Foothills returns to 11-man win column
- Updated: September 22, 2021
2021 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL
FOOTHILLS CHRISTIAN 18, HOOVER 8
EastCountySports.com staff report
LA MESA – The Foothills Christian Knights football legacy is more than just their dominance of the local eight-man game over the last few years.
The Knights, the reigning back-to-back San Diego Section eight-man champions, won two 11-man league championships in 2008 and ’10, covering a three-year stretch that saw them lose just one league contest and win two Division V playoff games.
So for many to call Friday night’s 18-6 victory over Hoover the school’s first 11-man football victory would be disrespectful to former Knight gridiron legends such as Garret Campbell and Zach Cummings. Not to mention, championship coaches Steve Perdue and Thom Lubic.
Still, these “new” Knights can start their own legacy following the school’s first victory since returning to the 11-man game, as requested by the section prior to the last season.
The Knights couldn’t get enough players together to field a full squad in what would’ve been their first season back last spring, so head coach Joe Mackey set forth the plan to resume in the fall.
Considering the Knights’ history, expectations may have been higher than the early results, but Foothills Christian went with a very young team as the program joins the ranks.
The Knights were outscored 112-16 over their first three games, but the defense stiffened against the Cardinals.
Senior Issac Bartolome had a touchdown on a fourth-and-goal from 1-yard away in the second quarter, running behind junior Gabriel McKinsey and sophomore Dylan Gascon.
Jaydon Gascon, a junior, had a spectacular 20-yard touchdown reception from freshman quarterback Ben Hernandez and Jayden also scored the two-point conversion.
The Knights won despite being doubled-up in yardage by the Cards, 238-119.
Gascon had an interception in the fourth quarter with the Knights holding on to their lead.
Sophomore Dylan Koenig booted a field goal from 39 yards out for FCHS.
Junior Colin Perrott also had an interception for the Knights and Foothills also recovered a crucial fumble in the second half.
Foothills Christian (1-3) is in an interesting matchup on the road this week against O’Farrell (1-3), which recently earned its first-ever football victory.
Historical note: Previous to 2021, the last 11-man season for Foothills Christian was in 2014, but that ballclub went winless and was a contributing factor why the school dropped to the 8-man level. The Knights’ last 11-man wins came in 2013, defeating Julian in the next-to-last game of the season and Maranatha Christian in the “next-to-first” (i.e., Week 2) game of the season.
