Prep football: Oak Ridge rolls Elk Grove behind QB Varella, defense in Division I playoffs
Maddox Varella’s coming-out party was just over a year ago, on a warm September night in Sacramento County.
He came off the bench to engineer a dramatic nonleague rally against Elk Grove High School, becoming the full-time starter at quarterback and capturing the attention of his mates.
He hasn’t looked back.
Varella, now a senior sporting his trusty beard and long locks, is still in command for Oak Ridge. Facing the same Thundering Herd program, this time in a Sac-Joaquin Section Division I quarterfinal in chilly 43-degree weather on Friday night, Varella was poised and precise. He completed 16 of 21 passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns in leading the No. 3-seeded Trojans to a 37-14 rout of the No. 6 Thundering Herd in El Dorado Hills.
Varella jokes about his reddish hair, how he won’t shave until this season ends and how he sometimes goes by “Touchdown Jesus,” but he’s dead serious in competition. His teammates follow his lead. Longtime Oak Ridge coach Eric Cavaliere said Varella is a “magnet” and players gravitate to him.
Varella was a silver lining in an otherwise brutal 2021 season when the Trojans went an uncharacteristic 3-7 on the field. Trojans head coach Casey Taylor said the team bonded in the weight room and over the summer, and he called this group and his quarterback leader, “Special. We don’t want the season to end.”
Varella hit an in-stride Kalen Edwards for a 62-yard touchdown strike on the game’s second play. Varella pushed Oak Ridge (9-2) up 30-7 with 32 seconds left in the half with a 5-yard touchdown to Tyler Guthmiller. His 7-yard scoring strike to Sebastion Sutton, a one-handed grab, made it 37-7 to halt Elk Grove’s seven-game winning streak and propel the Trojans to the semifinals. Oak Ridge won the D-I championship in 2019.
Varella credited his teammates — his linemen and receivers, in particular — and his coaches. They all point to him as a paramount reason for the team’s success.
“I feel that I’ve come a long way since last year,” he said. “I love our coaches and team. We’re not an easy team to play, especially here.”
Taylor, an Oak Ridge alum who coached Del Oro and Capital Christian to championship success, praised Varella, the run game and the defense, which had to play big against a massive Elk Grove offensive line and a bevy of speedy runners. The Delta League champion Thundering Herd never got on track.
“Our defense has been lights out all year,” Taylor said.
Taylor also raved about his team’s depth at tight end, including the 6-foot-6 Edwards, who streaked into the end zone to open the scoring. He is just a sophomore, a three-sport star and a fast-rising recruit.
“It’s Tight End U in El Dorado Hills,” Taylor said with a laugh.
The defensive leader for Oak Ridge all season, who doubles as a powerhouse runner, is Jake Hall. He, too, suffered through that 3-win season. His 1-yard touchdown plunge gave Oak Ridge a 23-7 lead.
“It feels different, and it feels great,” he said of 2021 and now. “We’re ready to play again.”
This story was originally published November 11, 2022 at 10:16 PM.