Foothill Hits Its Offensive Groove

When Doug Case arrived at Foothill High this season, he was fresh from building a solid program at Rancho Alamitos. And he wanted to do the same thing in a district that already featured a football power--Tustin.

And though no one is confusing Foothill with the eighth-ranked Tillers, Case’s offense has put up Tustin-like numbers in recent weeks. After scoring only 54 points in their first five games, the Knights have scored 35, 55 and 58 points in consecutive weeks.

Foothill, 3-0 in the Century League, has come a long way since losing four of its first five games.

“The kids have finally learned the playbook and the intricacies of the system,” said Case, who turned Foothill from a finesse passing team into a power running team. “We went against some good opponents early on [Tustin, Woodbridge, Laguna Hills, La Habra] who played tough, solid defense against us and made it tough to learn.

“You have to be confident in your system, and the players trusted it and wanted it to work. We finally hit our groove and are hitting on all cylinders.”

One of the reasons Foothill has taken off is the rushing of sophomore Mike Liti, who won the starting job over seniors Robert Garey, who now concentrates on free safety, and Dejuan Smith, who still gets some reps.

“We wanted to give the seniors an opportunity to own the job, and Mike had some early injuries,” Case said, referring to a cut chin early in the season that prevented Liti from wearing his helmet for two weeks. “Having him win the job has been a great addition; Liti’s an explosive back.”

Case said Liti had to overcome a setback earlier in the season, when he suffered a cut chin that prevented him from wearing his helmet for two weeks.

Liti rushed for 240 yards in the league opener against Canyon, 315 against Santa Ana Valley and 124 in about a half against Orange.

Liti’s success has been helped by the play of Foothill’s two returning senior starters on the right side of the line, tackle Eric Eastman (6 foot 3, 270 pounds) and guard Jason Seniff (6-2, 230) and senior tight end Kurt Katnik (6-4, 235).

“Even though we’re still able to pass, if Mike’s averaging seven or eight yards per carry, why even chance it,” Case said.

So they don’t. And though the combined record of their last three Century League opponents is 7-17, Foothill is playing its best heading toward the playoffs.

“Once the kids got that winning attitude, like they couldn’t be denied, I knew that we would explode onto the scene and start peaking at the right time,” Case said. “The preseason did what it was supposed to do, get us ready for league. If we can get by El Modena [on Friday], I think we have a legitimate shot against Villa Park for the league title, and that will be a great indicator of how we’ll do in the playoffs.”

TEMPER, TEMPER

If Cypress hopes to earn a share of the Empire League title, the Centurions are going to have to focus a little more on playing by the rules.

Cypress was penalized 11 times for 111 yards in its 14-3 victory over El Dorado Friday, and the Centurions figure to need improved execution Thursday against first-place Kennedy.

“We can’t get over that,” Coach Kerry Crabb said after the game. “One drive we made four penalties in a row. We had 13 penalties last week [against Katella] that negated five big plays.

“We harped all week about playing smart. I’m disappointed we can’t keep our composure.”

El Dorado was nearly as bad, committing 11 penalties for 93 yards.

Cypress had two offensive linemen, Zvonomir Cavka and David Sampson, sit out the El Dorado game with knee injuries. Another lineman, Matt Hodges, sat out for committing two personal fouls against Katella, thereby earning an automatic ejection.

Hodges will be back this week against Kennedy. Another lineman, Justin Conde, was ejected Friday after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, but Cypress is seeking a reversal. The play will be reviewed by referee Sal Figueroa, who can overturn the on-field decision.

Crabb said he has two videotapes, one a close-up, clearly showing Conde was an innocent bystander and the official reacting to a “flop” by an El Dorado player.

WHOSE CUP RUNNETH OVER?

When Los Alamitos and Esperanza meet at 7 p.m. Friday at Valencia High, more will be on the line than a shot at the Sunset League title. The teams will battle for the first Millennium Cup.

“We think it’s the best rivalry in Orange County year in and year out,” said Stan Davidson, president of the Los Alamitos booster club and co-creator of the award. “Other teams have played for the bell; we felt that this rivalry deserved a trophy.”

The Cup, which also was the brainchild of Esperanza booster Jim Birrell, is a crystal vase with a bronze griffin on one side and an Aztec on the other, set on a walnut stand.

EXTRA YARDAGE

Edison has won four in a row, and one thing has been consistent during the Chargers’ rise: Tailback Darryl Poston has carried the ball more often. Poston rushed more times in victories over Servite, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos and Marina than he did in any of Edison’s first four games. Poston set a season-high with 34 carries in a 251-yard performance against Servite. He has scored 10 touchdowns in his last four games, four more than he did in the previous four. . . . El Dorado quarterback Brian Zurhellen kicked a field goal and intercepted a pass in the first half against Cypress and was named homecoming king at halftime. Standing in for Brian during the ceremony was his father, Bob. . . . Mater Dei running back Camron Carmona sat out a second consecutive game for unspecified disciplinary reasons but will return to the lineup against Santa Margarita Friday. . . . Los Amigos, which scored 89 points combined in its first first seven games, scored nearly half that in its 44-14 victory over Bolsa Grande.

Staff writer Ben Bolch contributed to this report.

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