Foothill claims Silicon Valley Bowl

By Pete Borello, Town Crier Staff Writer

photos by Joe Hu/Town Crier Jacob French snags a touchdown pass in Saturday’s Silicon Valley Bowl, which his Foothill team won 35-33 over Feather River. French, a sophomore halfback, scored three touchdowns on the afternoon and was named MVP of the annual bowl game.

As The Big Game kicked off last Saturday afternoon, two other college football teams finished up a bowl game played in near obscurity just a few miles down the road in Los Altos Hills.

Unlike Cal vs. Stanford, however, the community college game between host Foothill and Feather River had a dramatic ending - though only a few hundred spectators were there to see it. The Owls survived a late surge by the Golden Eagles to hold on for a 35-33 win in the ninth annual Silicon Valley Bowl.

Cornerback Branimir Vatavuk’s interception with 37 seconds to play secured the victory for Foothill, which won the bowl game for the seventh consecutive year. Vatavuk outjumped Feather River receiver Christian Vidal to steal the long pass at the Owls’ 30-yard line.

“I wasn’t too comfortable (before the interception),” Foothill head coach Marshall Sperbeck said. “I almost wished I was up there with the fans enjoying it.”

Fans of Foothill - and of offense - didn’t leave disappointed. The teams combined for 873 yards of offense and both made highlight-reel-worthy plays.

The Owls racked up 458 yards against a Feather River defense that came in ranked ninth in the state. Halfback Jacob French accounted for nearly half these yards and scored three touchdowns. The sophomore was named game MVP, while Foothill quarterback Josh Riddell (18 for 31 for 321 yards and four touchdowns) was offensive MVP.

French also punted for the Owls, rolling his last kick to the 6 to put the Golden Eagles in a tough spot to start their final drive

“I love to have the ball in my hands,” said French, who rushed 21 times for 113 yards and caught four passes for 107.

The only Foothill player busier than French was Schneider Julian. He started at receiver and cornerback, plus returned kicks. Schneider added defensive back to his job description the prior week when the Owls suffered injuries in the secondary during an upset win at previously undefeated San Francisco.

“He’s just a great athlete,” Sperbeck said of Julian, who dropped to his knees to snare a 10-yard scoring strike from Riddell that broke a 7-all tie just before halftime.

Late in the third quarter, it looked like there was no stopping Foothill. Riddell’s 17-yard touchdown pass to French, coupled with Bobby Lopez’s extra point, extended the Owls’ lead to 35-14 with 3:31 left. Riddell, scrambling to his right, threw across the field before taking a hit and a leaping French came down with the ball in the end zone.

“In the second half we opened up the field a little bit with our passing game,” said Riddell, who connected with receiver Brandon Anderson on a 61-yard touchdown toss on their previous drive. “We felt a lot more confident.”

Foothill (8-3) didn’t keep its big lead for long.

Feather River’s Kevin Murray, showing why he ranks among the best return men in the state, brought back the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a score. Ryan Burks’ extra point made it a 35-21 game.

After stopping Foothill’s next two drives, the Golden Eagles (7-4) cut into the deficit again. Helped by two 15-yard penalties on Foothill for unsportsmanlike conduct, Feather River scored on quarterback Chris Montano’s 7-yard scamper up the middle midway through the fourth. Foothill defensive lineman Keith Robertson, who intercepted a tipped pass in the third, blocked the extra-point try and the score stood at 35-27.

The Owls gave the ball right back to the Golden Eagles, though, as halfback Joshua Jones fumbled on first down. A play later, Murray crossed the goal line on a 42-yard run to the left in which he was never touched. But Murray was flagged for excessive celebration, a 15-yard penalty that forced his team to try its two-point conversion from the 18. Montano’s pass fell incomplete, leaving Foothill with a 35-33 lead with 7:05 to play.

A nine-play drive primarily made up of runs by French and Riddell helped Foothill whittle the clock down to 1:36 before punting to Feather River, which had exhausted all its timeouts.

Six plays later, Vatavuk made the interception.