Prep football: Top-ranked Folsom wins big but loses star player for season
The top-ranked Folsom Bulldogs have their next quarterback leader. He is a year older, wiser and much better than last year. They also found out Friday night in a season-opening 47-18 rout of No. 3 Monterey Trail that they have capable new linemen and that a healthy Onterrio Smith Jr. is a tremendous deep threat at receiver.
But for all of that revelation and optimism, there was profound despair when it was over at Prairie City Stadium. Folsom lost All-American tight end Walker Lyons for the season after he broke his right leg going down awkwardly on a tackle in the first quarter.
Folsom coaches rushed to his aid. Monterey Trail players, sensing how bad it was, took a knee. Quarterback Austin Mack felt the impact of losing a teammate he’s worked closely with. He was somber despite his varsity breakout effort. The 6-foot-6 junior passed for 234 yards on 19 of 25 passing for five touchdowns, two each to Rico Flores Jr. and Smith and another to Donovan Parler, but he’d give it all back to have his tight end healthy.
Mack was a highly touted sophomore last season who struggled in his first varsity start, a blowout loss at Rocklin, when he was admittedly overwhelmed. His effort was lost in the aftermath of Lyons’ injury. As Lyons sat on the blue turf getting attended to, the stadium fell silent. Players did not move. Lyons was placed on a stretcher and wheeled to the ambulance to go for surgery at Mercy Hospital of Folsom. He waved to fans who cheered for his recovery.
“It’s a bittersweet win because we lost our brother, a very gruesome injury, and we’re hurting for him and praying for a speedy recovery,” Mack said.
Mack added of his own growth as a player and leader, “I’ve come a long way. I struggled last year, but I kept working on it and got better over the spring and summer. It feels really good. I’m excited about what we can do.”
Mack praised the offensive line of Elijah Gulewich, Remington Masterson, Mason Starkey, Luke Sorensen and Nela Tupou, a mix of young and really young. It was a group that was able to pass protect against a fast Mustangs team. Mack also beamed about Smith, Jr., a rising national recruit receiver with scores of scholarship offers. The swift senior had his finest game with the Bulldogs after enduring injuries a year ago. He is the son of 1990s Grant star running back Onterrio Smith, his biggest fan.
“It’s great to see what O can do, and he works hard,” Mack said.
Monterey Trail coach T.J. Ewing said his team will get better, and that, “We’ll be back.” But he was especially feeling for Lyons.
“I feel bad for him, a great kid who had his high school career end like that,” Ewing said. “It’s a tragedy. We were all in shock. It’s a big loss for the Folsom program and football. We all feel it, just horrific.”
Said Folsom coach Paul Doherty, “Here’s a kid who was new to football when he got here, trying to learn to play tight end, then becomes a good player, then all the recruiting chaos ... and he finally arrived at a place where he was at peace and was ready to genuinely enjoy football with his teammates, and this happens. He was really in the moment as a senior, which is what you want and hope for. It’s just heartbreaking.”
This story was originally published August 20, 2022 at 4:48 AM.