HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS : SOUTHERN SECTION : Nightmare Before Christmas : Hart didn’t wake up until Antelope Valley had converted four turnovers into a 29-0 halftime lead in 1994 championship game.

Mike Herrington, Hart High’s football coach, vividly and painfully recalls what he says is the biggest debacle he has witnessed in his coaching career--the first half of his team’s 36-15 loss last year to Antelope Valley in the Southern Section Division II championship game.

Four turnovers combined with several other mistakes by Hart led to a 29-0 halftime lead for Antelope Valley. What promised to be an entertaining game dissolved into a laugher.

“I’ve been in some poor offensive showings, but not one where we were just dominated and gave it to them in the first half,” Herrington said. “We gave them the game on a silver platter.”

Hart finished 13-1 in ’94 and running back Ted Iacenda set an area record with 41 touchdowns. Still, Iacenda, recalling only the bitter end, vowed, “This is not going to happen again.”

We’ll see. Antelope Valley (12-1) and Hart (11-2) collide in the title game for the second consecutive year, meeting tonight at 7:30 at Antelope Valley High.

Herrington said nobody in Hart’s camp is talking about beating Antelope Valley. The emphasis is on playing well and holding onto the ball.

“The sense is just to go out and play as solid as possible and see what happens,” Herrington said. “We talked about executing and not getting caught up in the hype. That’s all you can ask.”

Herrington will ask for anything other than another disastrous first half. In 1994, the first 24 minutes played out this way:

First quarter: Hart’s first drive stalls at the Antelope Valley 48. Antelope Valley takes over and scores on a 45-yard field goal by Chad Shrout. Key play: a 31-yard run by Trymon Redick. 3-0, Antelopes.

Hart moves from its 22 to its 49 in three plays. But on first down, Steve McKeon’s pass is intercepted by Justin Reinier. Antelope Valley takes over and scores on a seven-yard run by Jermaine Lewis. Key play: a 29-yard run by Lewis. 10-0, Antelopes.

Second quarter: On the first play of a drive, Antelope Valley’s Caleb Smith distracts Iacenda into fumbling a handoff. Smith recovers for the Antelopes. Antelope Valley converts the turnover into a 28-yard field goal by Shrout. 13-0, Antelopes.

On the second play of a drive, Iacenda fumbles again. Smith recovers again. Antelope Valley converts again. Shrout kicks a 43-yard field goal. 16-0, Antelopes.

On first down from the Hart 37, McKeon loses 23 yards on a bad snap out of shotgun formation. The Indians punt. Lewis runs through the arms of Hart defensive back Doug Satterfield and streaks 61 yards for a touchdown. 22-0, Antelopes.

On first down from the Hart 35, Tony Walker intercepts McKeon’s pass and returns it 48 yards for a touchdown, hurdling McKeon along the way. 29-0, Antelopes.

“We never thought that would happen,” said Rick Herrington, Hart’s defensive coordinator. “I think the players thought they had a good chance of winning. Ted had fumbled only one time the whole year.

“But you turn the ball over to them, it’s like saying, ‘Here. Score some more points.’ We held them to three field goals. We were very, very lucky to be down, 29-0, at halftime. Just think what it could have been.”

Antelope Valley Coach Brent Newcomb said one team was ready to play, the other was not.

“Our kids just played well,” Newcomb said. “It got down to the point where the players just played their games.”

Lewis and Walker stole the show. Lewis rushed for 155 yards in 23 carries and completed two passes to Walker for 52 yards and a score. Walker blew the game open with his interception.

Iacenda rushed for 60 yards in 13 carries and McKeon completed 24 of 41 passes for 364 yards and threw three interceptions. Both players were harassed by an Antelope Valley defensive line that sacked McKeon seven times and met Iacenda in the backfield four times.

Shrout made four sacks. But Newcomb said his line did nothing special in breaking through a Hart front that averaged 6 feet 4, 266 pounds.

“There was just openings in there for them to shoot in there,” Newcomb said. “We weren’t just blitzing our linebackers. With their sophisticated offense, they should be able to pick those things up.”

Tonight, they get another chance.