Griffins host AVC in tight rebound test

2026 GROSSMONT COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Antelope Valley brings passing attack to Mashin-Roth after Grossmont’s difficult afternoon against Southwestern

ANTELOPE VALLEY (1-1) at GROSSMONT (1-1)
Mashin-Roth Memorial Field | El Cajon
Saturday, Sept. 12 | 3 p.m.

By Ramon Scott
EastCountySports.com

EL CAJON — Grossmont spent less than two minutes watching a competitive game against Southwestern disappear.

The Griffins will spend Saturday afternoon showing what they learned from it.

Grossmont returns home to face Antelope Valley in a matchup of 1-1 teams attempting to establish their direction after dramatically different opening weeks.

The Griffins overwhelmed an undermanned Compton team, 57-6, before encountering one of the state’s most complete teams. No. 18 Southwestern accumulated 603 yards and defeated Grossmont, 52-10, last Saturday at DeVore Stadium.

Grossmont remained within 10 points until the closing minutes of the first half. Then a blocked field goal triggered three Southwestern touchdowns over the final 1:41, turning a possible 10-3 halftime score into a 31-7 deficit.

The Jaguars finished the separation after halftime.

Now the Griffins must determine whether that performance reflected the considerable difference between an American Division program and a state-ranked National Division contender—or exposed problems that will follow them into the remainder of the season.

Antelope Valley should provide a revealing answer.

Neither team is ranked in the JC Athletic Bureau/CCCFCA coaches poll or the JCGridiron Dirty 30. The Massey Ratings place the teams close together, with Antelope Valley ranked No. 46 and Grossmont No. 49 among California community college programs.

The matchup itself may be even closer than those ratings indicate.

MARAUDERS REBOUND WITH 45 POINTS

Antelope Valley opened its season with a 30-24 home loss to San Bernardino Valley, but the Marauders demonstrated that they could move the football against a capable opponent.

Quarterback Tyson Smith threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns as AVC finished with 393 yards of offense. Smith helped the Marauders recover from a 17-9 deficit, connecting with Azim Bankhead for a 41-yard touchdown shortly before halftime.

Smith later found Darrell Stanley for a 9-yard touchdown with 18 seconds remaining, pulling Antelope Valley within six points.

The Marauders could not complete the comeback, in part because they committed four turnovers.

Antelope Valley responded one week later with a 45-14 road victory over West Los Angeles.

The Marauders scored in several different ways. Jaden Graham opened the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run, and AVC later converted a fourth down near the goal line for another rushing touchdown.

Antelope Valley also threw two touchdown passes for 24 and 8 yards before breaking a 20-yard scoring run during its second-half surge.

The results revealed enough about the Marauders’ offensive approach. Antelope Valley can finish drives with its running game and possesses enough explosiveness through the air to punish coverage mistakes.

That combination is particularly relevant after Southwestern repeatedly struck Grossmont with long touchdown passes.

GRIFFINS MUST ELIMINATE THE EXPLOSIVE PLAY

Grossmont did not simply surrender completions against Southwestern. It surrendered field-changing completions.

Southwestern averaged 16.6 net yards per pass play and repeatedly placed receivers behind or between Grossmont’s coverage. Four Jaguars touchdowns covered at least 39 yards.

Quarterback Dominic Duran completed 19 of 24 passes for 434 yards and five touchdowns, earning SCFA Offensive Player of the Week recognition. His scoring throws covered 39, 55, 49, 80 and 25 yards.

Grossmont cannot allow Smith and the Marauders to establish a similar rhythm.

The Griffins’ defense must generate more consistent pressure without compromising the secondary.

Avery Morris, the former Mount Miguel standout, recorded Grossmont’s only sack against Southwestern. He finished with five tackles, forced a fumble and dropped Duran for a 12-yard loss.

Former Helix defender Jirah Savaiinaea Jr. led Grossmont with seven tackles, including five solo stops and a tackle for loss. Gatchang Gatchang added five solo tackles.

Those players helped limit Southwestern to 156 rushing yards, but that relative success became largely irrelevant once the Jaguars consistently struck through the air.

Antelope Valley will likely test Grossmont’s coverage immediately.

SPICER NEEDS TIME TO RESET THE OFFENSE

Grossmont’s offense faces an equally important response.

Quarterback Melvin Spicer IV completed 14 of 27 passes for 103 yards against Southwestern and was intercepted twice. The Jaguars sacked him six times, limited his longest completion to 16 yards and prevented Grossmont’s offense from reaching the end zone.

That performance came one week after Spicer completed 15 of 20 passes for 172 yards and three touchdowns in the victory over Compton. He also rushed for a touchdown in the opener.

The true level of Grossmont’s offense probably rests somewhere between those extremes.

Saturday provides Spicer and the Griffins with an opportunity to reestablish their identity against a defense that should not possess Southwestern’s depth or ability to generate pressure with only four rushers.

Grossmont’s offensive line, including left tackle Trenton Price, must provide Spicer enough time to attack beyond the underneath passing game.

The Griffins also need more consistent rushing production to keep Antelope Valley from treating every possession as an obvious passing situation.

Chris Williams led Grossmont with 24 rushing yards against Southwestern, while Ladarrione Perkins gained 19 yards on his only attempt. The Griffins finished with only 83 net rushing yards and averaged 2.3 yards per carry.

More production on early downs would reduce the pressure on Spicer and help Grossmont keep Antelope Valley’s offense on the sideline.

NORMAN REMAINS GROSSMONT’S BIG-PLAY THREAT

Myles Norman supplied nearly all of Grossmont’s explosiveness against Southwestern.

Norman returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and finished with 128 all-purpose yards. He also caught four passes and continued generating yardage after the outcome had been decided.

His touchdown briefly interrupted Southwestern’s decisive first-half burst and demonstrated that Grossmont possesses a player capable of changing field position without requiring an extended drive.

The Griffins should look for additional ways to place the ball in Norman’s hands, particularly in space. His return ability also could become important if the teams exchange scores in what projects to be a substantially more competitive game.

TURNOVERS COULD DECIDE IT

Antelope Valley’s offensive production comes with some risk.

The Marauders committed four turnovers in their opening loss to San Bernardino Valley. Grossmont, meanwhile, threw two interceptions against Southwestern, including the pick-six that helped break the game open before halftime.

Antelope Valley linebacker Jayden Carrillo had 11 tackles in the Marauders’ opener. Carrillo recorded nine solo stops and an interception in the opener.

Grossmont cannot compound protection problems by giving the Marauders short fields.

The Griffins also committed 12 penalties for 114 yards against Southwestern. Several infractions disrupted promising plays or created longer down-and-distance situations against the Jaguars’ pass rush.

A cleaner offensive performance—and one or two takeaways from the defense—could reverse the statistical projection.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

GROSSMONT

• Myles Norman: Returned a kickoff 90 yards for Grossmont’s only touchdown against Southwestern.
• Melvin Spicer IV: Seeks a rebound after being pressured into two interceptions and six sacks.
• Avery Morris: Recorded five tackles, a sack and a forced fumble last week.
• Jirah Savaiinaea Jr.: Led the Griffins with seven tackles against Southwestern.
• Trenton Price: Grossmont needs its left tackle and offensive line to stabilize the pocket.

ANTELOPE VALLEY

• Tyson Smith: Threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener.
• Jaden Graham: Scored Antelope Valley’s opening touchdown against West Los Angeles on a 1-yard run.
• Jayden Carrillo: Recorded 11 tackles and an interception against San Bernardino Valley.
• Azim Bankhead: Caught a 41-yard touchdown pass in the opener.
• Darrell Stanley: Made six receptions and scored during AVC’s late rally against San Bernardino Valley.

PREDICTION

Grossmont should be far more competitive than it was at Southwestern. The Griffins are back home, Antelope Valley has shown a tendency to surrender turnovers, and Spicer should receive more opportunities to operate from a manageable pocket.

The matchup remains uncomfortable for Grossmont because Antelope Valley’s greatest strength directly attacks the Griffins’ most obvious Week 2 weakness.

The Marauders have scored through the air and on the ground, producing 24 points against San Bernardino Valley before erupting for 45 at West Los Angeles. Grossmont must prevent one damaging stretch from deciding another game.

Norman and the Griffins’ offense can keep the score within one possession if Grossmont avoids turnovers and drive-killing penalties. However, Antelope Valley’s passing game should produce enough explosive plays to give the Marauders a narrow road victory.

ANTELOPE VALLEY 34, GROSSMONT 31

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