Foothill at Tehachapi
November 27, 2009
Members of the Warriors celebrate after scoring a touchdown in the final minute of the game to earn a slim 21-14 victory over Foothill
of Bakersfield. The Warriors now advance to the CIF Division III semi-finals gainst Porterville. Photo by The Tehachapi News
Posted November 27, 2009, by Tom Shea, The Bakersfield Californian Late Score By Olofson
Guides Warriors Over Foothill, 21-14
TEHACHAPI – Amidst a down poor of rain on Coy Burnett Field, the Warriors took advantage of a late fourth quarter turnover to set up a touchdown by Jesse Olofson in a thrilling 21-14 win on the mountain.
But a fumble recovery by an opportunistic Warrior defense gave Tehachapi new life.
“We were going to go down the field and setting up for a late field goal but that fumble hurt us,” said Foothill head coach Mike Gregg. “It was a battle all night long. Whoever had the ball last was probably going to win.”
Momentum on their side, Tehachapi (10-2) set up for their last drive in regulation on their own 28-yard line after the fumble recovery.
Marching down the field, Olofson iced the Warrior win with his second touchdown of the night on a 10-yard run off tackle with 15 seconds left to go, finishing the night with 212 yards on 32 carries.
On the ensuing kickoff, Michael Lowder recovered a fumble to put the game away for good, sending the #2 seeded Warriors to the CIF Division III semifinals against #3 seed Porterville.
“It was a gut check on that final drive and our kids responded,” said Warrior head coach Steve Denman. “Our defense played well tonight, and offensively we answered the call when we needed to.”
Other strong performances for Tehachapi included Max Clark, who had 62 yards on six attempts, including the first score of the game on a 41-yard run.
For Foothill (4-8), Edgar Linares accounted for all of the Trojans’ points, scoring on a 71-yard interception return in the first half and a 63-yard run in the third quarter off a muffed punt, while also connecting on two PATs.
Denzel Givens led the Foothill offense with 77 yards on 13 carries.
“This game could have gone either way. It came down to the final minute,” added Denman. “Foothill was a tough team. Our hats off to them on a great game and season.”
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final Foothill 0 7 7 0 14 Tehachapi 0 14 0 7 21
The Scoring:
Second Quarter:
T- Clark 41 yard run (Reimer kick) 9:50
F – Linares 71 yard interception return (Linares kick) 5:36
T – Olofson 2 yard run (Reimer kick) 2:17
Third Quarter:
F – Linares 63 yard run (Linares kick) 7:31
Fourth Quarter:
T – Olofson 10 yard run (Reimer kick) 0:15
Foothill vs Tehachapi Statistics
FHS THS First Downs 13 13 Rushes-Yards 43-187 51-301 Passing Yards 0 16 Comp-Att-Int 0-5-1 1-5-1 Total Yards 187 317 Punts 3-33.7 4-44.0 Fumbles-Lost N/A N/A Penalties 5-50 8-75
Individual Statistics:
RUSHING--Tehachapi: Olofson 32-212, Clark 6-62, Rhodes 7-13, Perry 4-10, Rush 2-4;
Foothill: Givens 13-77, Linares 1-63, Villegas 11-23, Rangle 5-10, Fainter 8-8, Velez 5-6
PASSING--Tehachapi: Rush 1-5-1 16; Foothill: Rangle 0-4-1 0, Villegas 0-1-0 0
RECEIVING--Tehachapi: Garrett 1-16; Foothill: None
Varsity – Tehachapi 10-2, Foothill 4-8