Prep football: Rocklin makes statement with blowout Division II win over Jesuit

Smash-mouth football. Good defense. Both of those translate well in the postseason.

The Rocklin High School football team used a heavy dose of its potent ground game to beat fifth-seeded Jesuit 34-13 at home in the second round of the Sac-Joaquin Section’s Division II playoffs.

It started with Rocklin’s opening-drive touchdown on a 16-play drive that lasted eight minutes and 14 seconds.

“We knew the line of scrimmage was something we were both going to fight for tonight,” Rocklin coach Jason Adams said. “We had a great week of practice. Our scout team is doing such a good job for us. We were really prepared.”

Rocklin was led by running backs Mason Silva and Elias Brown. Silva had touchdown runs of 1 and 14 yards and Brown added scores from 2 and 10 yards for the fourth-seeded Thunder.

Both running backs had to wait their turn behind an experienced Rocklin team that went 12-0 before falling in the D-I section final against Folsom last season. Silva transferred in from Woodcreek for a fresh start and an opportunity to be with friends.

Silva started playing football in seventh grade for the Woodcreek Junior Timberwolves program. He started as a tight end but was moved to running back after his first season.

Both moves worked out well.

“Last year, we didn’t get a bunch of carries,” Silva said. “I came into this season ready to do my job.”

Senior quarterback Joey Roberts threw for 87 yards in the first half before Rocklin ran the ball for the majority of the second. Maverick Collins and Gavin Correia both had multiple catches and Logan Pandis added field goals of 20 and 27 yards.

Rocklin started the season with a loss to Turlock and lost Sierra Foothill League games to Del Oro and Folsom. Adams believes this is the healthiest his team has been and they’re ready to make a run.

“We had some injuries early,” Adams said. “We are about as healthy as we have been. A lot of the younger guys watched the older guys work last year. We are in a really good place.”

Rocklin led 27-0 in the fourth quarter before Jesuit scored its first points of the game on a 5-yard touchdown pass from CJ Lee to Trent Dewar. Jagger Shaddix scored a 2-yard touchdown with less than a minute left, making it 34-7.

Rocklin (8-3) will travel to Manteca to face the top-seeded Buffaloes. Manteca was moved up to the D-II bracket because of the section’s continued success rule.

“They’re supposed to have a really special player,” Adams said. “They have been winning a lot over there. We are going to have to play well.”

Three of the final four teams in the D-ll bracket are from the SFL. Granite Bay will travel to Loomis to face Del Oro on the other side of the bracket.

“It’s a very tough league,” Silva said.

Jesuit finished the season 9-3.

This story was originally published November 11, 2022 at 10:50 PM.