Prep girls’ basketball: Folsom sets out to prove it has the top dogs in the section
Folsom girls’ basketball coach Lynn Wolking didn’t always have his teams in the annual playoff conversation.
Now in his 12th season at Folsom, his first three league campaigns drew marks of 1-9, 0-10 and 0-10 again.
“In the beginning, we didn’t have a lot of basketball-first type of players,” Wolking said. “When I started, there were girls who missed games because they had a birthday party or something to go to. That was hard for me to handle as a coach.”
These days, Wolking and his staff hammer foundational themes of commitment and accountability into his players. Coupled with year-round club participation, the level of talent and expectation has risen at Folsom.
“Today, we have 14 girls, and 12 of them play club ball,” Wolking said. “It’s the exact opposite from when I started. You’re not gonna make varsity at Folsom being a recreational player. As the talent rises, it makes me a better coach.”
Folsom, the Bee’s No. 1-ranked team, looked every bit the part of a top dog in its 2021-22 debut Tuesday. The rout was on from the opening tip at Will C. Wood High School as Folsom devoured the Wildcats 94-25.
The Bulldogs applied constant pressure on defense, forcing 37 turnovers. They pushed a track-meet tempo in transition for equal parts layups and 3-pointers before Wolking pulled the reins as the game switched to a running clock in the fourth quarter.
A balanced roster saw 10 Folsom players get into the scoring column. Freshman Ava Rawlins scored 15 of her game-high 18 points in the first half while senior Makayla Jackson followed with 17, sophomore Ella Uriarte 15 and freshman Jada Tupou 12. With a roster of five seniors, three juniors, two sophomores and four freshmen, the Bulldogs seem to be meshing well early.
“We do a lot of team bonding,” Jackson said. “We share a lot of chemistry, which I think rides out the age gap. The chemistry overrides that and we’re able to play together like we’re basically all in the same grade.”
The Bee’s No. 1 preseason ranking provides Folsom some welcome motivation.
“It definitely makes us work harder because we want to stay there,” said Uriarte, who had three 3-pointers, including a buzzer-beater, on her way to 11 first-quarter points.
The days of winless league campaigns seem like ancient history for Wolking and Folsom. With six straight postseason appearances entering this season, including a Sac-Joaquin Section finals appearance in 2018, the Bulldogs have their sights set on making the next leap.
But Wolking recognizes the road to a section title has ended for many over the past 13 seasons upon meeting “a beast” at St. Mary’s of Stockton. The Rams own a record 21 Sac-Joaquin Section titles and eight state crowns over the past 20 seasons. Folsom fell to St. Mary’s in the section playoffs in the 2016 semifinals and the 2018 finals.
“When have they ever not won a title?” laughed Wolking, who remains steadfast in his team’s expectations. “Our goal is no different this year than any else, and it is to win a section title.”
Folsom next plays Monday at Dixon. The Bulldogs’ first home game is scheduled for the Bulldogs’ Winter Classic tournament from Dec. 9–11.