ANTIOCH, Calif. — The defense of
Foothill (Pleasanton), like all the other 11 squads
Antioch faced this season, could not stop
Najee Harris, the nation's No. 1 rated junior running back.
Except when it counted most.
The rugged and elusive 6-foot-2, 215-pounder rushed 39 times for 390 yards and scored six touchdowns. He also added three two-point conversions. Teammate
Ryan Payne also easily converted three two-point tries.
But after Harris scored his sixth TD, a determined 11-yard run with 1:03 to play, Foothill finally stopped Harris short - by inches - to preserve a wild 55-54 North Coast Section Division I semifinal victory.
Foothill recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock to pull out one of the greatest games in Northern California history.
"We finally stopped a two-point conversion by about two inches," Foothill coach Matt Sweeney. "We called timeout to get set and changed our front just a bit."
Najee Harris, making like Superman, leaps over a bewildered group of Foothill defenders on Friday during a wild 55-54 Foothill victory in NCS semifinal play. Harris, an Alabama commit, rushed for 390 yards and six touchdown.
Photo courtesy of Michael Pohl
It worked. Nothing did all night against the strong and fleet Harris, who scored on runs of 15, 1, 80, 44, 6 and 11 yards. He finished with 243 carries for 2,744 yards and 36 touchdowns, leading Antioch (11-1) to a landmark season.
Foothill, which got 208 yards on 23 carries and four touchdowns by
Isaiah Floyd, improved to 12-0 and now faces national No. 10 De La Salle in the NCS playoff finals.
The game not only figured to be an instant NCS classic, but the showdown between Harris and Floyd was much anticipated. The Floyd is only 5-8 and 175 pounds, he is the most explosive offensive player Sweeney said he's had in 29 seasons. He showed that with a 76-yard TD run to opening scoring in the first quarter.
"Wow. Our home run maker (Floyd) against their home run maker,” Sweeney
said. “Floyd is unbelievable. He makes us really good. … The thing I
lime most about (Harris) is that hen’s not worried about down the road.
He’s playing his guts out for Antioch. He's all in with his teammate and he's ferocious.”
Antioch (11-1) outgained Foothill 485-415 but 11 penalties for 130 yards didn't help the Panthers' cause.
Sweeney used some trickery and it appeared to have shut the door on Antioch when little used
Josh Merryman ran and threw for touchdowns in the fourth quarter to go up 55-40 with 1:48 left. But Payne returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown and after a Floyd fumble and Antioch recovery, Harris powered in from the 11 to set up the final sequence.
