They live deep in the hills among the tall pines far from the bright lights.

Their team has a unique nickname that conjures the dangers of life in rugged wide-open spaces.

The junior quarterback is aptly named Tom Sawyer.

But the Foresthill High School Wildfires football team wants everyone to know that banjos don't twang whenever they step onto the field.

"People expect us to be corn-fed hillbillies," Sawyer says, smiling. "I can assure you we don't walk around 24-7 wearing boots and with our shirts off."

Adds senior strong safety-running back Nick Gleason: "When we go off the hill, we hear it a lot from the players, opposing fans, 'Here come the hicks.' We're just normal people who happen to live on the mountain."

But they are anything but normal football players to Jim Herlehy, the Wildfires' coach who continued to lead his players this season despite the heart-wrenching death of his 9-year-old son, the team's biggest fan.

Herlehy's collection of colorful personalities wearing helmets is off to a program-best 6-1 start and helping to raise the profile of the tiny, unsung school neighbored by football powers Del Oro, Placer and Colfax.

Located 17 winding miles from Auburn in a town of 1,500 built on a ridge between the north and middle forks of the American River, Foresthill is the smallest football-playing public school in the Sac-Joaquin Section with 240 students. The campus opened in 2004.

"Sports can be a huge incentive to do well in school, so it's great seeing the success of the football team," said Foresthill principal Sue Lunsford. "I'm really proud of the guys and coach Herlehy – he's a community treasure and a great mentor to the kids."

With three regular-season games to play, Foresthill's six wins equal its previous best from last season.

The Wildfires are 5-0 in the Sacramento Metropolitan Athletic League with one of their victories a 28-0 shutout over Delta, the defending league champion.

They are in reach of their ground-breaking goals of winning their first league football banner, hosting a home playoff game and playing for the Division VI section title in Lodi on Nov. 26.

"In the past, people came out to play football just for fun," said Gleason, who gave up competitive club soccer to focus on football. "Now Friday night football is the town's hub."

Delta coach Bob Lee said Foresthill has a few things many small-school teams lack.

"They're real big up front on their offensive line (Mike Hendricks, Jordon Boyer, Donnie Ferral, Alex Silva and Nathan Dickson average 225 pounds). Silva, the kicker, can put it into the end zone, so you are always having to go 80 yards," Lee said.

"Jimmy does a good job. He had to start from scratch, which is really tough in a small area like that. They struggled their first few years, but now he has a veteran team."

Foresthill runs the spread offense to take advantage of Sawyer's skills and quick receivers Zach Moss, Ian Sykes and Matt O'Brien.

The players like testing defenders in open spaces, and Herlehy thinks the wide-open style will help his constant on-campus recruiting.

Herlehy, a physical education teacher, figures nearly 40 percent of the 134 boys enrolled at the school are playing football – there is no boys soccer program – but he'd like it to be more. He has 39 varsity players.

Team sack leader senior Tyler Giles passed on football his freshman year to tool around the campus and the community on his skateboard, but Herlehy got him in uniform as a sophomore.

"That's the great thing about a small school," Herlehy said. "If you have some sort of athletic talent, I'm going to find it and worm my way into your good graces."

For the first time since he's coached Foresthill, Herlehy is without his magnetic sidekick hanging out with him at practices and games.

Max Herlehy died in May after spending most of his life fighting acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

"It touches the heart of every football player here knowing that Coach is still with us after all he has gone through," Sawyer said.

Players wear "Max" stickers on the back of their helmets in his memory, though Herlehy has purposely tried not to make this a season about his son's death.

"Everyone loved Max," Gleason said. "He was always around us, looking up to us. No matter how tight our huddle, he always squeezed his way through."

Herlehy, who has two other children, said Max loved being part of the Friday night water crew and promoting the team.

"He loved the team and was always talking us up, telling the nurses how good we were going to be this year," Herlehy said.

Gleason said he and his teammates feel Max's presence, especially during challenging times.

"Although we don't break our huddles on 'Max' or have (pregame) speeches about him, we all know deep down it's a big thing driving the season. When we get tired and we're struggling, we can't feel sorry for ourselves. We think of Max and the courage he showed with all that he went through."

Foresthill nickname caught on like, well, wildfire

Foresthill High School's decision to call its sports teams the Wildfires was a community endeavor, according to principal Sue Lunsford.

As the school was about to open in 2004, Foresthill area fourth- through eighth-graders overwhelming voted for the Wildfires from among 10 selections.

Lunsford admitted to initial "political correctness" concerns about the choice since the mountain school is located at the edge of the Tahoe National Forest and has a curriculum that focuses on natural resources management.

"But we had a get-acquainted night with the (Foresthill) chamber of commerce and the first thing they said is, 'We love this idea,' " Lunsford said. "So not only did the kids like it, the community got behind it, too."

The fire theme has taken off on campus. The student rooting section is "The Fire Pit" and the dance theater "Club Heat." Student orientation is "Ignition Day."

The team name is a hit with the athletes.

"I love it," said Foresthill quarterback Tom Sawyer. "It's original, not another Falcons or Lions. It's our own thing. It's what makes our school special."

According to highschoolnicknames.homestead. com, Mott-Regent High of Mott, N.D. (the Wildfire), is the only school with a similar nickname.

– Bill Paterson

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