Football: New-Look Falcons Return to Logan

When Foothill High football coach Matt Sweeney decided to implement a double-tight, double-wing offense this summer, he was banking on the Falcons being able to develop into a successful rushing team.

The offense has been sufficient in a pair of wins to open the season, but it's not at the level Sweeney wants.

"I actually thought we'd be running the football better than we have," Sweeney said. "We're still trying to figure out he nuances of this offese, but we've played pretty good D."

Colin Kacinksi, who started at running back for the Falcons last year, is better suited as a pass-catching back, which has forced the Falcons have looked for other ball-carrying options. Against Novato last week, it was Cody Connolly who carried the load rushing for three touchdowns and 44 yards on 13 carries.

"He got more carries last Friday than he's got in his previous two seasons of freshman and j.v. combined," Sweeney said. "I don't think he realized how good he could be."

The Falcons (2-0) will travel to Union City today to face unbeaten James Logan (2-0) at 7 p.m., in a rematch of last year's North Coast Section Division I first-round playoff game which Foothill won 59-37. Quarterback Sean Mannion threw for a Northern California record 582 yards in the game and receiver Cameron Rowland caught 15 passes for an NCS-record 340 yards.

How things can change in a year.

"(Foothill) is going to be more physical than they have been in the past with a pretty good running attack," Logan coach George Zuber said. "If you can't stop that running game, you can't force them to be one dimensional."

Like Foothill, Logan is a run-heavy team, but the Colts have two of the region's fastest players to hand the ball to in the backfield in sophomores Miles Long and Damond Beasley.

Zuber said he's clocked the more powerful Long at 4.42 seconds in the 40-yard dash and the quicker Beasley at 4.45 — both spent time with Logan's varsity 400-meter relay team as freshmen in the spring.  Logan opened the season with a win against an improved Arroyo team before its 25-0 shutout win of San Leandro last week. Long ran for 218 yards in the game and Beasley added 75.

"I think they are better this year," Sweeney said. "Those sophomore running backs? I watched them on film. They are good. It's going to be a tough game for us."

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