By Pete Borello
Although the Foothill College football team had a bye last week, the Owls didn’t have much time to relish their 4-1 start.
They were too busy preparing for what lies ahead.
“We’ve had a pretty good run,” coach Marshall Sperbeck said, “but the toughest part of the schedule is the next three weeks.”
This arduous stretch begins at 1 p.m., Saturday, when Foothill hosts Butte (4-1), a team ranked third in the state. The following Saturday, the Owls entertain top-ranked City College of San Francisco (5-0). A week later, Foothill plays at Sacramento City, a squad Sperbeck said is significantly better than its 2-3 record would indicate.
If the 12th-ranked Owls hope not only to survive - but thrive - over the next three weeks, Sperbeck said they will have to limit their turnovers.
“We have to protect the football and try to have more takeaways than giveaways,” he said. “If we do that, we’ll be fine.”
Like most coaches, Sperbeck has little patience for turnovers, which helps explain why he switched quarterbacks four games into the season. Sperbeck pulled Jeffrey Williams after he tossed two first-half interceptions against rival De Anza. Enter Chris Bolding, who threw three touchdown passes in leading the Owls to a 42-7 rout.
Bolding followed this up with a strong performance in Foothill’s 38-7 whipping of West Valley Oct. 14, completing 14 of 22 passes for 175 yards and a pair of TDs.
“He’s done a good job keeping the ball in play and giving our receivers a chance to make plays,” Sperbeck said of Bolding, who’s thrown only one interception. “He runs the offense efficiently and doesn’t make many mistakes.”
Sperbeck said he’s been pleasantly surprised by the performance of freshman halfback Ardell Briggs, the team’s leading rusher. And the coach is hopeful transfer receiver Jason Girling’s effort against West Valley (six catches, 120 yards) is a sign of things to come.
“I expect a good second half (of the season) from him,” Sperbeck said.
The Foothill defense, led by linebacker Joe Maningo, is allowing a mere 250 yards per game and has surrendered just two touchdowns in October. Maningo, a sophomore, already has eight sacks and is drawing interest from NCAA schools.
Sperbeck also praised the play of defensive players Justin Luettgerodt (end) and Nate Ramezane (safety).
Whether Foothill can stop division leaders Butte and San Francisco is yet to be seen, but the Owls should be rested and ready for Saturday’s game.
“The bye came at a good time,” Sperbeck said. “We were able to get guys healthy and work on some things.”
Owls hire new hoops coach
Foothill, which dropped men’s basketball early last season due to recruiting violations involving foreign players, will restart the program under a new coach this season.
Foothill hired Shanan Rosenberg, a St. Francis High graduate, over the summer to replace Todd Petersen. Rosenberg was the head assistant coach at Lewis & Clark College the past three seasons and previously assisted at Cañada College.
Rosenberg played college basketball at UC Davis, where he received a degree in physical education.
“He’s what we were looking for - someone with local connections who can bring in local athletes,” said Foothill athletic director Sue Gatlin. “He has an excellent background and we’re very excited about him.”
The Owls are set to open their season Nov. 8 at the San Jose City College Tournament.
