Antelope Valley Comes Up Short in Quest for Foothill Title, 27-26

The arm of quarterback Marty Washington brought Antelope Valley College within three yards of a conference football title Saturday.

But with a slip of the foot at the most crucial moment, Washington’s final pass--and the Marauders’ quest for a championship--wound up incomplete as Citrus College escaped with a dramatic 27-26 Foothill Conference victory at Antelope Valley.

With a conference title and a berth in the Southern California Bowl at stake, the Marauders’ lined up for a potential game-winning two-point conversion attempt with 42 seconds remaining. Washington had just capped a 19-point fourth-quarter comeback with a five-yard touchdown pass to Cash Achziger.

But Washington, who threw for 238 yards in the fourth quarter alone, rolled out, lost his footing and could only throw the ball away.

It marked the second consecutive year Citrus has upset Antelope Valley in the conference finale.

“My knee was about to go down so I had to throw it away,” said Washington, who finished the game 13 of 25 for a school-record 314 yards and two touchdowns. “No excuses, we had it two years in a row. We just turned the ball over too many times.”

Indeed, four Antelope Valley turnovers, including three pass interceptions, helped Citrus (6-4 overall, 5-3 in conference play) build a 27-7 lead after three quarters.

The loss dropped Antelope Valley to 8-2 overall, 6-2 in conference play. The Marauders could have won the conference title and the Southern California Bowl berth that goes with it, but San Bernardino won the title outright with a 35-19 win over Rio Hondo.

The loss also ruined a memorable Marauder comeback.

Trailing, 27-13, after Washington hit Thomas Reimer with a five-yard touchdown pass with 3:49 to play, Antelope Valley closed the gap to 27-20 moments later when Washington followed a 69-yard pass play to Nate Williams with a one-yard touchdown run.

Antelope Valley’s Jorge Ordaz recovered the ensuing onside kick at the Citrus 34. The Marauders kicked off from the 50 because Citrus was penalized for too many players on the field on the point-after attempt.

Washington was sacked at the 42 on first down, but then hit Lamart Cooper with a 38-yard pass to set up Achziger’s touchdown reception from five yards.

Citrus, which won the Foothill title in 1990 by beating Antelope Valley in the conference finale, amassed 343 rushing yards with Marcus Green (138 yards in 22 carries) and John White (125 in 23 carries) leading the charge.