Prep football roundup: Smoked-out games’ Oak Ridge, Granite Bay roll on; Sheldon falls
Friday was a tense night for scores of Sacramento-area high school football programs who either knew their games were canceled in the afternoon due to smoke from the Mosquito Fire or waited in uniform and gear up to the projected kickoff, only to have the game canceled because of poor air quality.
Colfax’s home game in Placer County against Nevada Union was scratched. Same with the “Battle of Citrus Heights” between Mesa Verde and San Juan. And the home game between 3-0 West Park of Roseville and 3-0 Tokay of Lodi was canceled. Grant’s home contest against Freedom of Oakley was called off well before kickoff in Del Paso Heights. The Burbank at Ponderosa game in Shingle Springs did not happen, and El Dorado’s home game in Placerville against Bret Harte was moved to Monday night.
The Honor Bowl in nearby El Dorado Hills did play out, but it was tense right up to the delayed kickoffs as the air quality index had to fall below the CIF-allowable 150 mark. No. 4 Oak Ridge blasted Oregon small-school power Silverton 64-0 to move to 3-0, having outscored its opponents 182-0.
Against Silverton, Dwight Martin and Jake Hall both ran for two touchdowns, including an 89-yarder by Martin, Maddox Varella had three touchdown passes, two to Caleb Edwards, and Sebastian Sutton and Jacob Potter returned interceptions for touchdowns. It was 49-0 at the half.
In the later game, No. 2 Granite Bay beat Spanish Springs of Nevada 23-3 , pulling away from a 7-3 lead after three quarters to move to 4-0. Carter Jackson scored three touchdowns and has 13 for the season. Top-ranked Folsom had a bye and plays at North Coast Section power Pittsburg on Friday.
No. 25 Bradshaw Christian did not play East Nicolaus, as scheduled, forfeiting due to disciplinary issues within the program.
In other games:
▪ No. 3 Monterey Trail moved to 2-2 after beating Merced 49-17 as Jervin Navarro rushed for 117 yards on 10 carries and scored two touchdowns and Daelin Ellis added 94 and two scores. Davon Chism had a fumble recovery for a score and forced two fumbles an Marcus Perkins had nine tackles.
▪No. 5 Sheldon lost at home to undefeated Acalanes of Lafayette 42-35 despite big plays from quarterback Jesiah Machado (two touchdown strikes to Tylen Lomax) and two scores from Devin Green.
▪No. 7 Rocklin rolled host Antioch 41-0 as Joey Roberts, Mason Silva, Elias Brown and Austin Adams led the offensive charge. Caleb Larson and Adams also played well on defense for the Thunder (3-1).
▪No. 8 Del Oro raced past host River Valley in Yuba City 41-6 as Thomas Graham II returned the opening kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown. Kainoa Acia scored on a run, Caden Pinick hit Joaquin Miller for a touchdown and it was 28-0 after the first quarter as Del Oro moved to 4-0 in playing the reserves in the second half.
▪No. 9 Placer beat No. 18 Vista del Lago 21-18 to move to 4-0 as Joshua Craycraft hit Kosta Aleksic for the winner with 37 seconds to play. Craycraft had two touchdowns to Aleksic and passed for 224 yards, and Baylor Kelley ran for 81 yards and a score.
▪No. 10 Elk Grove lost at San Ramon Valley in Danville 35-28 despite rushing for 407 yards, including three ground scores by quarterback David Hale and 126 yards and a score by Wayshawn Parker and 157 yards by Caleb Hill.
▪Roseville outlasted No. 16 Lincoln 40-37 to even its record at 2-2 behind dual-threat quarterback Brandon Graydon, who accounted for five touchdowns, including a 22-yard run to put his team ahead for good.
▪No. 19 Liberty Ranch beat Bear River 57-7 in Galt in a game moved from Lake of the Pines due to poor air. Arthur Draeger scored three touchdowns and Shaye Setter and Cody Smith each returned interceptions 50 yards for touchdowns as the Hawks improved to 4-0.
▪No. 21 Sutter rolled Natomas 62-7 as Troy Brucie rushed for 101 yards and two scores, Landon Sable went for 100 and two and Luke Miller had a touchdown pass. The Huskies had 450 yards of offense, and Josh Garvin and Brice Stine returned interceptions for scores to move to 4-0.
▪No. 24 Laguna Creek beat Pleasant Grove 41-14 to move to 3-1 as Mitchell Labrado had three touchdowns and Malachi Bean-Seay had two receiving scores.
▪Twelve Bridges of Lincoln beat Johansen of Modesto 23-6 to improve to 3-1 as Evan Barrientos scored a rushing touchdown and Antony Crawford ran for two for a program competing at the varsity level for the first time.
▪Pioneer beat Rio Americano 35-14 to move to 3-1 as Jack Carner rushed for 250 yards and four scores.
▪Argonaut beat Wheatland 20-7 after an 0-3 start, giving first-year coach and native son Vance Mueller his first victory as head coach.
This story was originally published September 10, 2022 at 12:51 PM.