Quartz Hill Makes a Rebel Stand, 20-3

Defending Golden League champion Quartz Hill High, after listening to whispers all season that it didn’t have the talent or the intensity or the savvy of last year’s Southern Section Division I runner-up, held a coming-out party Friday night at Antelope Valley High.

With temperatures in the 40s and before an overflow crowd of about 5,000, the Rebels hammered Antelope Valley, 20-3.

“I think we just woke up,” Quartz Hill quarterback Jake Haro said. “I saw that fire in our eyes again.”

It was a game for the football purist: a rivalry between two high-desert schools, the league title at stake, and defense. Lots of defense.

The offensive heroes were Rebel tailback Erik Thomas and Haro, but their statistics were modest. Thomas gained just 73 yards in 21 carries and scored on two short touchdown runs, and Haro rushed for 38 yards and threw for 60 yards, 40 coming on a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Doug Ybarra.

But Quartz Hill’s defense allowed Antelope Valley even less. Star tailback Freddie Edwards gained only 39 yards in 10 carries, and Antelope Valley could muster just 135 yards in total offense. Peter Holt’s 47-yard field goal in the third quarter prevented a shutout.

“Boy, we outhit ‘em tonight, didn’t we?” said a grinning John Albee, the Quartz Hill coach whose personal winning streak over Antelope Valley grew to three.

And the Rebels knocked the Antelopes out of an outright league championship. With the win, Quartz Hill (7-3, 4-1) earned a co-championship with the Antelopes, but takes the Golden League’s No. 1 seeding into next week’s playoffs. Antelope Valley (6-4, 4-1) will be seeded No. 2.

The playoff ramifications were not settled until the fourth quarter, though. Quartz Hill dominated play, but led only 7-3. When Ybarra intercepted a pass at the Antelope 40, however, it set up the big blow. Two plays later, Haro went deep to Ybarra, who turned around to catch the ball for a 40-yard score and a 14-3 lead with 4 minutes 53 seconds left.

Victory was assured shortly thereafter when a bad punt snap gave Quartz Hill a first down at the Antelope Valley three. Thomas bulled in for his second score.