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DANVILLE — There were two college coaches standing on the Monte Vista sideline Friday night, and you surely didn’t have to ask them which player caught their eyes.
Jacob Oliphant returned a kickoff 85 yards and punt 72 yards, both for touchdowns, and that was the difference in Monte Vista’s hard-fought 35-29 homecoming win over a Foothill squad that is unranked but deserving of its 5-2 overall record..
To be sure, Oliphant wasn’t a one-man show for Monte Vista, which is also 5-2 and ranked eighth in the Bay Area Preps HQ Top 25.
Quarterback Jack Stewardson threw three touchdown passes during a 6:17 stretch of the second quarter, one each to Nate Rutchena, Connor Shay and Noah Rivas that quickly erased a 10-0 Foothill advantage.
The defense contributed four quarterback sacks. It forced three turnovers in the Mustangs’ 28-point second quarter.
But Oliphant was the eye-catcher. His 85-yard kickoff return came right after Foothill closed the gap to 21-16 on a 22-yard pass from quarterback Bryce Lombardi to Peter Montini with 37 seconds left in the half.
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Then 32 seconds into the third quarter, Oliphant went 72 yards to the house after Foothill punted following a three-and-out on its first possession. putting Monte Vista comfortably ahead at the time 35-16.
“Definitely the kickoff return,” Oliphant responded when asked which return he enjoyed the most. “I could flat-out run. Showcase my speed.”
Oliphant was well aware there were coaches from Northern Arizona and Wyoming watching him race to the end zone. He wouldn’t mind adding a couple more offers to the ones he already has from Cal Poly and the University of San Diego. Other schools might want to drop by a Monte Vista game and take a look as well.
For added incentive, Oliphant had a 16-yard run to the 5 that set up Monte Vista’s second touchdown, a 5-yard pass from Stewardson to Shay that made it 14-10 Monte Vista, a lead the Mustangs never relinquished.
Oliphant also caught two passes for 15 yards and played defense in the Monte Vista secondary.
“His athletic ability is through the roof,” Mustangs coach Matt Russi said. “His speed and quickness is a difference-maker.”
Russi was quick to point out that great blocking by the special teams had a lot to do with Oliphant getting loose on both returns.
“Those returns aren’t possible if we don’t block,” said Russi, adding that the helmet-stickers Monte Vista gives out to players for good performances will go to several special team members as well as Oliphant..
Foothill didn’t go quietly after getting down by 19 points. A 15-yard pass from Lombardi to Montini made it 35-23 early in the fourth quarter, then the two hooked up again with just over a minute to go for the final 35-29 margin, as the extra point was missed.
Lombardi completed 25 of 45 passes for 315 yards and four touchdowns. He threw two interceptions. Three of his scoring tosses went to Montini, who in all had eight catches for 114 yards.
There was still some drama left after Foothill cut the lead to six. The Falcons tried an onside kick, and both teams touched the ball as it bounced crazily. Monte Vista eventually secured it, not that it mattered when the officials ruled that a Foothill player had touched it before it went the required 10 yards.
Foothill dominated early, grabbing a 10-0 lead in the first quarter on a 28-yard field goal by Evan McConnaughey and a 22-yard touchdown pass from Lombardi to Josh Anderson.
It was the second quarter that proved to be Foothill’s undoing, as Monte Vista outscored the visitors 28-6. Two of the Falcons’ three turnovers led to Monte Vista touchdowns. The first TD, a 39-yard pass from Stewardson to Rutchena, completed a 45-yard drive.
The go-ahead touchdown, on the 5-yard pass from Stewardson to Shay, went 36 yards and totaled four plays. A pass interference call against Foothill was instrumental, moving the ball from the 36 to the 21.
Monte Vista made it 21-10 on a 31-yard pass from Stewardson to Rivas, a one-play drive set up by another long punt return by OIiphant.
The Monte Vista defense had four sacks, displaying its good speed off the edge.
Foothill had a 348-217 advantage in total yardage but couldn’t make up for the 157 return yards on those two touchdown runs by Oliphant,
