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Cougars lose 28-27 heartbreaker
Paradise scored 13 points in final 3 minutes for victory
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PALO CEDRO — Two things are becoming apparent when Foothill and Paradise square off on the gridiron.
First, you're going to get your money's worth.
Second, one team is bound to go home downtrodden.
Friday, it was Foothill who walked away stunned after the Bobcats rallied from 12 down in the fourth quarter, scoring 13 points in the final 2 minutes, 50 seconds to win 28-27.
"This was more than a heartbreaker for this team," Foothill coach Bryon Hamilton said.
It was a game Foothill (0-3 Eastern Athletic League, 3-3) couldn't afford to lose.
Especially after dominating the first 45 minutes of the game.
Especially after dropping the first two league games to Enterprise and Pleasant Valley.
Especially after the squad was finally getting healthy.
"I've been coaching a long time and I've never lost one like this," Hamilton said. "If you go out and lead your archrival by two touchdowns and then lose, sure it's going to hurt."
Foothill staked itself to a 21-7 lead six minutes into the second half on a 20-yard touchdown pass from TJ Meredith to Michael Faris.
Meredith injured his throwing elbow on the play and was sidelined the rest of the game.
Paradise then ripped off a third-quarter-killing, 14-play, 74-yard drive capped with Dillon Orlando's 19-yard screen-pass TD to Jordan Dobrich.
The score put the Bobcats (3-0 EAL, 5-1) within six and made what had been a runaway a ball game.
But Faris, subbing for Meredith, ripped off a 65-yard quarterback sneak for a touchdown on Foothill's next play.
"When we went 3-and-out and they scored it was scary," Paradise coach Rick Prinz said. "We always believe, but things did look bleak.
"We were fortunate."
When Paradise got the ball back with 2:50 in the fourth quarter on its own 16, Orlando began to run an effective hurry-up offense. He was 4-for-5 in the air on the seven-play scoring drive.
He hit Matt Talamantes on a 3-yard out to pull the Bobcats within five after the extra point.
Then things began to unravel for the Cougars.
The Bobcats lined up for the kickoff, quick shifted and caught the Cougars in a regular-return formation. The onside kick went right and was covered up by Paradise on the Foothill 49.
And with no timeouts remaining and 1:30 left, Paradise still looked in desperation mode.
But Foothill failed to convert on several interceptable ball that gave Paradise life and hope.
On first-and 10, Orlando's pass to Talamantes was broken up by Eric Vidal, who nearly ripped it from the receiver's hand for the pick.
On the next play, Travis Hawley was playing a deep safety — again on Talamantes — and had the ball in his hands before dropping it.
"We allowed them to drive the ball and dropped a couple of interceptions," Hamilton said. "But hey, they made the plays down the stretch. We played well enough to beat them."
Four plays later, Orlando again found Talamantes on a crossing route to the 25.
With 48 seconds left, Orlando spiked the ball. An incomplete pass brought up third-and-10 from the 25. Orlando dropped back, ran left and found Michael McSpadden on an out near the goal line. He stretched across the goal line for the go-ahead score.
"I thought Orlando played great hurry-up offense," Prinz said.
The score sucked the sound out of the Bill Johnson Community Stadium, which got deathly quiet as Paradise's contingent celebrated its amazing comeback.
"We need to regroup and beat Oroville." Hamilton said. The one thing we showed is that we can compete with anyone in this league."
Foothill, now on a three-game losing streak, must go back to the first four games of 2005 to find a losing streak that long.
The Paradise-Foothill rivalry is fast becoming must-see prep football.
The two teams have played some doozies recently.
"When you have two teams playing inspired ball, you get epic battles," Hamilton said.
In 2005, Paradise beat Foothill twice, including a section title win.
In 2006, the Bobcats again beat the Cougars 23-21 in the section final game, avenging a regular season overtime loss that included the "Beat Paradise" two-point conversion.
Sports Editor Aaron Williams can be reached at 225-8229 or awilliams@redding.com.
Posted by HornetFan on October 11, 2008 at 9:49 p.m.
Time to give credit where it is due...Foothill deserves a TON of respect for coming out and playing their tails off when most people (including me) had them getting their butts kicked Friday night. Obviously alot of pride and determination in that team and they should be proud of that great effort. That being said, good teams find a way to win games like this, and Paradise did that. Shasta and P-town are going to be very difficult for anyone else in the EAL to beat. Not saying it can't be done, but those two teams really have it going on.
Posted by redrum0376 on October 12, 2008 at 12:48 a.m.
Sounds like it was a great game to watch......I like Paradise....But who knows in the EAL this year.
Posted by nstatesportsfan on October 12, 2008 at 7:31 p.m.
stick a fork in Foothill... I see them going 2-5 in the EAL with a 5-5 finish to the regular season. Lassen might get in over them like redrum stated
Posted by lecrae on October 12, 2008 at 11:01 p.m.
in response to nstatesportsfan
who knows with the way the EAL is this year. They still have a tough schedule. At oroville and at Red Bluff as well as home against Shasta and PV. Saying they go 2-5 on league means they win 2 out of their last 4 games. I see them beating Oroville, but they have their work cut out for them to beat Shasta, PV, or Red Bluff.
With the way this year is going, look out, they might win all 4
Posted by Sportsnut67 on October 14, 2008 at 7:40 p.m.
I agree with HornetFan Foothill showed a lot of heart they should have beat us, when you have a good team beat you have to finish them off, we found a way to steal a win, now onto Red Bluff who is probably the most dangerous team in the EAL besides Shasta, we won't come out flat against them, I think Foothill gave us the wake up call we needed.
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