Foothill hands San Leandro first loss with spectacular catch to break stalemate

"Then, Max Shuga declared ball. Two words: That's mine, the junior receiver said after he leaped over his defender, hauled in a 21-yard gain from junior quarterback Gavin Brown and set up the decisive score with less than 2 minutes to go in Foothill's eventual 14-7 win. After that, it's like, you know we're winning this game, Haubner, in his eighth season coaching the Falcons (3-1), said."

"Still, things weren't so certain. Foothill began its previous drive in the red zone courtesy of a botched punt and faced a fourth-and-1 situation from the 6-yard line. Rather than call on his reliable kicker for a chip shot that would have put Foothill in front, Haubner dialed up a run for Hill, who was stuffed, and the Falcons gave the ball back to San Leandro."

"Sophomore quarterback Devin Martinez led them across midfield, but their final drive fell victim to the same enemy that ended the two before it. Jayce Cardera, a senior safety, wrapped up Martinez 10 yards behind the line of scrimmage on third and 9, and the Pirates couldn't overcome the fourth-and-long situation. Cardera also tipped Martinez's pass on third down of their previous drive, setting up the game-winning score, and sacked Martinez on third down to end the drive before that."

Foothill edged San Leandro 14-7 in a tightly contested game that remained scoreless at halftime and saw both teams trade early second-half touchdowns. Junior receiver Max Shuga leaped over a defender to haul in a 21-yard catch from junior quarterback Gavin Brown on fourth-and-4, setting up Amaree Hill's go-ahead touchdown with under two minutes remaining. Earlier, Foothill failed to convert a fourth-and-1 after starting a drive in the red zone following a botched punt. San Leandro regained possession with 1:34 left and marched across midfield behind sophomore quarterback Devin Martinez. Senior safety Jayce Cardera made multiple critical plays, including a tackle for loss, a pass tip and a sack, to thwart the Pirates' final drives and preserve the Falcons' win.

Read at www.mercurynews.com