Foster, Tustin Dispatch Foothill

Tustin Coach Myron Miller watched his team accumulate a “quiet 500 yards” of total offense in the Tillers’ 40-19 victory over cross-town rival Foothill Friday night at Tustin High in the second round of the Southern Section Division V playoffs.

But Miller said his team still has plenty of room for improvement.

“We scored 40 points and we’re in the semifinals, but we fumbled three times and I don’t like to look like that,” he said. “We’ll be better next week.”

The Tillers (12-0) will meet Brea Olinda, a 27-0 winner over Woodbridge, in a semifinal game next Saturday at a site to be determined. This is the second consecutive year the Tillers have reached the semifinals.

Foothill, a co-champion in the Century League, finishes the season 6-6.

Tustin started Friday’s game the way it has started every game this season--the Tillers scored a touchdown on their first possession.

Running back DeShaun Foster, who finished with 271 yards in 27 carries, scored the first of his three touchdowns on the opening drive from two yards. He added a two-point conversion run for an 8-0 lead.

Foster broke off a 59-yard touchdown run on the Tillers’ second drive and quarterback Todd Scott completed a two-point conversion pass to Joey Gipson for a 16-0 lead.

The drive was set up by Foster as he tipped away Foothill quarterback Robbie Koster’s pass intended for Matt Hall on fourth and four at the Tustin 37.

On its third drive, Tustin fumbled twice, with the second recovered by Foothill’s Peter Humlen-Ahern.

Foothill was unable to get on track offensively and was forced to punt.

Tustin drove to the Foothill seven, where Adam Teschke kicked a 24-yard field goal for a 19-0 halftime lead.

Tustin increased its lead to 33-0 in the third quarter on a six-yard run by Foster and a 36-yard touchdown pass from Scott to Julius Williams.

Foothill, which had lost to Tustin in the season-opening game, 47-6, scored its first touchdown on a 50-yard touchdown pass from Dana Pino-Dempsey to Matt Hall.

Foothill scored two more touchdowns in the fourth quarter--one on a 53-yard run by Skyler Champion and the other on a 40-yard quarterback keeper by Koster. Both touchdowns were set up by recovered Tiller fumbles.