Balanced Falcons down Pioneers for fourth straight win

For Foothill's football team, Friday's home game with Canyon Springs was not only about seeking to win its fourth straight game, but also to try and keep its momentum rolling heading into Southeast League play next week.

The No. 8 Falcons did all of that and more, outgaining the visitors 228-20 in the first half and building a 31-point lead into the third quarter before settling for a 45-21 victory.

Quarterback Devon Mueller said Foothill's balanced offense was the key against Canyon Springs, as the Falcons (4-1) rolled up 445 yards.

"We have a really solid team and it's nice to be able to have a really balanced attack," said Mueller. "Our run game helps our pass game, our pass game helps our running. So it's really nice having that."

Mueller exemplified Foothill's offensive balance, as he threw for 181 yards and a pair of touchdowns in addition to 73 yards rushing and one score.

Running back Justice Jackson had 102 yards and a score on 14 carries for Foothill before leaving the game with an injury in the second quarter.

Jackson rushed on all seven plays during the drive he scored on, racking up 44 yards and capping it with a 1-yard TD that gave the Falcons a 14-0 lead with under a minute left in the first quarter.

The Falcons then demonstrated their balance on their next scoring drive, as Mueller passed on five of the seven plays before Blake Wilson scored on a 3-yard run to push the lead to 21-0.

Linebacker Kaelii Maruyama made six tackles, including a pair of sacks, for the Falcons defense, which also looked solid until giving up some late scores.

"I just try to help my team out as much as I can," said Maruyama, who also kicked a field goal and rushed for a 4-yard TD. "We have great coaches, and they do a great job of preparing us for what we have to run on defense. We just have to execute what we need to do."

Foothill also came up with two turnovers on interceptions by Devin Smith and Sean Hamilton.

Maruyama set the tone for the Falcons defense early, coming up with a sack on third down on Canyon Springs' first possession. That forced the Pioneers to punt, and four plays later, Mueller found Brandon Hargis on a 20-yard touchdown pass to give Foothill a lead it never relinquished.

"Our defense is young, but we are solid," Maruyama. "We just need to go out there and execute like we need to and we will be fine."

Canyon Springs (2-3) finally found some success late, breaking through with a 74-yard touchdown run by DeAndra Holmes and a 14 yard TD pass from Tre'von Dean to Maurice Preston to cut the Falcons' lead to 31-14 with 1:55 left in the third quarter.

But on the ensuing drive, Mueller broke free on a 49-yard scramble before he was tripped up at the Pioneers' 4-yard line. That set up Maruyama's TD run that pushed the margin back to 38-14 with 52 seconds left in the quarter.

After another solid outing, Mueller said Foothill has potential to make its mark heading into league play this week.

"I feel we are pretty good. Our team is really young but our seniors and coaches have done a great job getting us prepared," said Mueller. "These games have really gotten our confidence up and we are really moving. So I feel we are ready for league play. I'm excited about it, and want to see how good this team can be."