DANVILLE, CA - Highly-touted quarterback Ben Wooldridge made his return from a week one injury to lead Foothill to its first win of the season on Friday night, a 42-14 rout of host Monte Vista.
After suffering a joint separation in his shoulder in the first quarter of the Falcons’ opening week loss to San Leandro, Wooldridge returned to the field and gave Foothill (1-2, 1-1 EBAL) a tremendous boost, both physically and mentally, to halt a tough two-game losing streak to start the year.
“Just having Ben back, the whole dynamic has changed,” said Foothill head coach Matt Sweeney. “The whole vibe around practice this week was better and we just played with a greater sense of urgency. Ben is a three year starter and has a presence around these guys.”
“He’s a leader,” said wide receiver Roman Sahagun. “There’s a reason he’s going to Fresno State. He’s a beast and it’s really nice to have him back.”
Wooldridge finished 14-of-19 through the air for 180 yards and three touchdowns, and also scored a one-yard rushing touchdown.
“It was good to get back out here and I was excited,” said Wooldridge. “I think we came out here excited as a team and ready to play.”
The blowout victory marked Foothill’s highest scoring display in two seasons, dating back to Wooldridge’s sophomore year in 2015.
“It was relieving,” said Sahagun. “It’s nice to get that first win under your belt, especially with the injuries we’ve been through.”
Sahagun had a breakout performance with seven catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. His showing gave just a glimpse into his growing chemistry with Wooldridge, and the incredible potential those two have to put up big numbers on a weekly basis.
“Roman is a baller and he can do everything,” said Wooldridge.
With just over a minute left until halftime, Sahagun returned a punt 60 yards all the way to the end zone to give the Falcons a 21-point advantage at the break.
“They were in a tight punt formation so I was thinking outside and I just broke and hit the seam,” said Sahagun.
“Roman is a special player who plays hard, and he’s all-in,” said Sweeney.
The Foothill defense limited Monte Vista (2-1, 1-1) to a mere three first downs in each half on Friday night, hindering any sort of rhythm the Mustangs hoped to develop on offense by forcing one punt after another.
“We asked them to do certain things on their adjustments and they just ran around and made plays,” said Sweeney. “They were all-in and it was fun to watch them on that sideline.”
“We had a lot of energy and everybody came to play tonight,” said defensive end Noah Burke. “Everyone was on the same page together and on top of everything. We were all in sync.”
Burke was a big reason why, adding a pair of sacks on two big third down plays.
“I was just out there having fun and using the technique my coaches teach me to go out there and make plays,” said Burke.
Linebacker Ben Perkins also grabbed an interception at midfield right before halftime, thwarting a possible Mustang scoring drive and any shift of momentum as the teams headed into the locker room.
After a quick three-and-out on their first drive, the Falcons took command of the game early on with touchdowns on three consecutive drives in the first and second quarters. Following a botched snap on a Monte Vista punt attempt that set them up deep in enemy territory, Foothill cashed in on an eleven-yard touchdown catch by Sahagun. The visitors came right back and
added another seven on the board when tight end Peter Montini hauled in an eleven-yard touchdown over the middle of the field. Wooldridge added his rushing touchdown early in the second quarter to put Foothill ahead 21-7.
Senior Jake Jackson had a monster night offensively for the Falcons, both in the ground game and air attack. Jackson ran for 74 yards and a third quarter touchdown on 13 carries, and caught three balls for 32 yards including a six-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
“Jake Jackson had a phenomenal game for us and I just thought our offensive line did a heck of a job,” said Sweeney.
Altogether, Foothill’s rushing attack combined for 183 yards, with the likes of Josh Shields and A.J. Schabbing rotating for carries throughout the contest as well.
Monte Vista was held without a first down in the second half until late in the final quarter on its last drive of the game. The Mustangs put together a nice scoring drive in the final minutes, capped off by a 12-yard touchdown run by tailback McGuire Chang.
Senior Zane Cribb showed off some explosiveness in the first quarter with a long 29-yard run, followed by a 17-yard touchdown sprint down the sideline.
Next Friday night, Foothill will return home to take on winless Dougherty Valley in its homecoming game. Meanwhile, Monte Vista will go on the road to face Livermore.
