Turning point: After a free throw by Rodriguez's Patrick Greene free throw, Tony Johnson drove the length of the floor and hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to win it.
Highlights: Capping a day of tremendous excitement, the Bulldogs used the play of Johnson, their junior point guard, and freshman Kori Babineaux to rally from nine points down in the second half.
The frantic final minute told the story: With the score 64-64 after Babineaux's three-point play with 50.3 seconds left, the fifth-seeded Bulldogs (24-7) twice turned the ball over on inbound plays. But on the first, the Mustangs' Roman Robinson missed a breakaway dunk, and after the second, the Bulldogs were forced to foul Greene, who was going for a layup, with 7.1 seconds left. He missed the first attempt and made the second, setting up Johnson's heroics and giving the Bulldogs their fourth section boys championship and first since 2000.
The Bulldogs made 19 of 23 from the foul line to ruin the Mustangs' stunning run that included playoff victories over Burbank, Jesuit and defending D-I champion Sheldon.
Top performers: The 5-11 Johnson had a game-high 24 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter. Babineaux had 14 points, including six in the final quarter. Cameron Richmond and Mike Johnson each scored 13 for the 11th-seeded Mustangs (26-6).
What's next: Folsom will host a first-round Northern California Regional playoff game Tuesday. Rodriguez will play on the road. Seedings will be announced today.
– Bill Paterson
Rodriguez (26-6) 14 16 16 19 – 65
Folsom (24-7) 11 12 18 26 – 67
R – Robinson 10, Richmond 13, Keys 4, Jensen 10, Johnson 13, Badger 7, Greene 8. F – K. Babineaux 14, Johnson 24, Palmer 8, Moore 9, Moeller 3, B. Babineaux 4, Akins 3, Horwath 2.
