The heave of hope

By Michael Ashcraft --

Tariq Brown loves to cook: pasta, chicken Alfredo, fettuccini, rigatoni. Hot plates.

On Saturday, Tariq was cooking up hot plays. Of the 7-8 receptions, two were touchdowns in his efforts to whipsaw the game against Antelope Valley College, one of the division's best teams.

"I wish we could have come back," said the sophomore, kinesiology major from Des Moines, Iowa who was drawn to Cali by what he saw on T.V. "We fell hard. We battled back."

Santa Monica College lost to the Marauders 31-36.

In the last play of the game in a desperate attempt to score a tying TD, Corsair quarterback Sam Vaulton under pressure lofted a ball that wasn't to any one player. It was to a mix of players in the end zone. He hoped that one of two of his receivers there would catch it.

But it was an Antelope Valley player that picked the pigskin. It was his only interception, and it was the end of the game.

"It was a hard fought game. Our guys played their hearts out," said SMC Coach Kelly Ledwidth.

Late in the 3rd quarter, Maximillian Palees hoped to spark a Santa Monica comeback by knocking down a pass for a conversion. Up 17-29, the Marauders had hoped to put the game out of reach by more than two touchdowns by making that conversion.

"It was a great play by Max," Coach Ledwidth said. "He read his keys and he made a heck of play out there."

The Corsairs then proceeded to touchdown in the 4th quarter. Tariq interchanged plays with Josiah Neos to move the ball down the field, and then Tariq caught the scoring pass, making it 24-29.

On kickoff, SMC appeared to try to execute an onside kick with a chip, but Antelope Valley caught the ball with good field position. Running back Xavier Clay made ground on two good runs.

SMC looked to stop Antelope Valley on 4th and 2 yards after a goodSpencer Neos tackle. But the Marauders were able to get the first down on a down-and-out. Another missed coverage by Santa Monica meant a TD for Antelope Valley. It became 24-36.

The O line had trouble blocking all day. Antelope Valley brought to the game some sons of giants, descendents of the Biblical Nephilim. Just check the stats: Dylan Thomas, 6'6", 250 pounds. Jalynn Harvey, 6'2", 235 pounds. Caleb Templeman, 6"3', 250 pounds. Brannen Goodman Jr., 6'3", 290 pounds. Jalen Jackson, 6'0", 235 pounds. Ethan Estrella, 6'1", 255 pounds.

So it was strategic that SMC stop looking for the big play and aim for short and quickfire passes.

Despite getting sacked twice, Sam Vaulton was able to connect finally with Richard Kirk to nail the touchdown and stay in the game. It was 31-36.

Antelope Valley could not score after that. The Corsair defense surged with a dogpile on 4th and short to stymie the Marauders and turn the ball over to the comrades on SMC offense.

Suffering two sacks, Vaulton was still able to move the ball upfield with Josiah Neos, Tariq and David Redden, who was last week's hero.

With 29 seconds in the game and only 9 yards to TD, Santa Monica looked to snatch the game from the Nephilim. But the Antelope Valley O-line broke through and put Vaulton under pressure.

There was only one thing to do, and that was throw it where two SMC receivers, even though they were heavily covered, and hope that a Corsair could come up with the ball.

Call it the heave of hope.

Alas, intercepted.

"It was tough to see it end that way," said Coach Ledwidth, turning philosophical. "But I can't ask for any more effort."

Read the rest of the Santa Monica College's football games:

• Loss against Moorpark College.
• Victory against Orange Coast.
• Loss against Pasadena.
• Victory against Compton.

Michael Ashcraft teaches journalism at the Lighthouse Christian Academy in West Los Angeles. Two of his former students are on the SMC team.