HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS : Montclair Prep Again Plays Part of Spoiler

It was an all-too-familiar scene for Village Christian High.

The Crusaders, enjoying a dream season, march deep into the Southern Section playoffs--only to find Alpha League rival Montclair Prep standing at the end of the line with a bucket full of ice water, ready to toss it in their faces.

This time, it was a 34-0 Division X semifinal washout Friday night at Monroe High that ended Village Christian’s season.

Next week the Mounties (9-3) will make their first championship-game appearance since 1985.

And they will leave the Crusaders (8-4-1) behind, scratching their heads.

“It was the same thing in baseball,” Crusader quarterback Mark Vail said, recalling last year’s Southern Section 1-A title game in which Village Christian committed seven errors and lost, 14-4. “It’s like we go out and our heads aren’t in it.”

Indeed. Montclair Prep forced seven turnovers--three interceptions and four fumbles--as Village Christian crumbled. Greg Cole had all three interceptions.

Mounties Coach George Giannini indicated that it wasn’t much of a problem getting his top-seeded team up for a league rival that it had earlier beaten, 20-7.

“There’s an image created, like UCLA several years back--the gutty little Bruins,” Giannini said. “Village likes to think of itself as the gutty little Crusaders going out against big, bad Montclair Prep. We won’t listen to any of that.”

It took the Mounties all of about five seconds to make that message clear.

That’s how long it took Kimo Atkins to return a Village Christian punt 72 yards for a touchdown.

By the time Montclair Prep actually finished an offensive play, it was ahead, 13-0.

Quarterback Mike Lincavage connected with a wide-open Ed Cibrian on a 66-yard scoring pass on the Mounties’ first snap from center. Lincavage and Cibrian hooked up again in the second quarter, this time for 13 yards, and the Mounties strolled into halftime leading, 20-0.

Atkins, who rushed for 90 yards in 12 carries, added an 84-yard scoring run on the first play of the third quarter, and Neimad Durham scored on a two-yard run.

Montclair Prep’s defense was equally effective. The Mounties limited Village Christian to 102 yards. Chad Everett, who had gained 399 yards in the Crusaders’ two playoff wins, was limited to 55 yards in 15 carries.

Village Christian’s passing attack had even more problems. Vail completed only two of 22 passes for 20 yards.