Diapers and defense: Foresthill edges Vacaville Christian

Friday night's 8-man showdown with Vacaville Christian was one of the biggest games in Foresthill football history — but it paled in comparison to what head coach Nick Gleason experienced just days earlier. During the team's bye week, Gleason became a first-time father, welcoming his daughter on Sept. 4. Since then, he's been juggling the demands of coaching with late-night feedings and early-morning diaper duty, working on swaddling with the same precision as a perfect spiral. Despite the sleepless nights and midnight diaper changes, Gleason was sharp on the sideline Friday, and his Wildfires gave their coach the perfect gift with a hard-fought 29-26 victory that kept Foresthill unbeaten at 3-0. "It's been a balance putting family first, but at the same time, making sure I have time to give these kids what they deserve because they've been out here for six months putting their heart into this game," said Gleason. "A huge shout out to my wife for being able to take over on baby duties during times like tonight so I can get some sleep throughout the week and build a game plan." Gleason said that finding ways to coach and handle his new fatherly duties are a huge family effort, noting that his players are a part of that family and that they have been nothing but supportive as he tries to tackle his new role. "They're so happy for me and just seeing how happy they were for me was just one of the most fulfilling things I've ever experienced in my life," said Gleason of the support from his team. Foresthill's defensive effort propelled it in the second half. The Wildfires held Vacaville Christian to six points, making stands while backed up against the goal line and forcing the Falcons to get behind the sticks early. Sophomore Caleb Anderson nabbed two interceptions, the latter of which came in the fourth quarter and set up a score that made it a two-possession game. "We made some adjustments to the secondary. We were getting beat deep over the top quite a bit and made some silly mistakes, but we really honed in on the secondary to try to lock them down and get everything forced underneath," said Gleason. "That quarterback is really talented and he was able to dice us up a good amount through the middle." The Wildfires were trailing 20-14 at the half but put themselves on top in the third quarter with an 11-yard scoring dash by Vincent Navarro. After Anderson's interception, quarterback Waylon Gossic found Izaiah Ruiz for a screen pass that he took 61-yards for a touchdown. Navarro punched in the two-point conversion, giving Foresthill a 29-20 cushion. Vacaville Christian did not go silently however, as quarterback Dylan Eddings led a quick scoring drive to keep the Falcons within reach, calling his own number on a one-yard plunge to bring his team within three with 5:36 to play. Looking to ice the game, Foresthill turned to Navarro who barreled and bullied his way down the field, chewing up the remainder of the clock to secure the victory. Navarro tallied 146 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, wearing down the Falcons as the game went on. "He is absolutely an incredible player," Gleason said of Navarro. "He deserves to cover his entire helmet with stickers for tonight. He needs to be playing at the next level. Somebody needs to give him a look." Navarro's dominant night on the ground was complimented by Gossic's precision through the air. He threw three touchdowns, connecting with Shayne Falkenberg, Spencer Torres and Ruiz. Gossic's top target of the night was Torres, who hauled in five catches for 82 yards. His 27-yard strike to Falkenberg in the first quarter not only gave Foresthill the early lead, but also handed Vacaville Christian its first points allowed all season, which Gleason said was essential to their chances of winning. The 3-0 start is the first in program history for Foresthill, but Gleason says it is important now to keep the momentum from the win and know that there will be a target on their backs for the remainder of the season. "We needed this year to be a culture shift towards being a winning program again and being a school that wins football games consistently," said Gleason. "We want to always be in contention for a title so to be 3-0 for the first time in school history is one of the biggest culture shifts that we can see." Foresthill will remain at home next week to face Turlock Christian (0-3). FORESTHILL 29, VACAVILLE CHRISTIAN 26 Vacaville Chr. - 6 14 0 6 - 26 Foresthill- 6 8 7 8 - 29 Foresthill- Shayne Falkenberg 27 pass from Waylon Gossic (Kick failed) VC- Dylan Eddings 1 run (run failed) Foresthill- Spencer Torres 22 pass from Gossic (Vincent Navarro run) VC- Luke Parrish 72 pass from Eddings (Emanuel Cox kick) VC- Eddings 16 interception return Foresthill- Navarro 11 run (PAT good) Foresthill- Izaiah Ruiz 61 pass from Gossic (Navarro run) VC- Eddings 1 run (Pass failed)