Jones, Foothill continue climb

Nick Christensen

Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005 | 9:47 a.m.

Nevada's top 10 rushing numbers, career:

James Edwards*, Spring Creek 5,438

Eric Jordan*, Shadow Ridge 5,219

Chance Kretschmer, Tonopah 5,021

Antoine White, Las Vegas 4,965

Shedrick McClenton, Mountain View 3,936

Lacy King, Mountain View 3,872

D'Angelo Jones**, Foothill 3,639

Jimmy Sprague, Moapa Valley 3,454

Sam Butera, Bishop Gorman 3,326

Mitch Jones, Wooster 3,318

* -- Active Senior

** -- Active Junior

There was a lot of change last spring and summer for Foothill football, and while the team's players haven't noticed much of a difference, at least one opponent has.

In 2004, Eldorado traveled to Foothill and lost 23-20 to the Falcons after a last-second field goal by Chris Gerfy.

Last Friday, the Sundevils hosted Foothill and lost 51-23.

It was a surprising opener and a statement game for the Falcons. Former Foothill coach Ray Fenton took a job in March at his alma mater in Cypress, Calif. Lineman Xavier Stover and quarterback Arthur Mayville, both all-state second-teamers, and Antonio Hartwell, an all-state honorable mention lineman, all graduated.

Stepping up were running back D'Angelo Jones, who rushed for 346 yards and six touchdowns on 18 carries, and new quarterback James Silvas, who went 6-for-7 passing for 122 yards, plus another 29 rushing yards.

Both are juniors and neither has the look of a big-game playmaker. Jones is 5-foot-8 and 180 pounds. Silvas is smaller yet.

But that just portends the growth that the two still have left in them. Falcons coach Marty Redmond said Tuesday that Jones has actually grown quite a bit in his two years at Foothill.

"He's bigger and faster. He's gotten stronger and he's started to fill out," Redmond said. "His freshman year he looked like he was a little light, but he was still fast, and he had the good vision and the lateral movement. Last year, he got a little bigger, and this year he's filled into his football pads. He looks like a good, solid varsity football player by size."

Jones sees it differently.

"It seems like teams are getting smaller and smaller every year," he said.

Redmond said Jones has even improved on the speed that's gotten him 3,369 career rushing yards, sixth place in the state's record book and fewer than 2,000 yards behind Shadow Ridge senior Eric Jordan, who is in second.

"He's always pushing the guy forward whenever he finished off the run," Redmond said of Jones. "A guy looked like he had him wrapped up on the tackle -- he had his arms around his waist, trying to drag him down, and he spun with his lower body and with that great linebacker strength he shook that tackle and scored."

Jones said he hasn't thought much about the state's all-time rushing record, currently held by Spring Creek senior James Edwards, who has 5,438 rushing yards.

"It depends on the O-line and how we're doing," he said. "I don't really think about that as long as we win."

Win they did last year, going 11-1 and remaining undefeated until the Sunrise Region quarterfinals, when they were upset at home by Valley.

Silvas saw time at quarterback in each of those 12 games, with extensive playing time in some less competitive contests such as games against Liberty.

"It helped me a lot because I got to know the speed at the varsity level," he said. "Coming up from freshman, it was a big change."

It made the transition from Mayville easier for Jones, too.

"He played in every game," he said. "He just picked up where Arthur left off."

Redmond said he's impressed with how far ahead Silvas is as a junior.

"His experience really shows," he said. "A lot of times you get kids coming up from JV and you don't know how they're going to be. It's very natural having him in there, calling offensive running plays. His footwork is very good; he knew all the little things to do. He's just taken off as an offensive, a team leader in the huddle. That's paid off huge for us."

Silvas said he prepared all summer for this year, adding that he has had a little help on the field.

"I was in my back yard throwing all the time, making sure I knew the offense. I studied the playbook all the time," he said. "The linemen are doing an excellent job. There are big holes every time. I feel really comfortable behind them."

The Falcons host defending champion Palo Verde on Friday.