SPIRITS SEEK REVENGE TONIGHT.Byline: Bryan Winchell Special to the Daily News It's the time of year for ear muffs, hot chocolate, frigid frig·id adj. 1. Extremely cold. 2. Persistently averse to sexual intercourse. breezes and high school football games that determine league championships. While the big Golden League match of Palmdale at Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley isn't until next week, the High Desert League will pit two of its best tonight when Paraclete (4-3, 2-0) will face defending league champion Kern Kern, river, 155 mi (249 km) long, rising in the S Sierra Nevada Mts., E Calif., and flowing south, then southwest to a reservoir in the extreme southern part of the San Joaquin valley. The river has Isabella Dam as its chief facility. Valley (4-3, 2-0) at Lake Isabella Lake Isabella is a man-made earthen reservoir in Kern County, California that consists of a main and auxiliary dam. It was formed in 1953 when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dammed the Kern River at the junction of its two forks at Whiskey Flat. . A win here for the Spirits puts them in control of their own destiny as they pursue the league title. But that won't come easy. The Broncos, ranked No. 10 in last week's Southern Section Division XI poll, have the advantage of a noisy home crowd. ``They've got a hostile crowd,'' said Paraclete junior running back Dominic Washington, who leads the Spirits with 1,030 yards and 10 touchdowns on 149 carries (6.9 yards per carry). ``They really get up for their home games.'' Paraclete also must overcome its past with Kern Valley, as the Broncos beat the Spirits 28-20 last year when Paraclete's last drive fell short with an interception at the Kern Valley goal line. What makes this matchup so intriguing is the two teams' running games. It's no mystery who the Spirits will get the ball to, as Washington has carried for over 200 yards in each of his past three games and carried an exhausting 45 times in last week's 30-27 win over Bishop. While the Broncos don't confuse opponents by mixing up the run with the pass, they do try to vary things with their running attack. They run an outside veer offense behind the experienced backfield of quarterback Josh Thompson and twin running backs Tim and Terry Hurley. All three are seniors and have started since their sophomore years. ``They're quick and their line gets off the ball,'' said Paraclete coach Steve Hagerty. Hagerty believes that if the game comes down to the two team's kicking games, Paraclete, with three-year punter/kicker Matt Horner, has the advantage. And with two ball-control offenses going at it, turnovers will play a key role in the game's outcome. ``We have to stop their backs because they don't throw the ball very well,'' Hagerty said. ``And offensively we want to control the ball so our defense isn't on the field very long.'' A look at the area's other games, all to start at 7:30 p.m.: Quartz Hill (3-4, 0-2) at Palmdale (6-1, 1-0): Are the Rebels destined des·tine tr.v. des·tined, des·tin·ing, des·tines 1. To determine beforehand; preordain: a foolish scheme destined to fail; a film destined to become a classic. 2. to close Golden League play 0-4? With a game against Antelope Valley to close the season, it could be possible. To avoid that fate, they're going to have to stop making so many mistakes and play one of their best games of the season against the Falcons. Palmdale leads the league in offense (396.7 yards per game) and rushing offense (281.6 yards per game), but Quartz Hill's defense has been one of its strengths. It has allowed just 132.6 yards per game on the ground and 237 overall behind defensive lineman Jacob Waasdorp and inside linebacker Matt Kott, the team's leading tackler. Quartz Hill coach John Albee is impressed with this Palmdale team and feels that the team with the fewest mistakes will win. ``They're the best Palmdale team I've seen since probably the late '80s,'' Albee said. ``They're playing like veterans and with a lot of enthusiasm.'' Albee feels one key for the Rebels is the return of Jeremiah Harris. Bothered by a groin injury the past few weeks, Harris will be running at full strength tonight. ``We're hoping we can get him running like he did as a sophomore and junior,'' Albee said. Antelope Valley (5-1, 1-0) vs. Highland (5-3, 1-1) at Quartz Hill High School Quartz Hill High School is a public, co-educational high school located in Lancaster, California. Founded in 1964, it is the third oldest comprehensive high school in the Antelope Valley High School District (AVHSD). : Jermaine Lewis Jermaine Lewis (born October 16, 1974 in Lanham, Maryland) is an American football wide receiver in the NFL. A star high school athlete at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, he was a two-time team MVP as a running back while also starring as a sprinter on the track team, setting , who ran for a school-record 354 yards against Highland last year, is at UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX this year. Unfortunately for Highland, Tony Walker isn't too bad a back, either. The Antelopes may be without tailback tail·back n. Football The back on an offensive team who lines up farthest from the line of scrimmage. tailback Noun Brit a queue of traffic stretching back from an obstruction Eric Mobley Eric Mobley (born February 1 1970 in the Bronx, New York) is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the National Basketball Association's Milwaukee Bucks in the 1st round (18th overall) of the 1994 NBA Draft. (sprained ankle A sprained ankle, also known as a ankle sprain, ankle injury or ankle ligament injury, is a common medical condition where one or more of the ligaments of the ankle is torn or partially torn. ), which means Walker (81 carries for 566 yards and nine touchdowns) will get the ball close to 30 times. Antelope Valley also most likely will miss guard/defensive end Sal Medina (sprained ankle) and tackle/defensive lineman Michael McNeal (sprained knee). But Antelope Valley's rushing offense (181.4 yards per game) could have the advantage against Highland's run defense (196.3 yards per game). Will Demps William Henry Demps, Jr. (born November 7 1979) is an American football player who is currently a member of the Houston Texans in the National Football League. He plays the free safety position and wears the number 47. (38 rushes, 228 yards; 32 catches, 436 yards, 10 offensive touchdowns) is the man the Antelopes must stop. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos Photo: (1) Dominic Washington Running back leads Spirits (2) Will Demps Antelopes must catch him |
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