PREP FOOTBALL: PROUD TO BE A BULLDOG AFTER POOR START, TEAM COULD PLAY FOR TITLE.Byline: GIDEON RUBIN Staff Writer PALMDALE Palmdale, city (1990 pop. 68,842), Los Angeles co., S Calif., in the irrigated Antelope Valley; a growing residential suburb of Los Angeles near Little Rock Creek where it forms Lake Palmdale Reservoir, inc. 1962. -- After a 0-4 start, Highland High's football team found itself desperately needing victories, and it really didn't did·n't Contraction of did not. didn't did not didn't do matter who they came against. So even though Highland's first wins came against struggling Littlerock Littlerock may refer to: Cities, towns, townships etc.
The Antelope Valley -- teams that remain winless -- they apparently went a long way toward restoring the confidence of an underachieving team projected to be among the Golden League's best. ``We just needed to get a few wins under our belt,'' Highland quarterback Kevin KEVIN Keepers of the Eternal Vigilance of the Islamic Nation (fictional, from White Teeth by Zadie Smith) Bevans said. ``It really didn't matter who we were playing.'' Highland parlayed its momentum into a stunning 28-14 upset of league power Lancaster Lancaster, city, England Lancaster (lăng`kəstər), city (1991 pop. 43,902) and district, county seat of Lancashire, NW England, on the Lune River. on Friday Friday: see Sabbath; week. Friday young Indian rescued by Crusoe and kept as servant and companion. [Br. Lit.: Robinson Crusoe] See : Servant , catapulting the Bulldogs into title contention. Highland (3-4, 3-0), which hasn't won a league title since 1999, plays four-time league champion Palmdale (6-1, 3-0) on Friday for sole possession of first place. And the Bulldogs are now thinking big. ``That was a quality win against a quality team,'' Bevans said. ``If we stay together as a team, nobody can beat us.'' More importantly, after going through a period when practices started to seem longer and Friday nights weren't viewed as eagerly anticipated events, the fun factor is back at Highland. ``It's funny, but kids play harder when they're having fun and enjoying the game and right now our kids are learning about the joy of playing the game of football,'' Highland coach Jim Root said. Root told his players before the start of league that he believed his team would make the playoffs, an idea he sensed seemed far-fetched even to some of his players. ``I'm sure a couple of weeks ago the kids were doubting themselves a little bit; maybe they were too tight, but I think now they're realizing how much fun the game of football can be.'' Running back Doug Burnside said the mood in practices shifted after Highland's Week 5 41-8 victory over Littlerock. ``It's very different,'' Burnside said. ``People are actually proud to be Bulldogs now.'' Breakout game: Root said he spoke with Bevans throughout the week leading up to Lancaster about his need to step up his game. Bevans responded with his best game, going seven for 10 passing for 114 yards, highlighted by a 32-yard touchdown pass to Burnside that culminated a pivotal 11-play, 90-yard second-quarter drive that gave Highland a 14-7 lead it never relinquished re·lin·quish tr.v. re·lin·quished, re·lin·quish·ing, re·lin·quish·es 1. To retire from; give up or abandon. 2. To put aside or desist from (something practiced, professed, or intended). 3. . ``We put a lot of pressure on him and he responded,'' Root said. ``We always thought he had the capability, but tonight he really took charge.'' Big-time win: Last season, Vasquez was 6-0 and ranked No. 3 in Div. XII when it experienced a 28-0 loss to Boron boron (bōr`ŏn) [New Gr. from borax], chemical element; symbol B; at. no. 5; at. wt. 10.81; m.p. about 2,300°C;; sublimation point about 2,550°C;; sp. gr. 2.3 at 25°C;; valence +3. . On Friday, Vasquez exacted a measure of revenge with a wild 43-36 victory over a previously unbeaten Boron team ranked No. 2 in the most recent Southern Section Northeast Div. poll. Vasquez quarterback Joe Perez was involved in a school record six touchdowns -- four rushing, two passing. He was 23 for 35 passing for 247 yards and rushed for 161 yards on 19 carries for a combined 407 yards of offense that Vasquez coach Tim Jorgensen said is believed to be a school record. Jorgensen called the victory a ``big-time win.'' He said it was unclear whether the victory would put the unranked Mustangs on the Southern Section's polling radar. ``We should get recognized, but as a freelance team it's incredibly difficult to work your way into the rankings,'' Jorgensen said. ``I'd like to see the kids get it, but as a freelance team you take your hits.'' Looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. a league: Jorgensen said school administrators are actively seeking an affiliation deal for all sports. The Vasquez teams that currently play in leagues are the boys' and girls' cross country (Desert Mountain) and boys' volleyball volleyball, outdoor or indoor ball and net game played on a level court. An upright net, 3 ft (or 1 m) high, the top of which stands 8 ft (2.43 m) from the ground for men, 7 ft 4 1/8 in (2. (Christian). Vasquez officials are hopeful the Desert Mountain League will reconsider re·con·sid·er v. re·con·sid·ered, re·con·sid·er·ing, re·con·sid·ers v.tr. 1. To consider again, especially with intent to alter or modify a previous decision. 2. its rejection of the freelance school last season. Jorgensen said Boron principal Paul Kostopoulos has broached the idea with Desert Mountain officials, but Jorgensen believes some schools have had an icy relationship with Vasquez going back to when its previous administrators spoke with several Desert Mountain schools about forming a new league. ``This is a new generation of administrators and they haven't gotten over that,'' Jorgensen said. gideon.rubin(at)dailynews.com (661) 267-7802 CAPTION(S): box Box: LOCAL SCOREBOARD |
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