AVC HOME NOT SO SWEET IN BOWLS.

Byline: Chris Cocoles Daily News Staff Writer

In each of Antelope Valley College's last two bowl games, playing in their own backyard hasn't provided the Marauders much of an edge.

So when AVC and Santa Ana tangle in Saturday's McDonald's Charity Bowl, the Marauders won't have to worry about overconfidence.

The Marauders played host to the now-defunct Southern California Bowl in 1987 and 1991 and have two losses to show for it.

The former was the school's last Foothill Conference championship season and AVC entered the game with Glendale at 8-2 and a winner of eight of its last nine regular-season games.

Receiver Doug Costa did his part, equaling a school-record with nine catches and breaking the mark for receiving yards with 197. But Glendale outlasted the Marauders 31-28.

Four years later, AVC again stayed home for the postseason and again was 8-2. But that time Antelope Valley was coming off a bitter 27-26 loss to Citrus that cost the Marauders the conference trophy.

Quarterback Marty Washington's slip on a potential game-winning two-point conversion was AVC's last chance at scoring a point that year. L.A. Southwest blanked the Marauders 28-0 in the bowl game.

The Marauders shouldn't have any problem getting up for Saturday's game. It's the school's first postseason appearance since 1993, when the Marauders finished a streak of six bowls in seven seasons.

``Our guys are pretty excited. (Playing in a bowl) is something we've been hoping for the whole year,'' said Marauders coach Brent Carder, 2-6-1 in bowl games.

Men's basketball: L.A. City, the defending state junior college champion, showed its experience in rallying past the Marauders at the Oxnard tourney Saturday.

AVC took a 40-32 halftime lead but couldn't hold on in the final three minutes and lost 86-82.

Cubs' sophomore Rico Harris, who originally signed with Arizona State and was a preseason fourth-team All-America selection by Street and Smith's, took over after AVC had regained a 77-74 lead with 3:32 remaining in the game. The 6-foot-9 Harris scored a game-high 23 points.

In sickness and health: The Marauders got their shot at the defending state champions in spite of a minor flu outbreak. And it wasn't just the guys in uniform.

In the Oxnard Tournament opener against Hancock, starting point guard Trevor Beal (arguably the Marauders' most crucial component), starting forward Carlos Wheeler, head coach Newton Chelette and assistant Barry Green all were suffering from the flu.