The Abridged version
- Undefeated Folsom remains the top team in Joe Davidson’s Abridged by PBS KVIE Top 25 after defeating Oak Ridge.
- Destiny Christian Academy moves up to No. 3 after beating Grant.
- Undefeated Mira Loma is the top team in the 8-man rankings.
Find the latest Sacramento region sports news and analysis from Preps Insider with Joe Davidson, his newsletter for Abridged by PBS KVIE. Sign up here.
It was a night of frantic and fantastic finishes on the Sacramento-area high school football scene last Friday.
And how fitting. As the regular season winds down, league races and playoff positioning are tightening.
The top-ranked Folsom Bulldogs downed No. 2 Oak Ridge 28-21 in El Dorado Hills in the MaxPreps National Game of the Week to move to 8-0 on the season and 4-0 in the Sierra Foothill League. That’s Folsom’s 26th consecutive win over Oak Ridge, dating back to 2007.
The JoeD game ball goes to Bulldogs defensive coordinator Jordan Irsik and staff as Folsom applied second-half pressure with a pass rush that helped turn the game. Oak Ridge scored on its first three possessions in the first half.
Juelle McDowell and Daniel Eagleton had two interceptions for Folsom, and Travis Beatty had an endzone pick to stall Oak Ridge’s attempt to take a 28-21 lead (a moment after a Nick Johnson apparent touchdown effort from one yard out was ruled by referees as just short).
Folsom remains fixed at No. 1 in our JoeD Top 25, and Oak Ridge is still No. 2. Remember, these are not win-loss standings. Yes, Oak Ridge has three losses, but those came to monstrous programs, and each was down to the wire – against CIF Central Section top-ranked Central East of Fresno, to a Massachusetts powerhouse and to Folsom.
Destiny Christian stuns Grant
The greatest victory in the history of the Destiny Christian Academy football program played out in Rosemont as the Lions held off the Grant Pacers, 28-27.
DCA moves up to No. 3 in our JoeD rankings, a spot ahead of Grant. The teams flip-flopped in the rankings. We do not drop teams far or at all if they lose a close game to a highly ranked team.
DCA replaced Capital Christian High School at the end of the 2023 academic year in a church take-over. Capital Christian opened in 1977 and fielded several section-title teams, but Friday marked the high point for the campus and football program because Grant is Grant, meaning tradition and championship results.
Vinny Scott passed for 230 yards and four touchdowns, two to Ahmir Laster, as DCA rallied from 27-14 down to score the final 14 points. Grant missed a 50-yard field goal at the horn, and DCA players celebrated on their home field and embraced first-year head coach Antuan Simmons, a star defensive back for Sacramento’s Valley High School in the 1990s before starring at USC.
DCA linemen Derron “Champ” Aaron and Max Palmer held their own and then some in the trenches, Lonzel McClanahan had 12 tackles and DCA improved to 7-0 overall and 2-0 in the Metro League. DCA also had a 28-12 opening-night win over an Inderkum team that entered the season ranked fourth in the region and a 10-9 victory over Yuba City, which is 6-1.
Rocklin takes Quarry Bowl
The annual Quarry Bowl often makes for high drama for rivals rooted in Placer County, and it happened again on Friday.
Rocklin topped Whitney 31-28 on a last-second field goal by Kenji Santos in a showdown of JoeD Top 10 teams. Rocklin was led by Parker Lively, who passed for 298 yards and a touchdown to Rhys Mays, and he rushed eight times for 55 yards and a score. May also rushed for 96 yards and a score.
The defense came up with three interceptions, one each by Mason Cunningham, Shane Moriarty and Donovan Southward.
Vanden beats Vacaville in battle for Solano County
The Monticello Empire League race has come down to the Vanden Vikings and Vacaville Bulldogs over the years, and it will again this season.
Vanden beat Vacaville 13-10 as Pherone Oates rushed for 132 yards and scored the game-winner, and the defense sparkled again under first-year head coach Larry Hogue, the school’s longtime defensive coordinator who helped the program win two CIF state crowns since 2021, as Vanden moved to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the MEL.
East Nicolaus tops Winters in battle of unbeatens
It’s always fierce, fun and intense when these CIF Northern Section small-school powers meet, including Friday in Yolo County.
East Nicolaus beat Winters 21-0 to move to 8-0 as Winters dropped to 6-1. Justin Welch, all 5-foot-7 and 155-pounds of fury, rushed for 178 yards on 14 carries, including a 72-yard burst, and two touchdowns for the Spartans. Braden Appelt scored the team’s other rushing touchdown.
Winters won a CIF state crown last season and East Nicolaus won a CIF state title in 2016. The programs never seem to lose steam.
Stat highlights from the week
* Luke Taber completed 15 of 16 passes for 382 yards and five touchdowns, two of them to Brennen Gibbs, who also ran for a touchdown, in a 42-14 win over Granite Bay in SFL action. Chase Carmazzi also caught three touchdowns and had five receptions for 185 yards as the Golden Eagles of Loomis moved to 6-1 heading into a showdown at Folsom this Friday.
* Joe Lara rushed for 239 yards and six touchdowns and had 100 yards receiving and a score in Liberty Ranch’s 55-35 win over Argonaut to push the Hawks of Galt to 7-0. Liberty Ranch is ranked second behind Sutter in our JoeD Top 10 small-school rankings. Teammate Andrew Quinn rushed for 140 yards and a score.
* Mason Volzer passed for 319 yards and a school-record seven touchdowns as the Lincoln Zebras of Placer County beat Bear River 60-27 in Pioneer Valley League action. Lincoln is ranked fourth in our Top 10 small-school rankings.
JoeD’s Top 25
Teams from the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section
1. Folsom (8-0)
2. Oak Ridge -El Dorado Hills (4-3)
3. Destiny Christian-Sacramento (7-0)
4. Grant-Sacramento (5-1)
5. Del Oro-Loomis (6-1)
6. Central Catholic-Modesto (6-1)
7. Rocklin (5-2)
8. Whitney-Rocklin (5-2)
9. Jesuit-Sacramento (5-2)
10. Monterey Trail-Elk Grove (6-1)
11. Manteca (5-3)
12. Edison-Stockton (6-1)
13. Tracy (6-1)
14. Woodcreek-Roseville (7-0)
15. Inderkum-Sacramento (4-3)
16. St. Mary’s-Stockton (3-4)
17. Yuba City (6-1)
18. Lincoln-Stockton (5-3)
19. Sutter (7-0)
20. Vanden-Fairfield (6-1)
21 Franklin-Elk Grove (6-2)
22. Twelve Bridges-Lincoln (4-2)
23. Placer-Auburn (6-1)
24. Vacaville (5-3)
25. Liberty Ranch-Galt (7-0)
JoeD’s Top 10 Small Schools
Teams from Sac-Joaquin and Northern Sections
1. Sutter (7-0)
2. Liberty Ranch-Galt (7-0)
3. Hilmar (8-0)
4. Lincoln (6-1)
5. Escalon (5-3)
6. Hughson (5-2)
7. Center-Sacramento (7-0)
8. Oakmont-Roseville (5-3)
9. East Nicolaus (8-0)
10. Winters (6-1)
JoeD’s Top 5 8-man
Teams from Sac-Joaquin Section
1. Mira Loma-Sacramento (7-0)
2. Foresthill (5-1)
3. Adventure Christian-Roseville (6-1)
4. Millennium-Tracy (5-1)
5. Vacaville Christian (3-3)
