Foothill Football Preview: Falcons Enter Year as Bit of an Unknown

Head Coach: Matt Sweeney

2009 Record: 7-5

Returning Starters: 11 (six on offense; five on defense)

Top Offensive Players: Cameron Rowland, WR; Colin Kacinksi, RB; David Camarena, QB; Stephen Ferrel TE; Jake Jefferies, FB.

Top Defensive Players: Dawson Graham, DT; R.J. Anderson, DE; Kevin Phiengsai, LB; Jefferies, LB; Bobby Killian, DL; Ben Krebs, LB.

Rising Star: C.J. Dennis, RB/LB

Team Strengths: Line play, line backers.

Rivalry Game: @ Amador Valley, Nov. 12.

Mark the Calendar: Sept. 3 vs Pittsburg.

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In Matt Sweeney's 23 years as the coach at Foothill High, the Falcons have been a staple among the North Coast Section's elite football programs. 

Year after year, Sweeney has found ways to replace key departures and keep Foothill near the top of the East Bay Athletic League standings. 

This fall, that job will be tougher than usual.

Back in the fold are a pair of talented skills guys in receiver Cameron Rowland and running back/receiver Colin Kacinski, but gone is record-setting quarterback Sean Mannion, who is opening eyes as a freshman at Oregon State.

How will the Falcons fill the void left by Mannion's graduation? It remains to be seen. David Camarena and Tommy Paulson have been in competition for the starting job, but neither possess Mannion's ability to get the ball downfield.

"Sean had a great career for us," Sweeney said. "But we've had a lot of guys win a lot of games for us. Someone else will just have to step up."

What Camarena, who doubles as a talented baseball player, lacks in size — about 5-foot-7 — he makes up for in athletic ability and instincts. Paulson is more of a traditional option under center.

The drastic change at the quarterback spot will likely prevent Rowland from coming close to his 80-catch, 1,343-yard season from a year ago and will force Foothill to find more success in what should be a much-improved running game.

Kacinksi figures to get most of the carries, but Jake Jefferies, Bobby Killian, Camarena and Rowland will also get touches.

Two-way lineman Dawson Graham anchors what Sweeney called "a tougher defense" than the unit Foothill featured a year ago. With Graham, R.J. Anderson and Killian, the Falcons will be imposing up front and have a talented linebacking core featuring Kevin Phiengsai, Ben Krebs, Killian and Jefferies. 

Foothill hosts Pittsburg in the season-opener for both teams on Friday at 7 p.m., and will play familar foes in Novato and James Logan before EBAL play starts with a trip to De La Salle on Oct. 1.

"We're going to go out and try to pound De La Salle," Graham said. "Give them their first beating."

Notes

• John Mannion, a longtime assistant who served as co-coach with Sweeney the past two seasons, moved to Oregon and is the head coach at Silverton High. 
• Last year's junior varsity coach, Greg Haubner, is now the head coach at Livermore — he was set to become the Foothill defensive coordinator before taking the Livermore job.

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Schedule

9/3 vs Pittsburg

9/10 vs Novato

9/17 @ James Logan

10/1 @ De La Salle

10/8 @ Granada

10/15 vs San Ramon Valley

10/22 @ Livermore

10/29 vs Monte Vista

11/5 vs California

11/12 @ Amador Valley

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