacks.

Yet maybe the most important returnee is Knapp, 34, a proven coach who has compiled an 11-year record of 100-26-1, including six division or state titles in Georgia, Maryland, Alabama and California. All but two have been at the 11-man level.

“I want to move fast and I want to be dynamic,” Knapp said. “I want to attract quality kids and I think the way to do that is to constantly build on your program. This is not a five-year program, this is a fast-as-you-can program.”