Comcast SportsNet Thursday Game of the Week
Final score: Foothill 48, Novato 13
Stars: Sean Mannion (F) 13 of 20, 268 yards, 4 touchdowns; WR Nathan Hinke (F) 8 catches, 224 yards, 4 TDs; Brian Babb (F) 2 touchdown runs, 9 tackles.
Key play: Foothill’s first play from scrimmage, a 49-yard bomb from Mannion to Hinke for a TD.
Records: Foothill 1-0, Novato 0-2.
By Mitch Stephens
MaxPreps.com
PLEASANTON, Calif. – The buzz around Roger Dabney Field on the campus of Foothill Thursday was “Man, Novato has really dropped off.”
Certainly no one expected Foothill’s resounding 48-13 destruction of the 2007 Division II Northern California State Bowl representative.
But then again, under coach Matt Sweeney, the host Falcons have gone against most odds for more than two decades.
This was more Foothill's rise to a challenge than Novato's fall from grace.
Playing before a live regional television audience, Foothill played one of its most complete games since Sweeney took over in 1986 as it raced to a 27-0 lead, got a tremendous passing combination from Sean Mannion to Nathan Hinke and absolutely smothered Novato’s potent and varied offensive attack.
Mannion, a classic, stout 6-foot-4, 185-pound dropback junior quarterback, completed 13 of 20 passes for 268 yards and four touchdowns, all to Hinke, who grabbed eight balls overall for 224 yards.
The starting defense allowed just more than 100 yards and a 7-yard scoring drive after Novato’s Kyle Campas busted off a 91-yard kickoff return before being hauled down by Michael Young just before halftime.
This against an emerging Northern California power which lost its second straight regular season game for the first time since coach Travis Brackett arrived nine seasons ago.
The Hornets dropped a tough 22-13 game to Valley Christian-San Jose, ranked 19th in the state by MaxPreps, last week and came into the season having won three straight North Coast Section 2A crowns while going 36-4 and outscoring opponents by an average score of 37-7.
Foothill’s performance was fitting, considering it marked the return of Sweeney, who took a 1-year hiatus after going 188-54-5 in 21 seasons and winning four North Coast Section titles.
He returned to coach with longtime defensive coordinator and Mannion’s father John Mannion, who led the Falcons during a 6-5 campaign in 2007.
Like Brett Favre, Sweeney, known for his ability to get the very most out of his players, couldn’t stay away from coaching – he’s a teacher on campus – and John Mannion welcomed him back.
The two agreed to be co-coaches for the season and at times the reunion has been somewhat awkward.
“It’s still a work in progress,” Sweeney said Wednesday night. “It’s getting better every day. We’ll have to see how it works out.”
Judging from Thursday’s performance, it appears the combination matches peanut butter and jelly, white wine and fish, Brady and Moss.
“We were definitely excited to have coach Sweeney back, but I think what makes this so great for us is that we have both of them together again,” said senior linebacker and running back Brian Babb, who rushed for two touchdowns and added nine tackles. “I think they make an awesome combination and the chemistry between them makes us whole.”
Thursday’s performance was indeed complete as the Falcons put the proverbial pedal to the metal from the get-go and didn’t let up until early in the fourth quarter.
On their first play from scrimmage, Mannion faked an inside handoff and found Hinke five yards separated from the Novato secondary for a 49-yard touchdown and the Falcons had a 7-0 lead.
The two hooked up later in the quarter on a 38-yard play to set up a 10-yard TD pass between the two on a fade pattern to the right corner of the end zone, making it 14-0 with 44 seconds gone in the second quarter.
“We saw in passing league those two were going to be a great combination,” Babb said. “They really worked hard and it paid off tonight.”
Returning Novato all-league quarterback Jeff Stephens (11 of 16, 76 yards) tried to force a pass into heavy traffic, the ball was tipped around, Young intercepted and returned 23 yards to the Hornets 3-yard line. Two plays later, Babb powered it in from the 1, making it 21-0 with 5:39 left in the half.
“All blocking,” Babb said. “Our offensive line was outstanding all night.”
They showed off their run-blocking skills the next drive, an 11-play, 48-yarder, all on the ground, capped by a 1-yard plunge from Babb with 31 seconds left in the half. Ryan Walsworth (7 carries, 32 yards), Patrick Lynch (6-39) and Babb (8-26) all carried during the drive which seemed to cap a perfect first half for the Falcons.
On the ensuing kickoff however, Novato all-league running back Campus caught the ball at the 1 – kicker James Langford drilled six of eight kickoffs into the end zone for an automatic touchback – and sprinted down the right sideline before finally being caught by Young at the Foothill 7.
Two plays later, Mike Polvere swept left end for a 3-yard TD, cutting the deficit to 27-6 at halftime.
“We heard about that kickoff return a lot during halftime,” Babb said. “(Sweeney) really lit into us. I think it helped us fire up for the second half.”
Indeed, the Falcons didn’t rest on their 21-point lead.
Even though Brackett unleashed a heavy lashing himself and the Hornets seemed ready to fight back, Mannion came out throwing, hitting two quick completions before three runs netted two first downs.
Mannion then found Hinke wide open again beyond the Novato safety for a 34-yard touchdown.
After Novato went three and out, Foothill slammed this one shut when the dynamic passing duo connected once more on a 50-yard TD bomb. The coverage was a little tighter this time but Hinke, blessed with very soft hands, grabbed the long pass over the middle at the 5 and went in untouched, making it 41-6.
After one of Novato’s three turnovers – a fumble recovery by Sheamus McKenna - Foothill needed to go just 32 yards on eight plays, the last four ran by junior Nick Quan, who powered over from the 1, making it 48-6 with 1:46 left in the third.
Foothill cleared the bench and Novato reserve junior running back Ricardo Mendez, who had two older brothers flourish in the program, was pretty much unstoppable, rushing eight times for 115 yards in the final two series, including a 2-yard TD with 3:35 left.
“I wasn’t really surprised that we won,” Babb said. “But I was surprised we won by so much against a great program like that.”
It no doubt surprised many people after the Contra Costa Times picked the Falcons to finish fifth in the now absolutely loaded East Bay Athletic League (six-time mythical national champion De La Salle joined the league this year).
The San Francisco Chronicle also didn’t rank Foothill among its top 25 Bay Area teams (Novato was No. 9), nor even among its honorable mention.
That helped to inspire the Falcons, Babb said.
“I don’t know the last time a Foothill team was picked so low in the league,” he said. “We were definitely flying under the radar. After tonight I don’t think we will.”
Not is all lost for Novato.
Brackett, one of the top young coaches in the state, has brought his team back from disheartening losses before.
In 2005, in fact, the Hornets lost a regular season game at Marin Catholic 48-7. About a month later, they beat the same team 33-14 in the NCS Redwood Empire title game.
E-mail Mitch Stephens at mstephens@maxpreps.com.
Foothill 48, Novato 13
Novato 0 6 0 7 - 13
Foothill 7 20 21 0 – 48
First quarter
F – Nathan Hinke 49 pass from Sean Mannion (David Norton kick), 7:47
Second quarter
F – Hinke 10 pass from Mannion (Norton kick), 11:16
F – Brian Babb 3 run (Norton kick), 5:39
F – Babb 1 run (kick failed), 0.31
N – Mike Polvere 3 run (kick failed), 0.06
Third quarter
F – Hinke 34 pass from Mannion (Norton kick), 8:59
F – Hinke 50 pass from Mannion (Norton kick), 6:31
F – Nick Quan 1 run (Norton kick), 1:46
Fourth quarter
N – Ricardo Mendez 3 run (Mike Ghirardo kick), 3:35
Team statistics
First downs: Novato 11, Foothill 20
Rushes-yards: Novato 36-179, Foothill 26-118
Passing: Novato 11-16-1-76, Foothill 13-20-1-268
Total yards: Novato 255, Foothill 386
Turnovers: Novato 3, Foothill 1
Individual statistics
Rushing
Novato, Ricardo Mendez 8-116, Kyle Campas 13-37, Blake Krueger-Evre 5-34, Mike Polvere 3-6, Jeff Stephens 5-(-18); Foothill, Patrick Lynch 5-39, Ryan Walsworth 6-32, Brian Babb 7-26, Nick Quan 5-16, David Norton 1-3, Oscar Harris 1-3, Sean Mannion 1-(-1).
Passing
Novato, Stephens 11-16-1-76; Foothill, Mannion 13-20-1-268.
Receiving
Novato, Jake Davis 3-33, Polvere 3-17, Campas 2-7, Josh Greenwell 1-6, Josh Delpino 1-13. Foothill, Hinke 8-224, Walsworth 3-23, Cameron Coon 1-12, Justin Bolen 1-9.
See game preview.
See write-up of last year's game between Foothill and Novato.
