Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Sophomore sensation Jordan Wilson sends Foothill to playoffs

Foothill pulls second straight upset, beats Green Valley to claim No. 4 seed

Foothill Players Celebrate Win

L.E. Baskow

Foothill players come together to celebrate their win over Green Valley and a playoff berth.

Foothill Beats Green Valley HSFB

Foothill's Issac Oliva (5) extends for a touchdown versus the Green Valley defense on a run up the middle on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016. Launch slideshow »

If having a trustworthy quarterback is one of the keys to success in the playoffs, then Foothill might be poised to surprise when the postseason begins next week.

There’s not a quarterback in the valley surging as much as Jordan Wilson, a sophomore who’s spurred the Falcons to an improbable playoff berth in the last week. Six days after leading a stunning comeback against Basic, Wilson put up 211 total yards in a 20-9 victory at Green Valley to extend Foothill’s season.

“He’s grown up these last couple weeks and started to understand stuff better,” Foothill coach Marty Redmond said. “He’s making our offense go.”

Foothill was an afterthought in the Southeast division after losing by a combined 103-21 to Liberty and Silverado in its first two games of October. But Wilson was hurt for both of those contests.

When he came back at full strength, Foothill started to play its best of the season. That will be a concern for Northeast division champion Canyon Springs, which will host Foothill next Friday.

“We’re going to carry this momentum into the playoffs,” Wilson said. “I’m excited to keep playing.”

Foothill came out as amped as a team could possibly be for the regular-season finale that wound up as a playoff play-in game. The Falcons rushed to midfield while yelling after the coin toss for a breakdown and couldn’t contain their excitement when the game started.

They jumped offsides on both the kickoff and their first offseason play before Wilson started to harness the energy more effectively. He led scoring drives on two of Foothill’s first three possessions, finding senior receiver Brandon Hargis for passing touchdowns to conclude both and take a 14-0 lead.

“Hargis just finds ways to get open,” Redmond said. “He’s a sneaky smart football player, and Jordan is finding him.”

Foothill’s offense slowed as the game went along, but its defense picked up the slack. The Falcons gave up plenty of yards — the Gators outgained them by more than 100 yards on the night — but stiffened when it mattered.

Defensive linemen like senior Jack Broyles and junior Anthony McAllister controlled the middle of the line, allowing linebackers with heat-seeking instincts like senior Kaelii Maruyama and junior Jared Ables to make big tackles.

Green Valley’s only touchdown came with 13 seconds left when quarterback Christian Mayberry — who performed admirably with 167 passing yards and 106 rushing yards, despite moving from receiver due to injury less than two weeks ago — pounded in a rush from one yard. The Falcons held the Gators to a single field goal in three other trips inside the 10-yard line.

During one crucial stand early in the fourth quarter, senior defensive back Blake High got a third down sack before fellow senior defensive back Marquies Jenkins deflected a pass in the end zone on fourth down.

“We take a lot of pride in not giving up down there in the red zone,” Redmond said. “So, I was really happy with that.”

Jenkins also had an interception in the first quarter that set up the Falcons’ second touchdown. Their third score came on the opening drive of the third quarter when junior running back Isaac Oliva, who carried the ball 13 times for 76 yards overall, powered into the end zone.

Foothill players celebrated after the game by joining together and yelling about making the playoffs when no one believed in them. A sophomore delivering the Falcons there only added to the unlikelihood of their two-game win streak.

“I feel much more comfortable,” Wilson said. “I don’t play like a sophomore anymore.”

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

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