Foothill Starts Quickly, Finishes Off Buena Park

Foothill complemented its high-scoring first quarter with a strong defensive effort and scored a 20-3 nonleague victory over Buena Park Friday at Tustin High.

Foothill scored on its first three possessions. Running back DeJuan Smith took a handoff from quarterback Derek Fitch and scored from five yards. Mike Liti followed that with a 47-yard touchdown run. Smith then scampered 46 yards for his second touchdown late in the first quarter, giving the Knights a 20-0 lead.

Buena Park (1-2) struggled on offense, in large part because of Foothill’s defense.

The Knights (1-2) forced the Coyotes into 12 plays for losses. Foothill defensive end Daniel Torres led the charge with two sacks and a fumble recovery. Buena Park’s offensive line couldn’t find an answer for defensive tackle Juan Valdez, as he seemed to pressure quarterback Tho Thach on every play.

Foothill Coach Doug Case was excited about his team’s progress.

“The defense is playing solid and the offense is beginning to move the ball,” he said, attributing the Knights’ performance to a strong week of practice. “The guys had a great week--intensity was high.”

Thach was impressive for Buena Park. Entering the game in the second quarter, he finished with 80 yards passing and 53 rushing. Tim Heathingtion had three catches for 57 yards.