Foothill rides defense to win over Palo Verde

Foothill football coach Martin Redmond had plenty of kind words for his defense after Friday’s game, but that’s about where the praise ended.

The sixth-ranked Falcons struggled offensively, but made the most of some early scores to earn a 24-6 home victory over Palo Verde.

Koy Riggin completed 16 of 27 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns to lead Foothill, and teammate Jordan Wilson had five receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown.

“I thought we played very sloppily tonight,” said Redmond, referring primarily to his offense. “We didn’t execute when we needed to, and we committed way too many penalties. We had several chances to make big, explosive plays, but we didn’t make them.”

The Falcons (2-0) looked strong early, and took advantage of good field position to grab a 3-0 lead on a 30-yard Ollie Chori field goal with 7:45 remaining in the first quarter. They again acquired the ball at midfield late in the quarter, and capitalized with a 36-yard scoring pass from Riggin to Jordan Blakely as the period ended to go ahead 10-0.

Wilson’s 10-yard touchdown reception from Riggin midway through the second quarter put the Falcons up 17-0.

Redmond acknowledged Riggin’s strong performance but said he was hoping for more.

“He’s definitely one of the smarter kids I’ve coached,” Redmond said. “But this was not his best game. I expect him to bounce back.”

Although Redmond’s offense was lethargic the rest of the way, his defense stifled Palo Verde. The Panthers were held to 57 yards in the first half and finished with four turnovers.

“Our defense played well,” Redmond said. “They’re getting better and better, and learning more every week. I hope the progress continues.”

The Falcons managed a 54-yard drive that resulted in a 1-yard Elijah Bryant touchdown plunge in the third, but the Panthers (1-1) answered with a 1-yard Karsonne Winters touchdown on their next possession to make it 24-6 with 2:45 left in the quarter.

Blakely had 83 yards on four receptions to help Foothill, and teammate Braeden Wilson caught four passes for 61 yards.

Jacob Gosz-Siqueiros completed 7-for-17 passes for 130 yards to lead the Panthers.