By Pete Borello
Men’s soccer
Defying the odds, Foothill last week reached the semifinals of the Northern California playoffs
The No. 10 Owls upset a pair of higher-seeded teams along the way to the semis, where they lost 2-1 to host Cañada Nov. 20.
Foothill finishes with a 11-6-6 record, while third-seeded Cañada improved to 17-4-5.
The Owls opened the playoffs with road wins at No. 7 Consumnes River and No. 2 San Francisco, teams that both captured conference titles this season.
Women’s basketball
Foothill entered last week ranked 15th in Northern California but should move up a few notches after beating two higher-ranked teams.
The Owls beat No. 12 Merced and No. 5 Sierra last week to improve their record to 3-1.
Foothill dispatched host Merced 52-44 on Nov. 20. The Owls limited Merced (2-4) to just 22 points in each half.
St. Francis High graduates Betsy Butterick and Dokesha Meacham each scored 11 points, as did their Foothill teammate Tranikya Price. Meacham also had 12 rebounds and four assists.
On Saturday, Foothill stunned visiting Sierra 55-49.
Price paced the Owls with 19 points, five rebounds and an assist. Butterick contributed 16 points and three assists. Meacham was limited to just five points, but pulled down 12 rebounds.
Foothill is slated to compete in the Shasta Invitational Friday and Saturday in Redding.
Women’s golf
Owls’ football team prepares for bowl game; soccer team ousted from NorCal
The Foothill College football team on Saturday will try to continue its domination of the Kiwanis Silicon Valley Bowl.
The Owls, winners of the past three Silicon Valley Bowls, take on College of the Redwoods at 1 p.m. at Foothill.
Foothill will take the field with a 7-3 record, while Redwoods is 8-2.
The Owls, who finished second in the Golden Gate Conference, are ranked fourth in Northern California. The Corsairs, champions of the Mid-Empire Conference, are rated seventh in the north.
The teams didn’t play during the regular season, but did face two common opponents.
Foothill and Redwoods both lost to Santa Rosa, by scores of 29-20 and 37-29, respectively. They both beat Shasta, with Foothill prevailing 45-7 and Redwoods 28-27.
The Owls, as usual, have one of the most explosive offenses in the state.
Quarterback Waye Terry last week was named offensive MVP of the conference. The sophomore completed 157 of 284 passes for 2,249 yards, with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Terry also rushed 94 times for 596 yards and six touchdowns.
“He’s a very good QB,” Foothill coach Marshall Sperbeck said. “He’s versatile - he can pass, run and is smart at the line of scrimmage.”
Terry’s primary targets have been receivers Ken Coleman and Nate Ramezane, both all-conference selections.
Coleman, a Gunn High graduate, has 39 catches for 685 yards and team-high 13 touchdowns. Ramezane is the Owls’ leading receiver with 53 catches for 554 yards.
Foothill is also more than capable of running the ball, and has two solid backs to do so.
Los Altos High grad Steven Holloway, another all-conference player, has a team-best 918 yards on 131 carries, along with six touchdowns. Peter Shields has carried 112 times for 682 yards and four scores.
“If we protect the football and get into a rhythm offensively, we should be in good shape,” Sperbeck said. “We’ll also need to continue to play well defensively.”
In the second half of the season Foothill’s defense has allowed only one team - top-ranked San Francisco - to gain more than 200 yards of offense.
In their regular-season finale Nov. 17, the Owls held Shasta to minus-11 yards rushing.
Six Foothill defenders have been rewarded with all-conference honors, led by sophomore linebacker Joey Barnes, voted the Golden Gate’s co-MVP on defense. Also recognized: defensive backs Kevin Ernst and Daniel Murray; linebacker Keneke Timoteo; and linemen Sione Tuipolutu and Joe Maningo.
This unit will be up against a Redwoods offense that relies more on the pass than run.
Quarterback James Phillips completed 198 of 333 passes for 2,573 yards and 16 touchdowns and threw nine interceptions.
Phillips’ main target is Chris White, who’s totaled 840 yards on 69 catches and scored five touchdowns.
Redwoods’ running attack features Damien Coaxum and Michael Ramirez, who have 559 and 533 yards, respectively, along with eight touchdowns each.
Tickets to Saturday’s game are priced at $10 adults, $8 students and seniors. Proceeds benefit the 2002 Kiwanis Special Games.
Foothill sophomore Valerie Ogawa finished with the sixth-best score at last week’s state championships at Del Rio Country Club in Modesto.
Ogawa posted a two-day score of 170 on the par-72 course. She shot 84 on the final day, Nov. 20.
Ogawa recorded the top score among individual competitors from Northern California.
