Searcy Gets Open, Quartz Hill Closes Out Antelope Valley : High school football: He catches 54-yard bomb from Norris and Rebels hold on to take sole possession of Golden League lead with 13-9 victory.

QUARTZ HILL — Sure, he admits it. And most of the time, he’s right.

Senior receiver Troy Searcy walks back to the Quartz Hill High huddle after every play and tells quarterback Brad Norris that he’s wide open.

“Exactly,” Searcy said. “I tell him to get me the ball and I’ll make the big play.”

Searcy and Norris connected on a 54-yard bomb late in the third quarter to lead the Rebels to a 13-9 victory over Antelope Valley in a Golden League thriller before an overflow crowd of 4,000 at Quartz Hill.

With the victory, Quartz Hill (9-0, 4-0 in league play) clinched a share of the league title. A victory over Littlerock on Thursday night would ensure Quartz Hill the championship.

The victory didn’t come easy, but it never does when these archrivals square off.

“Oh man, these games are this way every year,” Quartz Hill Coach John Albee said. “ Real close.”

Quartz Hill’s vaunted passing game sputtered for much of the game, mainly because Norris--who was sacked six times--didn’t have time to throw. An Antelope Valley fumble at midfield set the stage for the knockout blow, however.

On the first play following a botched exchange by the Antelopes, Norris (nine of 17 for 147 yards) stepped up in the pocket and launched the ball 50 yards downfield, where Searcy had beaten defensive back Chris Tapia with 2 minutes 19 seconds left in the third quarter. It gave the Rebels a 13-9 margin, their first lead of the game.

“I was open a couple of times before that, but (Norris) kept getting sacked,” Searcy said.

It wasn’t over, though, not by a long shot. Antelope Valley (7-2, 3-1) crossed midfield on all five of its second-half possessions, but couldn’t make the big play. Jermaine Lewis gained 142 yards in 31 carries, but had no run longer than 16 yards.

Albee told his troops: “Cross your fingers and play football.”

On Antelope Valley’s last gasp, quarterback Mike Gleich (14 for 24, 150 yards) led the Antelopes to the Quartz Hill 41 with 1:03 remaining, but was sacked for a four-yard loss. Then his fourth-down pass down the sideline to David Newman landed out of bounds.

Antelope Valley didn’t enter the game with a reputation as a passing team, but the Antelopes drew first blood in the air when Gleich hit receiver Tapia on a play-action pass down the middle for a 33-yard score and a 6-0 lead with 8:55 remaining in the first quarter.

Quartz Hill answered when tailback Jeff Diamond (57 yards in 10 carries) scored on a two-yard run over the right side.

The point-after was blocked--though Antelope Valley appeared to have jumped offside on the play.

Chad Shrout, who doubles as a defensive lineman, kicked a 47-yard field goal with 1:54 remaining in the half to give Antelope Valley a 9-6 lead.