ANTELOPE VALLEY EXORCISES DEMON; DOMINGUEZ NO MATCH THIS TIME : ANTELOPE VALLEY 28 DOMINGUEZ 25.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Daily News Staff Writer

Dominguez High School has been an obstacle in the path of Antelope Valley High for some time. On Friday night, the Antelopes finally cleared it with a graceful bound.

Antelope Valley held off visiting Dominguez 28-25 to earn a fifth straight trip to the Southern Section semifinals. The Antelopes (8-3), who had lost three times in the past 14 months to the Dons (10-2), finally broke the hex as the clock at Mays Field wound down.

It occurred on a fourth-and-10 play at the A.V. 28 and was settled when the Antelopes' Ryan Wagerle batted down Everett Smith's pass. ``Finally we beat them,'' Wagerle said.

``To be one of four teams left in Division II is something,'' Antelope Valley coach Brent Newcomb said. ``It was pretty tight on the sidelines.''

The biggest Antelope-hunter of them all, Dominguez star quarterback Jason Thomas, lined up at wide receiver on the Dons' last-ditch drive and ended his high school career on the same turf on which he broke his left ankle in a 28-10 Dominguez win last month. ``It's frustrating,'' said Thomas, who caught two passes from Smith during the final drive. ``We can't pout about it. The worst thing we can do is pout.''

The Antelopes' seemingly comfortable 28-10 lead shrank to just three as Thomas carried the Dons on his gimpy left ankle. Thomas hobbled for 40 yards to convert on a fourth down at the Dominguez 25 on one Dons possession. But he couldn't pull of another fourth-down miracle, as receiver David Relf couldn't quite clutch his pass to the end zone.

The Antelopes made all the big plays in the first half and led 21-10.

Quarterback Justin Mobley heaved a bomb towards Joe Manning, but Dominguez cornerback Hassan Dickens got his hands on the underthrown pass. When the ball deflected forward, it landed in Manning's arms to complete a 36-yard scoring play.

Bruce Molock, who gained just 7 yards on three carries in the teams' first meeting, manufactured a 58-yard touchdown run out of an apparent busted play. Mobley tried to make a quick pitch to molock but hesitated. Once Molock got the ball, he squirted through the Dons' front seven, which committed too quickly.

Thomas played briefly at quarterback early but fumbled dropping back to pass and Dontay Wilson recovered at the Dons 10.

On the ensuing snap, Molock raced into the end zone to tie the game at 7-7.

That was a key sequence for A.V., which had watched Dominguez snatch an early lead.

Smith returned the opening kick 48 yards to the Antelopes 35. Five plays later, Willie Hurst ran 6 yards for a touchdown.

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Photo

Photo: BRENT NEWCOMB

Antelope Valley coach takes his team to the semifinals - again.