College football: MPC set for rematch with undefeated Foothill
MONTEREY — If there was a game this season that still leaves a sour taste in the mouth of the Monterey Peninsula College football team, it was a humbling setback at home to Foothill.
The Lobos watched a nine-point lead become a 16-point loss in that Oct. 14 game between arguably the two best teams in the American Division.
“After we walked off the field, I hoped we could take care of business the rest of the season and get this rematch,” MPC football coach Ronnie Palmer said. “I want to see if our guys can meet the task at hand and fight.”
Seven weeks since that debacle, the Lobos (8-2) will get another crack at the state-ranked Owls (10-0) Saturday in the American Bowl on the Los Altos Hills campus of Foothill at 1 p.m.
“It’s a second opportunity,” MPC quarterback Anthony Cortez said. “We have to put the focus on us, make sure we’re doing our jobs, all 11 of us on the field. We’re a different team than the last time we played them.”
After a five year absence, quarterback Anthony Cortez guided MPC to a conference title and bowl game pic.twitter.com/sO90Drfmfc— John Devine November 30, 2023
Three-peating this past fall as American Golden Coast Conference champions for the first time in the program’s more than 70 years, the Lobos haven’t lost a game since the Foothill loss, going undefeated in conference play for the second time in three years.
“Playing football this time of the year is special,” all-conference linebacker Ricky Weimer said. “We made a few mental mistakes in the first meeting. Nothing is going to get in our way this time.”
Champions of the American Pacific 7 Conference, Foothill is the third-highest-scoring team in the state at 45.2 points, closing the regular season with a 71-point uprising over De Anza of Cupertino.
Yet, its defense has been among the best in the nation, holding eight teams under 10 points this fall, with two shutouts, having allowed just 17 points in its last three games.
“There is a little cockiness to them and rightfully so,” Palmer said. “You can be brash when you’re averaging 50 points a game and holding opponents to less than a touchdown. Foothill is a great opponent.”
MPC gearing up for Saturday's American Bowl against undefeated Foothill pic.twitter.com/AAkCJMxhMt— John Devine November 30, 2023
Ironically, the 24-point first half that the Lobos put up on Foothill in that first encounter is the most points it allowed in a game all season.
The only program to hold the Owls under 35 points this year was Redwoods, which allowed just 18 points — two in the second half.
“Redwoods gave us some film to watch that was helpful,” Palmer said. “We are learning from our mistakes. It is about tackling and making big plays. And how do we battle back and deal with adversity when we give up a big play.”
Containment of Shamir Bey is critical for the Lobos, as the Owls quarterback has thrown for nearly 1,900 yards and 25 touchdowns, while adding nearly 300 yards on the ground.
Bey, however, is just one piece to this explosive offense, as Nate Williams and Anastacio Prado have combined for nearly 1,700 rushing yards, with both averaging over 8 yards a carry.
“We know about their run game,” said Weimer, who finished second on the Lobos in tackles with 68. “I felt we handled it well the last time.”
Ricky Weimer earned all conference honors this fall as a linebacker for bowl bound MPC pic.twitter.com/nEAkVeyRvY— John Devine November 30, 2023
MPC held the Owls to just 134 yards on the ground, including a season-low 3.4 yards a carry. But Bey torched one of the best secondaries in the state with four touchdown passes.
“I don’t know if having played them helps,” Palmer said. “There’s a lot of maturity and growth in our team to where we weren’t in a good place at that point in the season. There’s been a maturation process.”
If there was a turning point in that first meeting, it came with 59 seconds left in the first half when a 55-yard pick-six gave Foothill the lead for good.
“That pick-six was a coaching error,” Palmer said. “We should have just gone into the half with the lead. It was an ill-advised shot. We had a lot of things going our way in the first half. We had some big plays in our favor.”
That would include a pick-six from linebacker Rossi Oteri, who intercepted three passes in the game. The Lobos led the state in interceptions with 29 and are among the nation leaders in interceptions returned for touchdowns with seven.
“Pressure can go a lot of ways,” Palmer said. “It’s been our theme on defense. We blitz. But it’s not just the defensive line. It consists of linebackers and defensive backs being in the right pass coverage.”
The Lobos linebacker corps is as deep as any team in the state, with Rossi and Weimer combining for 148 tackles and five interceptions, while Jabari Reynolds has eight sacks.
Seven different players have multiple interceptions for MPC, including Victor Villafuerte, who shares the conference lead with seven, while Maurice Mathis has six picks and seven pass breakups.
Cortez, a 24-year-old Monterey High graduate, who put the uniform on again after a five-year hiatus, has blossomed in the second half, throwing for 859 yards and 11 touchdowns.
MPC will look to avenge one of its two losses Saturday when it visits Foothill in the American Bowl pic.twitter.com/VDoZuu8ByR— John Devine November 30, 2023
Two of the fastest receivers in the state line up for MPC in Karim McCune and Cameron Brown, who have combined for 52 catches and 14 touchdowns, with both averaging over 17 yards a catch.
“This is the best team on paper we’ve faced in my three years,” Palmer said. “You have to tackle in space. You have to prep and focus. If you don’t, you’ll get embarrassed. It’s a fun task. That’s how I look at it.”
