Antelope Valley Gambles Pay Off in 27-20 Victory

So much for the theory that Antelope Valley College football Coach Brent Carder is conservative and predictable when it comes to offense.

If that were always the case, Carder never would have allowed an injured Marty Washington to throw the game-winning 15-yard touchdown pass in the Marauders’ 27-20 come-from-behind victory over visiting Valley in a nonconference game Saturday night.

He would have opted for a field goal instead.

And he never would have called a double reverse in the third quarter that went for a 60-yard touchdown and gave Antelope Valley (2-0) a 19-14 lead with 4 minutes 36 seconds left in the third quarter.

Likewise, he never would have gone for--and succeeded on--a pair of fourth-down plays that led to two Marauder touchdowns in the first half.

Trailing, 20-19, with less than a minute remaining, Antelope Valley was facing third and 11 from the Valley 15, when Washington rolled right and hit former Quartz Hill High teammate Thomas Reimer for the game-winning score with 38 seconds left.

The pass wasn’t pretty--and it was only the second of the half for Washington--but it was effective.

“I told Coach that I had one good throw left,” said Washington, who suffered a shoulder injury when he was sacked in the first half. “The arm didn’t feel that bad at the end of the first half, but it totally tightened up on me at halftime.”

Washington’s pass capped a 12-play, 65-yard drive and helped Antelope Valley overcome a Valley team that was supposed to be in a rebuilding year, but which gave the Marauders all they could handle.

Trailing, 13-7, at halftime, Valley had driven 78 yards in 13 plays to start the second half and take a 14-13 lead.

Wide receiver Lamart Cooper raced 60 yards on a double reverse to give Antelope Valley a 19-14 lead on its next series.

Valley, however, recovered an Al Dawkins fumble on the Marauders’ next possession and drove 26 yards in four plays, capped by Nigel Bostic’s 10-yard run.

Bostic gained a game-high 78 yards in 11 carries and scored two touchdowns for Valley (0-1).

Valley had 123 yards in total offense in the first half, keyed by running backs Terrance Brown (seven carries for 42 yards) and Bostic (three carries for 37).