AVC FOOTBALL: MARAUDERS FIND MORE OF SAME AT SBVC.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Daily News Staff Writer

Unfortunately for Antelope Valley College's football team, Troy Jackson was prophetic.

``We've been here before,'' the Marauders' fifth-year linebackers coach said at halftime of Saturday's game at San Bernardino Valley. ``We've got to finish it.''

This was the same field where AVC couldn't `finish it' the previous year. The Marauders had blitzed the Indians for 17 quick points only to lose the game 21-20 and the Foothill Conference championship.

Saturday began in similarly rosy fashion. A blocked punt for a safety, Kasey Young's 1-yard touchdown plunge and Sal Iabichella's 72-yard punt return for a touchdown made the score 16-0 with 14 seconds left in the first half.

San Bernardino got two big plays to score on the final play of the half, getting back in the game but still trailing by nine.

And for everything the Marauders did in the second half to end a seven-game losing streak to one of their most bitter rivals, San Bernardino ``finished it'', blocking a field goal in the third overtime for a 34-31 win.

``The games are always close when we play AVC,'' veteran Indians coach Ron Smedley said.

This one couldn't be any tighter. Take a look at what happened in each of the three overtime periods - the first in Marauders history:

The Marauders won the toss and predictably chose to be on defense first. The strategy seemed to work when freshman Kendrick Wilson, a wide receiver filling in for AVC's injury-plagued secondary, intercepted quarterback Moses Herrera to leave the Marauders any kind of score away from victory.

Young and fellow fullback Travis Alkire each carried once to give the Marauders a first down at the 12 and in perfect position for a field goal. But when Young busted up the middle, the 5-foot-10, 265-pounder was stripped of the ball and Anthony Davis pounced it on for the Indians.

On to the second overtime.

With AVC getting the ball first, rejuvenated sophomore tailbacks Tyree Booker and Jan Brown took over.

Booker gained nine yards on first down and then picked up two on third-and-1 for the first down.

Brown, who rushed for 82 yards while Booker finished with 83, swept right and cut through the hole opened by tackle Ray Candalaria and guard Steve Maher. The 13-yard touchdown run put the Marauders up 31-24.

The Indians didn't dawdle. On first down Herrera floated one up where Omar Shaheed, who burned the Marauders all night, outjumped two defenders in the back of the end for the tying score.

In the third overtime, both team's defenses stiffened again.

Anthony Borda chased down Herrera and forced an intentional grounding call. The ball was pushed back to the 24 but Joseph LaCombe's 43-yard field goal salvaged three points.

Three plays by AVC netted no yards. David Aranzubia came on for a 42-yard field goal to tie it. But a five-yard penalty pushed the Marauders back five yards. Terrence Davis busted through to swat the kick down and it was over.

Marauders coach Brent Carder declined to comment as he left the field. A relieved Smedley, in his 12th season at SBVC, praised Carder's program.

``I have a lot of respect for Brent Carder. He does a great job up there,'' Smedley said. ``He doesn't have a lot to work with but he always has good teams.''

Bowl business: The Marauders fell to 0-2 in Foothill Conference North Division play. More importantly, they're 3-5 overall, and even with two wins in the remaining two games might not get into a bowl game, specifically the McDonald's Community College Bowl at Marauder Stadium on Dec. 5.

Hurting backfield: Of Herrera's 244 passing yards Saturday, 180 of them went to Shaheed, including touchdowns of 30, 8 and 25 yards.

The Indians took advantage of a depleted AVC secondary. Cornerback Bobby Ante, suffering from a leg injury, was picked on all night.

``We have a lot of injuries back there,'' said cornerback Shannon Byrne, who himself revealed he has been playing with a broken left forearm. The sophomore from Antelope Valley Christian blocked the punt that resulted in AVC's safety and added his fourth interception of the season.

``We've got to start playing as a unit,'' he said.