Quartz Hill Discovers Its Better Half

Maybe it’s something in the water bottles.

Quartz Hill High, which travels to Rubidoux on Friday for a Southern Section Division I quarterfinal, has spent the last half of the season flattening opponents in the second half.

Coach John Albee denies that he invokes sorcery in the locker room at intermission. Instead, the Rebels just seem to have a cause--to play a nearly flawless final two quarters.

By outscoring Long Beach Wilson, 28-0, in the second half of last week’s playoff game, Quartz Hill has scored 84 second-half points to its opponents’ zero in the past three games.

And, going back five games, the tally is 121-7.

“I don’t know what it is,” quarterback Jake Haro said. “As the season goes along, we just seem to react better in the second half. In the second half, we’re just a new team.”

For Quartz Hill, there is a better half.

Rushing: Is it any wonder that running backs Ontiwaun Carter of Kennedy and Brett Washington of Granada Hills are dueling for the Northwest Valley Conference rushing title? Last season, Carter knocked off Washington, 1,563 yards to 1,156. This season, Washington holds a slight lead, 1,317 yards to Carter’s 1,273.

The battle of one-upmanship reached new levels Friday night. Carter carried the ball twice in the first half of Kennedy’s 38-21 victory over Reseda and scored on runs of 66 and 64 yards. He finished with 228 yards in 12 carries. Washington carried once in the first half and finished with 119 yards in five carries as Granada Hills hammered Chatsworth, 68-21.

Records: Washington, who scored three touchdowns against Chatsworth, has set the school single-season scoring mark with 122 points, breaking the record of 120 set by Khalid Ali in 1986. Washington also tied Ali’s single-season marks, also set in 1986, for rushing touchdowns (18) and total touchdowns (20).