Sean Mannion isn’t much into numbers but when a reporter gave him the grand total, even he was floored.
Sean Mannion didn't attempt a pass in the fourth quarter.
File photo by Dennis Lee
The 6-foot-5, 205-pound senior quarterback from Foothill High School had thrown for a Northern California-record 581 yards in a 59-37 North Coast Section Division I first-round victory over James Logan (Union City) in Pleasanton on Saturday night.
“I was in total shock,” Mannion said.
Just imagine how the poor boys on James Logan-Union City must have felt.
The Colts (7-4) had allowed a Mission Valley Athletic League-low 219 yards per game this season, including just 116 per game through the air.
But Mannion riddled a fast and athletic secondary by completing 27 of 40 attempts and five touchdowns. Remarkably, he didn’t even attempt a pass in the final quarter. Otherwise, he might have climbed the state list for most prolific single-game performances.
As it was, according to the calhisports.com record book, it was the sixth most passing yards in state history and the most in the North State, shattering the previous mark of 548 set just last week by Downey-Modesto senior Jason Lee.
That broke the previous mark of 546 that lasted 43 years by Tamalpais’ Steve Woodward.
“In the fourth quarter I started thinking that we had quite a few yards,” Mannion said. “But I wasn’t thinking anywhere near (the 581). I wasn’t thinking four or five hundred yards at all. Maybe in the 300s.”
Mannion had no shot at busting the almost ridiculous state and national mark of 764 set in 2000 by David Koral (Pacific Palisades) against Van Nuys. Koral’s mark is almost 100 yards better than anyone – No. 2 nationally is 672 and the next-best California mark is 604, a number Mannion surely could have attained with one completion.
He averaged 21.5 yards a completion.
None of it even occurred to the humble, soft-spoken third-year starter. He seemed almost embarrassed by the attention, instead throwing strong praise to his offensive line, running backs, receivers, defense and co-head coaches, Matt Sweeney and John Mannion, his father.
“They do a great job in film, breaking down things, making life easier for all of us,” Mannion said. “Our running game was great (Ryan Mende rushed for 83 yards and three TDs), our receivers ran really good routes, our line gave me plenty of time to throw and our defense got us back the ball enough to score eight times.
“Really, I owe it all to them.”
Mannion tends to spread the ball around evenly but 6-1, 161-pound receiver Cameron Rowland had 14 catches for 308 yards and one touchdown, a 79-yarder late in the third quarter. That was his last pass of the night.
For the season, Mannion has completed 233 of 386 for 3,240 yards and 25 touchdowns with 12 interceptions.
“We weren’t planning on going to Cameron that much but he just kept getting open,” Mannion said. “He just runs great routes and always gets open. He’s one of our fastest guys so he does a nice job of getting yards after the catch. All our guys do.”
Patrick Berrigan (six catches, 123 yards) and Colin Kacsinski (4-82) each caught two TD passes for the Falcons (8-3), who now face six-time mythical national champion De La Salle, which has won 17 straight NCS titles and 24 overall.
Foothill (7-4) played De La Salle tough earlier in the year, losing 33-7. That ended a rough spell for the Falcons, who had lost four of six games. But they pulled it together the following week with a surprising win over cross-town rival Amador Valley 31-21 to close the regular season.
“We’re building off these two wins and as long as we keeping improving I think we can come away with a victory,” Mannion said.
