Missed Kick Forces Valley to Settle for Tie

Joe Mauldin’s return to college football was a dud for the first 57 minutes 51 seconds of Saturday night’s nonconference opener between Antelope Valley and Valley colleges.

But in the last two minutes, Valley’s Mauldin demonstrated his abilities, only to watch a 34-yard field-goal attempt by Jamie Ballesteros miss wide left with seven seconds to play in a 14-14 tie at Valley.

Mauldin, an All-City Section quarterback at San Fernando High in 1987, had not played football since 1988 when he was at Pasadena City College, and he appeared rusty at times. Except during the final two minutes.

He drove the Monarchs 48 yards in eight plays to set up Ballesteros’ field-goal attempt.

“It’s a big disappointment not to win,” Mauldin said. “I feel like I let the team down. I should have been able to get the ball into the end zone.”

Mauldin, who completed 12 of 30 passes for 126 yards, completed only two of five for 20 yards during the final drive. But his electrifying 23-yard scramble gave Valley a first down on the Antelope Valley 25-yard line with less than one minute remaining.

Howard Blackwell (118 yards rushing in 18 carries) gained four yards on the next play, but Mauldin’s nine-yard pass to Randolph Brown was nullified by an illegal-procedure penalty. Ballesteros missed the kick on the next play.

Trailing, 14-7, midway through the third quarter, Antelope Valley marched 70 yards in 14 plays behind its mammoth offensive line, which averages 300 pounds a player. Al Dawkins capped the drive with a one-yard plunge with 12:58 to play.

Dawkins rushed for 108 yards in 18 carries and had five carries for 17 yards on the game-tying drive.

Mauldin had his ups and downs during the first half as Valley took a 14-7 lead. He completed five of 14 passes for 65 yards and rushed for 21 yards in six carries.

Antelope Valley scored its only touchdown of the first half when Josh Patterson returned a Mauldin fumble 21 yards with 2:05 into the second quarter.

Mauldin countered, however, by racing 16 yards for a touchdown on a broken play to give the Monarchs a 14-7 lead with 10:24 to play in the half.

Mauldin’s other big miscue in the half came on a fourth-and-goal play from the Maurader four in the second quarter. He threw an incomplete pass behind a wide-open Brandon Best in the end zone.

Antelope Valley’s offense was stifled for most of the first half, and a mishandled snap from center prevented the Marauders from getting off a 27-yard field-goal attempt on their final possession.

Lamart Cooper, Antelope Valley’s 5-foot-4 speedster, had four receptions for 93 yards and rushed for 25 yards in three carries.