Seniors lead Foothill into playoffs
November 10th, 2007, 6:00 am · Post a Comment · posted by acasas
The Knights defeated the Oilers 19-12 and enter the playoffs as the No. 2 team out of the Sea View League.
By JOSH DIGGS
Contributing Writer
There was no need to remind Michael Camacho and Chad Miller it was Senior Night.
After watching their defense being dissected in the second half, Foothill’s senior duo accounted for all seven
touches on the decisive fourth quarter drive that culminated with a Camacho rushing touchdown as the Knights edged Huntington Beach, 19-12, in a Sea View League game Friday at Tustin High.
“We were getting a little antsy,” said Camacho, who finished with 136 yards rushing and also recovered an onside kick. “We just wanted get in there and get it done.”
The Knights finish the season in second place in league and will find out who its opponent will be when the playoff schedule is announced on Sunday.
Foothill had just one possession in the second half midway through the fourth quarter, when Bryan Zantos intercepted Bobby Duarte’s pass with less than five minutes to play. Foothill marched 58 yards with a steady running attack by Miller and Camacho before Camacho’s brushed off a couple of would-be tacklers on his 15-yard sprint run to the end zone. 
Huntington Beach threatened on the ensuing drive but Zantos picked Duarte off again with 1:24 left to seal the win.
Miller finished with 140 yards rushing, including a 1-yard dive into the end zone, and threw for a score but was instrumental on the team’s final drive.
“It was tough we just hung in there and supported our defense and we came through in the end,” Miller said.
“We were trying to figure what to do in the end zone and luckily (Camacho) punched it in.”
The Oilers opened the second half with a 12-yard drive that sapped the clock and ended in a 29-yard field goal by Clayton Prestridge then recovered the onside kick on the ensuing kickoff, although it seemed to touch the kicker before it went 10 yards. The Oilers took advantage and used a pass-heavy drive to cut the lead to one on Bobby Duarte’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Justin Niutapuai. They could have tied the game at 13 but Prestridge missed the extra point.
Foothill got its first possession of the half with less than a minutes left to go in the third quarter and eased their way down the field and into the red zone but couldn’t make translate into point. They turned the ball over on downs at the 1-yard line after four consecutive running plays.
“We were moving the ball on them most of the game but we struggled in the red zone again,” Foothill coach Doug Case said. “We can’t do that if we want to win in the playoffs. We need to score when we should score.”
Camacho took the game’s opening handoff 45 yards to set up Miller’s 1-yard dive in the end zone three plays later for a 6-0 lead. Foothill opened a 13-0 lead early in the first quarter when Miller connected with Brandon Dupre for a 28-yard touchdown pass. Miller finished with just two completions for 48 yards on 2 of 9 passing.
Foothill had a chance to add to its point total early but Josh Smith, who blocked Brian Barbour’s extra point in the first quarter, blocked a 27-yard field goal attempt.
