Foster Scores Another Winner

It’s hard to believe DeShaun Foster could cap his amazing senior season any better.

The Tustin High standout scored the winning touchdown for the North in the Orange County all-star game on July 10. On Saturday in the fourth annual California-Texas Shrine Football Classic, Foster scored the game’s only touchdown in California’s 10-5 victory.

California was trailing Texas, 5-0, in the third quarter when the deciding drive started on the California 46. Foster, held to 14 yards rushing in the first half, went to work.

On the first play, he bulled through the line for nine yards. Later, when quarterback Carson Palmer was scrambling, he dumped a short pass to Foster who ran for seven yards and a first down.

California worked the ball to the Texas 11, but on third and three, Foster was held to a one-yard gain. On fourth down, California Coach Ed Burke planned a field-goal attempt. But the California players convinced Burke to go for it.

“It took a lot of yelling,” said center Ray Richardson, formerly of San Clemente High and headed to Villanova. “But we had so much confidence; it was the one time we pulled together out there as a team.”

Palmer gave the ball to Foster. He was hit by defensive end Demond Benford at the line of scrimmage, but broke the tackle and burst toward the left corner of the end zone. When he reached the goal line, Foster jumped across to make sure he would score.

Foster, headed to UCLA, had 27 of the 54 yards on the drive.

“I was just trying to get the two yards,” said Foster, who was the game’s leading rusher with 44 yards and was named California’s MVP. “But when [Benford] didn’t wrap me up, I spun away and just ran.

“My whole senior year was a dream and this was a great way to end it.”

Foster wasn’t the only Orange County standout.

Mater Dei’s Joey Boese, headed to Wisconsin, stopped a potential Texas touchdown early in the fourth quarter when he intercepted Zac Colvin’s pass at the California one. He returned it 68 yards, although a penalty reduced the gain to 40 yards.

“They had driven to our 16, and I just figured they would try a fade pattern or a slant,” Boese said. “They went for the fade; I saw the ball in the air, jumped and got it.”

The interception was more impressive considering Boese might have broken a bone in his left hand in the first quarter. He said was going to have X-rays taken after the game. “I was trying to tackle a guy when I hit his helmet,” said Boese.

Palmer, headed to USC, completed seven of 12 passes (with one interception) for 83 yards. Three passes went to former Santa Margarita teammate (and Colorado-bound) John Minardi for 53 yards.

Palmer would have liked to throw more, but Burke and staff installed a wing-T for California, which is run-oriented.

“I’d never played it before and probably won’t play it again,” Palmer said. “But the coaches thought it would be best because we had so many good running backs.”