PREP FOOTBALL / Saturday Pullout : Emotional Foothill Rips Tustin, 40-6

The death of Coach Tom Meiss’ father inspired Foothill to its first victory over Tustin in six years.

With Tramel Robinson rushing for 159 yards and two touchdowns in 11 carries, Foothill pounded Tustin, 40-6, in a nonleague contest Friday night. It was the Knights’ first victory over their cross-town rival since 1988. And it came hours after Meiss flew back from Bloomington, Ill., where his father died after a long illness.

“The kids rallied around the adversity that we had,” Meiss said. “(Defensive coordinator) Dan Stroup is a guru. He is the glue that held everything together. Under his guidance, it was like I wasn’t here.”

Tustin scored on the first play of the game when split end Reggie Curry caught a Kevin Timone pass and raced 80 yards for a 6-0 lead.

Foothill, however, came back strong. Nick Sveslosky’s 25-yard touchdown run and a two-point conversion gave Foothill an 8-6 lead and it never trailed again. The Knights added two touchdowns on runs by Robinson and quarterback Mike Ford in the second quarter for a 21-6 halftime lead.

Robinson, a junior, scored again on the first play of the third quarter on a 45-yard touchdown run for a 27-6 advantage.

Foothill’s offensive line dominated Tustin, clearing the way for Robinson and company to gain 381 yards rushing and 430 yards in total offense. Tustin finished with 203 yards overall, but struggled after its opening drive. The Tillers managed only one first down in the second half and six overall.

Meiss said after the game he would actively seek to end the annual game between the two teams, which is one of the county’s most intense rivalries. The two teams have played each season except one since 1966.

“I wanted to end this (series) three years ago,” Meiss said. “It’s not healthy for anybody. I felt like I could not end it on a sour note. If you lose, it looks like you’re ducking out of it. I’ll do everything I can to see that it doesn’t continue.”