Prep football: Mack attack powers top-ranked Folsom past No. 4 Oak Ridge
The scary thing is, he’s still a work in progress.
Austin Mack oozes of ability and confidence, and the 6-foot-6, 215-pound junior quarterback for the Folsom Bulldogs still strives to be better in all facets of his game, from footwork to delivery and leadership. When he fully figures it out, it may not seem entirely fair to defenses.
Mack was on his game Friday night in El Dorado Hills in a showdown rivals in front of an overflow setting. He displayed poise, superb footwork and a terrific deep ball in firing six touchdown passes. The defense pitched a second-half shutout as top-ranked Folsom downed No. 4 Oak Ridge 42-13 in a Sierra Foothill League opener.
Mack completed 14 of 21 passes for 374 yards with five of those passes going to Rico Flores, Jr., including touchdown strikes of 62 and 55 yards in the third quarter that turned a tight game into a 35-13 advantage, and the Bulldogs were on their way to their 17th consecutive victory over the Trojans, dating back to 2006.
“He’s working his tail off,” Folsom coach Paul Doherty said of his rising star. “He had a rough sophomore year on varsity (filling in for injured Folsom star passer Tyler Tremain), and then we played all these good teams this year, Monterey Trail, Serra, Edison, De La Sale. The quarterbacks here have to do everything. We’re a quarterback-driven program, and it’s on him and it’s on me as his coach to make it work. It’s hard sometimes and it takes time.”
Ever the good teammate, Mack credited everyone around him, saying, “it’s everybody. It’s the line, the defense. I’ve got Rico. I’ve got everyone.”
Flores has been a difference-maker since his freshmen season. Casey Taylor knows. The Oak Ridge coach was coaching Capital Christian when Flores was a first-year high school player, and he displayed star potential even then. Flores is headed to Notre Dame on scholarship. The one guy Oak Ridge and its stout defense could not afford to get past them was Flores, and he did it three times for touchdowns.
Taylor and Flores embraced after the game.
“Great player,” Taylor said. “He got loose on us twice there in the second half. It’s just a game, a great opportunity for us to make some noise, but we didn’t finish some drives and they were really good.”
Mack is unlike any quarterback the Bulldogs have had since they rose to regional power in 2009. The others were duel-threat guys, able to run or pass. Mack is a pocket passer, though he can run a bit. His one-yard touchdown leap was the game-winner to beat De La Salle 24-20 last week. Mack has passed for 1,542 yards and 16 touchdowns without any interceptions in Folsom’s 5-1 start.
The offensive line has also come of age, a bad sign for the rest of the muscle-bound SFL. The line consists of junior Remy Masterson, senior Mason Starkey and sophomores Luke Sorensen, Theo Greule and Nela Tupou.
“The offensive line has played lights-out,” Doherty said. “They’re just getting better and better every game. And Rico? He’s legit. Best player in the section.”
Folsom capped its opening drive with Mack finding Flores for a 23-yard touchdown. Mack hit Brian Ray for a 10 yarder for a 14-3 lead, Mason Norberg for a 10-yarder for a 21-10 lead and capped the scoring with 5:56 left to play when he hit Greco Carillo for a 14-yarder. Carillo earned that score as he set it up with a 67-yard interception return. Mack’s final three passes were for touchdowns.
Jake Hall pulled Oak Ridge to within 14-10 with a 14-yard touchdown run, and Carson Nichols boomed field goals of 48 and 45 yards for the Trojans, the 48-yarder a new school record.
Folsom (5-1) plays at Whitney (3-3) next, and Oak Ridge (5-1) plays at Granite Bay (5-1).
This story was originally published September 30, 2022 at 11:22 PM.