Play of Special Teams Costs Valley Dearly in 20-16 Loss to Mt. SAC

One thing is for sure: The Valley College football team will be spending extra practice time this week on kickoff returns.

Two crucial plays in a 20-16 loss to Mt. San Antonio College on Saturday night made that much a certainty. They were two plays that might have been the difference between losing and winning the nonconference opener.

Valley led, 10-6, at halftime but on the kickoff to begin the third quarter, Eric Barber was stripped of the ball by Mt. SAC’s Tahrell Miles at the Valley 28.

Four plays later, Ron Robins scored his second touchdown of the game on a one-yard run to give Mt. SAC a lead it never relinquished.

The Mounties’ lead appeared to last all of 15 seconds on the game clock, but Lamark Allen’s ensuing 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown was nullified by a clipping penalty.

Allen, a former Saugus High standout, took the ball at the four, broke several tackles at the Valley 30, then sprinted down the left sideline for the apparent go-ahead touchdown.

“That fumble and that penalty. Those two things killed us,” Valley Coach Chuck Ferrero said. “If we eliminate those, we win the game. It’s a sick loss because we lost on the kicking game.

“But I’m proud of this team. They played their hearts out.”

Valley (6-4 last season) still had a chance to win in the final seconds, but a last-ditch bomb by Trendell Williams (12 of 28 for 239 yards, one touchdown, three interceptions) was intercepted by Leroy Johnson in the Mt. SAC end zone with 17 seconds left.

Trailing, 20-10, Valley narrowed the deficit to four points when Williams hooked up with Rodney Guy on an 86-yard touchdown play with 1:42 left.

Guy caught the pass at midfield, cut inside defensive back Charlie Hudson and raced untouched into the end zone. The two-point conversion run failed.

The Mt. SAC defense accounted for the Mounties’ final touchdown.

Linebacker Derek Dewitt batted a Williams pass, intercepted it, then rumbled 19 yards into the end zone with 13:18 to play.

Leonard Russell put in a stellar performance for Mt. SAC, rushing for 140 yards in 26 carries, but his fumble led to Valley’s first score, a 23-yard Jim Harper field goal.