East Wins, 17-13, on Murray’s Score With 47 Seconds

The third annual High Desert Football Coaches’ Assn. All-Star game began with a salute to a former Palmdale High running back and ended with a touchdown by another Falcon running back.

In between, it was all Littlerock and Lancaster.

Marquis Murray of Palmdale scored on a two-yard run with 47 seconds left to give the East a 17-13 victory Saturday before about 4,000 at Antelope Valley College, ending a defensive showcase that was dominated by players from two of the region’s toughest defenses.

Murray’s run was set up by Gary Brown of Palmdale, who collected the East’s fifth interception seven plays earlier.

The previous four each came from players from Littlerock, which allowed fewer than 200 yards a game during a 10-0 regular season in 1998.

Daniel Dibene had two interceptions and Adam Fabela and Michael Blua each had one.

Fabela, a linebacker, received the Shaun Perez Memorial Award as the game’s most valuable player.

Perez, a former Palmdale running back, was killed in an automobile accident on April 8. A moment of silence was observed before the game.

“That’s a real honor, man,” said Fabela, who also had two sacks. “I don’t feel like I am worthy of this.”

Fittingly, the first score of the game came from the defense, when Billy Lawrence of Littlerock tackled Oscar Reyes of Rosamond in the end zone for a third-quarter safety and a 2-0 lead for the East.

“It was a big defensive game,” said Coach Ray DeShane of Lancaster and the West, whose team gained only 31 rushing yards. “Nobody could really get anything going.”

The West’s biggest offensive play came from its defense, when Dominic Flax of Lancaster intercepted a fourth-quarter pass by Johnathan Thompson of Palmdale and returned it 57 yards for a touchdown and a 13-10 West lead.

Jimmy Richards of Lancaster had a sack and tipped a pass that led to an interception, and Oregon State-bound Jason Jacobs of Lancaster added a fumble recovery.

Thompson completed nine of 20 passes for 111 yards but struggled to get the East offense in gear.

Coach Vince Lipari of the East, offensive coordinator at Littlerock, attempted to go with a four-receiver set to open things up for Thompson, but reverted at halftime to the power pitch that Littlerock has thrived on for years.

“You eventually have to go with what you do best,” he said.

Bruce Molock of Antelope Valley busted loose on the first play of the third quarter for a 57-yard touchdown and a 10-6 East lead.

Molock, who committed to Cal State Northridge, finished with 109 yards in 10 carries. Molock left the game late in the fourth quarter with a bruised right biceps.

Quarterback Jamar Culver of Lancaster Bethel Christian and the West completed 11 of 26 passes for 135 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown to Clifton Herbert of Quartz Hill. He had five passes intercepted.

Dibene, the East’s offensive player of the game, also caught five passes for 46 yards.