HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: WEEK 5 : L.B. Poly Gets the Drop on Antelopes

Jermaine Lewis had a stunned expression behind his face mask.

“I don’t understand this,” he said after Antelope Valley High was upset by Long Beach Poly, 27-22, Friday night at Veterans Stadium.

“This is unbelievable,” said Lewis, who gained 132 yards in 28 carries and a touchdown but killed two Antelope drives with fumbles.

Lewis said the second turnover, on the ninth play of the first drive of the third quarter, lost the game.

He took the blame.

“It’s all me,” he said. “My fumble changed the momentum of the game.”

The Jackrabbits, ranked seventh in the state, committed only one turnover, scored on big plays and neutralized an Antelope offense that averaged 399 yards a game.

Antelope Valley (4-1), ranked No. 1 in the Valley area and No. 4 in the state, had 279 yards--16 more than Poly (5-0).

Bobby Brown was held to 10 of 21 passing for 95 yards and no touchdowns, and 14 yards was the most by an Antelope ballcarrier other than Lewis.

Morris Smith completed six of 13 passes for 110 yards and a Poly touchdown, and Akka-Ar Moses rushed for 97 yards in 15 carries, but receiver Kenyon Rambo went from goat to hero.

Poly took a 14-7 lead after Lewis’ fumble in the third quarter. But Rambo missed his assignment when Trymon Redick returned the ensuing kickoff 82 yards for a game-tying touchdown.

“I was supposed to be the safety man on the kickoff, and I came up too quick,” Rambo said. “I knew I had to do something.”

Rambo did. He took Antelope Valley’s kickoff 90 yards for a score, breaking three tackles to make it 21-14. The Jackrabbits went to 27-14 in the fourth quarter on a one-yard run by Moses.

Antelope Valley, which punted three times after Lewis’ fumble, scored with 17 seconds left on a seven-yard run by Tony Walker.