The Foothill Falcons found themselves in a difficult position against their crosstown rival, Amador Valley. The Falcons were down two scores early in the game, but they battled back to defeat the Dons 21-17 and win the battle of Pleasanton.
The Falcons never panicked on Friday night, and coach Haubner was very impressed with how his players responded after trailing 14-0 in the first quarter. His team scored right before halftime and drove down to score again in the first possession of the third quarter. Although the Dons had all the momentum, the Falcons trusted their coaches and teammates and believed they would have an opportunity to come back.
Coach Haubner gave a lot of praise to his senior quarterback, Nick Walsh. Nick finished 14-19 for 267 yards and three touchdowns in the comeback win. On the Falcon's final drive, he made two incredible plays to help his team take the lead. One of those plays was a third-down conversion where he scrambled for nine seconds until he found his receiver open on a crossing route. The next one came on fourth down where he hit Noah Lombardi in the end zone for a touchdown to take the lead. "He is one of the most tenacious players I have ever coached," said Haubner.
Coach Haubner was excited for his team to get this win after all of the adversity they went through in the past year. Being inside and not having football took a big toll on him and his players. Many of his players battled depression, and some even took a step back from football. He described Covid as "one of the toughest challenges of his career."
However, Coach Haubner and the Falcons did not let Covid stop them. He encouraged his players to keep preparing where they could be ready if there were to be a season. They had weekly check-ins and CrossFit workouts to hold everyone accountable. Although they could not meet in person, he led workouts and utilized zoom to create a sense of connection within his program. During this uncertain time, Coach Haubner found ways to keep his team positive and motivated.
As our 49ers PREP Charlie Wedemeyer Memorial Coach of the Week presented by U.S. Bank, Haubner will receive a grant for the Foothill High School football program from the 49ers Foundation. Haubner will be featured on the 49ers Cal-Hi Sports Report presented by U.S. Bank.
Congratulations, coach Haubner!
