UPON FURTHER REVIEW: ONE OF THESE DAYS ... ONCE AGAIN, THE VALENCIA FAITHFUL CAN ONLY DREAM OF BEATING HART.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

VALENCIA - Time ran out on Lisa Yakub and Katie Jamison on Friday night. So did all hope.

Like the members of last year's Valencia High senior class, the one before that and, well, every Valencia senior class, Yakub and Jamison will graduate without ever experiencing the feeling of beating Hart of Newhall in the annual cross-town rivalry football game.

For Yakub and Jamison, a pair of Valencia student government members, four years of misery culminated Friday when their beloved Vikings fell 26-0 to the Indians at College of the Canyons.

Again.

That means another year of having to listen to all their friends at Hart brag about how much better they are, another year of wondering when, and if, the Vikings will ever prevail in this game, and another year of looking up at Hart in the Foothill League standings.

Fortunately, Yakub and Jamison look on the bright side.

``But we beat them in every other sport,'' Yakub said.

``Exactly,'' Jamison added. ``Let them have football, we'll take everything else.''

Ah, the optimism of youth.

The reality is, football defines a high school sports program, and right now Valencia falls short compared to Hart.

`But so does everyone,'' said Valencia principal Paul Priesz. ``It's not like we're the only school that can't beat Hart in football.''

If it sounds like Priesz is throwing in the towel it's because he is. Fact is, Hart is just too darned good - having won three consecutive Southern Section titles and 50 straight league games after Friday's victory.

The streak began in 1991, three years before Valencia opened its doors, and the Vikings appear no closer to beating their neighborhood nemesis now than they did then.

Valenica is 0-7 against Hart, including the 1999 Division III final. It doesn't matter that the Vikings are usually one of the best teams in the region or that they came into Friday's matchup with a five-game winning streak.

Nothing ever seems to matter when Valencia plays Hart.

Even Manuel White, the region's all-time leading rusher and now at UCLA, couldn't make a difference. White was 0-4 against Hart between 1997-99.

``Sure it's frustrating,'' said Valenica booster club president Sean Bothwell, whose son Steve is a varsity defensive back. ``But we're getting closer. And one day it's going to happen.''

Which begs two key questions: When will the Vikings win and and how exactly will they pull it off?

There are no shortage of theories.

``The team is just going to have to get all their momentum and intensity and channel it in the right direction,'' said Jamison, neglecting to mention a quarterback who can throw really, really far.

Not that Priesz offers much more insight.

``It's being close, it's playing as hard as we can and having the ball bounce our way,'' he said.

Play as hard as we can? What about a secret trick play or bringing in a ringer from College of the Canyons? This is serious business, and Priesz treats it like some silly water polo match.

Maybe the answer rests with the enemy.

Billy Atkins, a retired Santa Clarita firefighter, has been watching Hart football since the 1940s.

``They're not invincible, they can be beat,'' Atkins said of the Indians. ``But it's going to take a good team that plays a great game to do it. But one of these years Valenica might get it done.''

But how?

``They're just going to have to score more points is all,'' Atkins said, grinning slyly.

The way things are going, that might take awhile.

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Photo:

Daniel Pina (40) of Valencia gets his hand on the football and forces a fumble by quarterback Matt Moore of Hart.

Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer