Foothillers clean up after early spill on new carpet

By Ramon Scott
Updated: August 29, 2015

2015 EAST COUNTY PREP FOOTBALL
Week 1

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Khaleed Davis, of Grossmont, scores a touchdown during the fourth quarter Friday night. / EastCountySports.com photo

By James McHugh
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (8-29-15) — Grossmont started the 2015 campaign with high hopes and a beautiful new field for the Foothiller faithful. The Morse Tigers spent the better part of the inaugural quarter Friday night (Aug. 28) tearing up the shiny new turf though and led 15-0 before the “G-House” woke up to claim the victory 34-15.

JOSH MCFAUL kick started the boys in blue in the second quarter when his sack and four Morse penalties stopped another promising Tigers drive deep into Grossmont territory. The Foothillers took over at their own 11-yard line and an offense that had struggled for momentum through a quarter and a half then embarked on a 15-play, 89-yard drive, capped with 8 yard touchdown scamper by JARED REDFIELD. KYLE PINEDA added the kick to bring Grossmont within eight.

After another defensive stand by Grossmont, KHALEED DAVIS electrified the night with a 75-yard highlight reel punt return for a touchdown and the Morse lead was cut to 15-13 with 46.3 to play in the first half.

On the first Morse drive of the second half the Grossmont defense was more alert than when the night started. JOHN BARBA laid on a Tigers fumble and put the Foothillers in great field position once again. Multi-sport star JAKE HARR would find the end zone three plays later on a 21-yard run, giving Grossmont its first lead of the night at 20-15 following another successful Pineda PAT. Morse began its next possession from midfield and ate up nearly eight and a half minutes, yet the Grossmont defense only yielded 12 total yards on the drive and regained possession heading into the fourth quarter.

With 8:38 to play Pineda was injured on a reception attempt and the Grossmont offensive scheme became a bit more cloudy with their kicking game limited. Pineda left the field on his own and would not be given time to return before his teammates found the end zone once again.

A 32-yard run by Harr was followed by a 32-yard touchdown pass from Redfield to DOMONIQUE GUEVARA. Guevara out-leaped a Morse defender and maintained possession all the way to the ground smack dab in the middle of the Grossmont “G”. BRITTNEY HUFF, who relieved Pineda of his kicking duties, put the point after through the sticks for a 27-15 lead with 6:25 left in the game.

On the ensuing Morse possession, McFaul covered up another Tigers fumble and the Foothillers lead would balloon to 34-15 two plays later as Redfield connected with Davis for a 39-yard strike and Davis’ first receiving touchdown on the season.

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Grossmont senior Josh McFaul finishes his strong defensive game with a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter / EastCountySports.com photo

What started as a possibly nightmarish welcome to the new home turf for Grossmont’s defensive unit, ended without the Foothillers D allowing a Tiger into their end zone from Morse’s second possession of the game onward. Grossmont finished with a 34-15 victory and a big W on the new home of Foothillers football.