ANTELOPE VALLEY : Ex-Football Players’ Rape Trial Delayed

A trial date for three young men accused of raping an intoxicated 14-year-old high school girl last October when they were members of the Antelope Valley College football team was postponed Wednesday until Oct. 19.

Lancaster Superior Court Judge Thomas Stoever granted the delay because David A. Brown, 20, and Bradley J. Cole Jr., 22, have hired a private law firm to replace their county-provided attorneys. The other defendant, Gene Washington, 23, already was represented by a private attorney.

The three, who no longer play on the team, are charged with one felony count each of unlawful sexual intercourse stemming from the Oct. 5 incident during a party at a Lancaster apartment. They previously rejected a proposed plea bargain. They remain free on their own recognizance.