Second effort: Stellar latter half helps Del Sol scorch Foothill

Earnest Hall rushed 20 times for 146 yards and two touchdowns on Friday, leading the fifth-ranked Dragons to a big second half and a 40-17 road win over Foothill.

Del Sol (5-1, 2-0 Southeast) established the tempo early, but untimely penalties helped the Falcons (2-4, 0-2) keep it close.

“For whatever reason, we committed a million penalties tonight,” said Dragons coach Preston Goroff, whose team actually was flagged five times in the first half. “It was tough to overcome.”

Hall and Derek Eamon (61 yards on seven carries) paced the Dragons early by scoring on first-half runs. But Terrance Walls nailed a 30-yard field goal and Connor Afoa ran for a touchdown late in the second quarter to cut the Falcons’ halftime deficit to 13-10.

Del Sol dominated the second half, however, with Jordan Molina’s 74-yard punt return sparking a 27-point outburst.

John Kirschbaum, who carried five times for 116 yards, provided Del Sol’s fourth-quarter highlight, running 18 yards to score on a hook-and-ladder lateral from teammate Tim Lawson.

Goroff said his running backs were the key to the victory.

“We’ve got a really unique situation this year,” said Goroff, whose squad racked up 372 yards on the ground. “We’ve got a handful of really good backs. It’s like musical chairs, so whoever’s fresh gets the ball and good things happen.”

Aaron Dupin completed 11 of 26 passes to lead Foothill. Teammate FJ Funtila caught two passes for 26 yards, including a 20-yard TD catch late in the fourth quarter.