‘My favorite week of the year Del Oro week’: No. 3 Rocklin beats No. 13 Del Oro
It doesn’t matter if it’s in the heat of early fall or the chill of spring, when these teams meet, they rumble.
So it came as no surprise that a big lead dwindled, there were big plays, there were emotions on defensive stops, and there were a lot of spent bodies when it was over, coaches included.
No. 4 Rocklin High School stormed to three-touchdown lead at the half, then held off a spirited Del Oro rally to win 29-21 Friday night over the No. 13 Golden Eagles in a season opener of Sierra Foothill League rooted in Placer County.
This was a spring affair that normally would have been contested in front of an overflow setting in the traditional fall months. A smaller-than-normal crowd was energized by family members allowed in during these COVID-19 times, and Rocklin’s terrific drum line added a nice background vibe and sound.
“It’s always good when we play them,” Rocklin coach Jason Adams said. “My favorite week of the year is Del Oro week. Love playing them.”
Elias Mullican certainly was amped for this one. The swift junior rushed for 186 yards for Rocklin and scored on runs of 20 and 72 yards. Mason Thomas opened the scoring with a 5-yard touchdown on Rocklin’s first drive as a line anchored by powerhouse guard Bobby Piland Jr. set the tone with quarterbacks Richie Watts and Kenneth Leuth providing balance with passes and their own legs.
But Del Oro hung in there, a credit to first-year coach Mike Maben, the longtime Golden Eagles wrestling coach and teacher tasked with keeping tradition going. He has a leader in quarterback Ryan Lewis, who had a touchdown run and hit Aiden Parry, son of Del Oro assistant coach Josh Parry, for a 19-yard touchdown strike to account for the final score with 1:35 to play.
Rocklin recovered the ensuing onside kick to ice the game.
Regan Arney sizzled with his 89-yard fumble recovery for Del Oro late in the third quarter for his team’s first touchdown. Lewis showed glimpses of stardom in the fall of 2019, and he had some jarring hits on defense, as did Jacob Birch, each forcing fumbles.
Remembering fallen officer Redding
Rivalry games have extra meaning in any time of year when there’s special significance tied to it. Here, that is the annual plaque presented to the winning team — The Battle of the Shield. It started in 2005 to honor Rocklin police officer Matt Redding, who was struck and killed by a drunk driver that year on Highway 65, not far from Rocklin High. He was a Del Oro graduate. The driver, Eric Dungan, was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 15 years to life.
Rocklin athletic director Ryan Spears handed Adams the plaque. He studied it and reflected to The Bee on Redding, saying, “He was a great guy, heck of a dude, a heck of an athlete who a lot of us played slow-pitch softball with,” the coach said. “We honor him.”
Adams then addressed his team and reminded players, each taking a knee and soaking in his words, of how Redding’s parents Marilyn and John Redding for years visited Del Oro and Rocklin teams the night before the game to share stories of their son. Redding’s parents, living in Reno, could not make the trip this year, in part do to COVID-19 concerns and travel.
Rocklin coaches also praised the efforts of linemen, stoppers, play-makers and down-field blockers, including track sprinting star Nathan Kent, whose two blocks on the fly helped free Mullican on his scoring runs.
It’s that sort of selfless effort that makes a team, Adams said.
“He’d do that and anything any day for us to win,” Adams said. “Love that.”
So did Mullican.
“Nathan Kent, that’s the hardest working dude,” Mullican said. “He’s something else.”
Players competed on both sides as if this had been a long time coming. About 15 months worth.
“As long as we play, we don’t care wo we play — we just want games,” Mullican said. “It just feels great.”
Next Friday, Rocklin hosts No. 2 Oak Ridge and Del Oro plays at top-ranked Folsom.
Friday scoreboard
Folsom 35, Granite Bay 25
Rocklin 29, Del Oro 21
Union Mine 22, Liberty Ranch 21
Bear River 34, Foresthill 8
Inderkum 42, Bella Vista 9
Natomas 14, Cordova 12
Placer 34, Nevada Union 27
Del Campo 50, Foothill 12
Christian Brothers 42, Sac High 0
Vista del Lago 63, El Camino 6
Ponderosa 56, Rio Linda 0
Vacaville 28, Davis 21
Colfax 21, Center 7
River Valley 26, River City 18
Orestimba 51, Denair 6
Central Catholic 28, Bellarmine 21
Dos Palos 29, Golden Valley 27
Lincoln-Stockon 52, Tracy 27
Sierra 56, Weston Ranch 7
Sonora 33, Gustine 7
Pacheco 16, Los Banos 13
Hughson 38, Waterford 12
Stagg 43, McNair 14
Gregori 54, Modesto 20
Manteca 44, Kimball 38
Turlock 56, Downey 24
This story was originally published March 20, 2021 at 6:17 AM.