Foothill Owls defeat De Anza 27-13 at home in final regular season game

LOS ALTOS HILLS – A rendition of the national anthem set the scene for an exciting matchup. The atmosphere at Foothill College Stadium was full of anticipation on Saturday with the final regular season game hanging in the balance. 

Coming into the game with a 6-3 record, the Owls Football Team looked to gain more momentum before the postseason, this time against conference rivals De Anza College. 

When asked about how the team felt coming into the game, Coach Younger, the team’s defensive coordinator said, “We felt confident and a sense of focus. These rivalry games are big because a lot of the players know each other so it means a lot to win.”

The Owls’ first touchdown came early with 10:38 minutes on the clock after I. Nakanishi caught a 26-yard pass from A. Gonzalez. D. Hawkins would later put the Owls up 14-3 after a 27-yard dash.

Foothill took a comfortable 14-3 advantage heading into the break. Controlling emotions and executing the game plan was an emphasis at halftime according to Coach Younger. The Owls committed 4 penalties in the second quarter alone. 

However, things changed in the third quarter. While Foothill started playing with cooler heads, the De Anza Mountain Lions narrowly cut the deficit to 4 after scoring a touchdown in the closing minutes of the quarter. 

The score was 17-13 in favor of the Owls heading to the final frame. 

With the momentum in De Anza’s side, the Owls showed their resilience and composure and it played a big role in the closing stretch. Foothill fans remained equally supportive throughout the game. Ty Goldsbury pushed the lead to 7 (20-13) after scoring a 38-yard field goal in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. Deston Hawkins seals the deal with 1:48 left in the game with a touchdown, ending the game at a score of 27-13.

“In games like that there’s always momentum swings. They made good adjustments and got a little confidence going into the 3rd, but our guys are resilient and our staff is good so we made the proper adjustments and were able to stop them and extend the lead in the 4th,” said Coach Younger

Foothill Owls ended the football regular season with a two-game win streak and an impressive 7-3 record. Their post season campaign will be on December 3 (Saturday) at home against West Hills Coalinga at 1 PM.

NOTE: The game on December 3 is a Bowl Game Championship. The Silicon Valley Bowl is a Bowl game hosted in Silicon Valley; A game that highlights the advancements Silicon Valley has provided to the world.