Hesperia Continues Domination of Quartz Hill, 14-9

As a jubilant Hesperia High football team was leaving Quartz Hill on Friday night, a senior player was heard to exult: “Not once since my sophomore year, baby . . . not once since my sophomore year!”

Quartz Hill, trudging through the same exit gate as the Scorpions, could not answer the cry.

Hesperia (2-1) continued its domination over defending Golden League champion Quartz Hill with a 14-9 nonleague win that marked its third consecutive victory over the Rebels (1-2).

It also was Quartz Hill’s third consecutive game without much offense. The Rebels have scored 35 points and have just four offensive touchdowns.

“We’re just killing ourselves on drives,” Quartz Hill Coach John Albee said. “It seems like we’re moving the ball everywhere but inside the 10.”

Trailing, 14-0, at the start of the fourth quarter, Quartz Hill scored its only touchdown on a four-yard run by Erik Thomas with 4 minutes 50 seconds left.

Otherwise, it was a long night for Thomas, who gained just 72 yards in 24 carries and was plagued by a lack of front-line blocking.

Quartz Hill showed a flash of life when Randy LaBrie nailed Scorpion quarterback Jason Owens for a safety three plays after Thomas’ score to make it 14-9.

But on Quartz Hill’s ensuing drive, a muffed snap was recovered by Hesperia’s Randy Flury on the Scorpion 46-yard line with just 1:39 left and the Rebels were finished shortly thereafter. The fumble was one of four Quartz Hill turnovers.

Hesperia, meanwhile, used a heavy rush to take advantage of Rebel quarterback Jake Haro’s height.

The 5-foot-9 Haro completed seven of 15 passes for 129 yards but threw two interceptions. Two other interceptions were nullified because of penalties.

Clearly, Haro had trouble looking over the forest of linemen in a clogged middle.

“That was the plan,” Hesperia Coach Pete Delagardelle said. “We didn’t want to stand there and get into a fistfight with them, so we’d slant left, slant right, pinch. . . .”

And in turn, knock out the Rebels.

Hesperia even overcame the loss of tailback Norman Clarke, who started the scoring with a 94-yard run.

On his fifth carry of the first half, though, Clarke suffered a bruised rib and missed the rest of the game.