Ford paces Foothill attack

Spencer Patterson

Monday, Nov. 12, 2001 | 10:46 a.m.

The Desert Pines Jaguars knew they'd be facing a workhorse in John Ford. They probably did not realize he would be bringing the rest of Foothill's stable with him.

At key moments in Friday night's 4A Sunrise Region semifinal, the Falcons lined up with a full-house backfield featuring the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Ford running behind 6-2, 250-pound linebacker Mike Jones and 6-4, 300-pound tackle Paul Lethbridge.

That 770-pound attack helped Ford amass 345 yards and all six of his team's touchdowns on 38 carries as Foothill knocked off visiting Desert Pines 42-35 to advance to this week's Sunrise title game and clinch a spot in the upcoming 4A State Tournament.

"We call that 'Senior Slam,' " Falcons coach Ray Fenton said. "We just say, 'Hey guys, it's on you' and the big guys stepped up." Ford rushed for scores of 25, 9, 45, 1, 52 and 3 yards, but also lost a pair of fumbles -- the latter with 3:35 to play as he stretched for the end zone with the score knotted at 35.

Rather than keeping the ball on the ground and playing for overtime, the Jaguars came out passing on their ensuing drive, and the Falcons (8-3) got the ball back with 2:22 remaining inside Desert Pines' 35-yard line.

That gave Ford a chance for redemption. Following Lethbridge's block, the UNLV-bound tailback dove in from three yards out with 32 seconds left.

"That was the greatest feeling ever," Ford said. "If we play like we did tonight, we're capable of winning state."

Ford's performance overshadowed a strong night by Jaguars running back Cornell Johnson. The junior carried 20 times for 237 yards and four touchdowns to keep Desert Pines (8-3) in the contest.

"(Ford) was running hard; I was running hard. He was trying to do anything to win; I was trying to do anything to win," Johnson said. "He's a tough runner, and we knew that coming in. Our objective was to stop him. Things just didn't go right."

Up next for the Falcons: a home game Friday against the 10-1 Las Vegas Wildcats, who pounded Eldorado 49-6 behind five first-half touchdowns from Antione White Friday.

Though his team is already assured of a spot in the four-team state tournament, Wildcats coach Kris Cinkovich said his club wants the Sunrise championship and the home field advantage that comes with it.

"I'd like to think we're focused on keeping going," Cinkovich said. "We've played deep into the postseason before, and we want to play deeper."

In the Sunset semifinals, Durango got past Centennial 16-14 on a 37-yard Fred Coleman field goal with 14 seconds remaining. The Trailblazers (10-1) will host this Friday's Sunset finale against Cheyenne (6-5), which bested rival Cimarron-Memorial 26-15.

The Sunset champion will move on to state, along with the winner of Friday's McQueen at Elko Northern Region championship.

"Our goal at the beginning of the year was to make it to the Sunset championship and host it, and that's what's happened," Durango coach John Mausbach said. "We're right where we want to be, so hopefully we can take advantage of it."

The Blazers won despite losing two starting offensive linemen -- junior Luke Doty and senior Shahe Yeretzian -- to injuries in the first quarter. Mausbach said both should be available to play this week.

Cheyenne scored more than 16 points for the first time in five weeks. Shields' coach Dave Snyder, who installed a new Wing-T formation three weeks ago, said his club is starting to feel comfortable with its new offense.

"We've finally started moving the ball," Snyder said. "I've known since these kids were freshmen they were a championship football team, so it's no surprise to me we're here. They're capable of winning a championship."

On Saturday, The Meadows advanced to its fifth straight 2A state title game with a 27-7 win over Pershing County behind three Pat Curran touchdowns. The Mustangs (11-0), who have won 40 straight games, will try for their fifth consecutive state championship Saturday against Battle Mountain (11-0) at Sparks' Spanish Springs High School.