Folsom, Grant, Woodland Christian face Southern California schools in state championships
Three teams, two venues and one last shot to cap a season of high hopes with the ultimate goal:
Winning a California Interscholastic Federation state football championship.
The Grant Pacers kick off the fun for the Sacramento-area teams on Friday with a 4 p.m. kick at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo in the heart of Orange County. They play La Serna of Whittier of Los Angeles County in the Division 2-AA championship game in a meeting of 12-win teams.
Some 24 hours later at the same spectacular 8,000-seat stadium, the Folsom Bulldogs will play St. Bonaventure of Ventura in the Division 1-A final in another showdown of 12-win squads. There is no rain forecast for either day in Mission Viejo.
Also on Saturday afternoon at El Camino College in Torrance, the 14-0 Woodland Christian Cardinals take on storied Banning of Wilmington, another Los Angeles County school, for the Division 5-A championship. The forecast calls for sunny skies and a high temperature of 72 degrees.
Grant seeks its third CIF state crown, the first coming in the elite Open Division game in 2008 and the latest last season in 3-AA. Folsom, which seeks its fifth state title since 2010, is in a state final for the seventh time, last reaching it in 2021. Folsom won state crowns in 2010, 2014, 2017 and 2018.
Woodland Christian is in its first state final as a first-time CIF Sac-Joaquin Section champion. The Cardinals are new to this party, but they stand as just one of three undefeated teams in the state. The others are NorCal No. 1-ranked Serra of San Mateo, which plays national power Mater Dei of Santa Ana in the Open Division game, and Colusa of the Northern Section, which will play Sweetwater of National City for the Division 6-A championship.
Grant (12-2) vs. La Serna (12-3)
What: Division 2-AA
When: Friday, 4 p.m.
Where: Saddleback College
TV: Spectrum News 1
Outlook: Grant coaches have done a masterful job of preparing, motivating and leading this group. That starts with co-coaches Carl Reed and Syd Thompson and includes longtime offensive line coach Devan Cunningham. Each is a former Pacer. Grant will be challenged by QB Aiden Leonardo (915 yards passing, seven touchdowns) and RB Owen Long (1,431 yards rushing, 26 touchdowns). La Serna has won 10 consecutive games, scoring 46 or more points during its 5-0 playoff showing.
La Serna has to deal with Grant’s massive offensive line, which had some stellar moments against a stout defense in a 41-14 win over Rocklin in the NorCal finals while leading the way for a dynamic 1-2 rushing attack and potent passing game. Wayshawn Parker has bolted and bullied for 1,907 yards rushing and 24 touchdowns in 10 games, missing two with injury, and Devin Green has pounded and sprinted his way to 613 yards and 14 scores. Luke Alexander has passed for 3,051 yards and 42 touchdowns, 16 to Kingston Lopa, seven to KJ Jones and five to Koby Shabazz. Rush end Jeremiah Tuiileila has 21 of Grant’s 48 sacks and Halim Reynolds has six of the team’s 21 interceptions.
Folsom (12-2) vs. St. Bonaventure (12-3)
What: Division 1-A
When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
Where: Saddleback College
TV: Spectrum News 1
Outlook: Following their dramatic NorCal title win over previously unbeaten Pittsburg on Saturday, Folsom coaches watched an NFHS broadcast of St. Bonaventure’s rally in the final, frantic seconds to beat St. Augustine of San Diego, 21-20, in the SoCal regional final. They watched a team that had no quit. The Seraphs of the power-packed Southern Section are balanced on offense, having passed for 23 touchdowns and rushed for 30, and they have an active secondary that has 19 interceptions.
St. Bonny, as the school is known, will be challenged by Folsom’s offensive attack, which is headed by QB Ryder Lyons, who has accounted for all of his team’s touchdowns in the last two games by air or by foot. The sophomore has passed for 3,433 yards and 37 touchdowns while rushing for 829 yards and 22 scores. Lyons will look to receivers Jameson Powell and Brian Ray III, the reliable Abram Woodson and speedy do-all Daymion Rivera. Folsom has been especially strong in the trenches behind leaders such as Elijah Gulewich, Theo Greule and Lucas Hardeman. The Bulldogs also have playmakers such as DB RJ Whitten, who can break up passes, make tackles and block kicks.
Woodland Christian (14-0) vs. Banning (9-6)
What: Division 5-A
When: Saturday, 3 p.m.
Where: El Camino College
TV: NFHS
Outlook: The Cardinals of Yolo County have 219 students and do not field a junior varsity team as all 35 players in the program are on varsity. Banning, a powerhouse in the 1970s and ’80s in Division I, still boasts a massive school enrollment with 2,430 students, but the football program has competed at much lower levels through the Southern Section’s competitive-equity formula, which the CIF uses to match teams up in state finals.
Banning is led by QB Robert Guerrero (2,276 yards passing, 19 TDs, 324 yards rushing, 16 TDs). LB Steven Perez has made 144 tackles for a defense that has 21 sacks and 21 interceptions. Woodland Christian is led by senior quarterback Gabe Sanchez, who was slowed with a bad ankle during a 28-0 NorCal championship win at defending state 5-A champion Orland but will gut out some snaps here because that’s what gritty leaders do. Isaiah Hunt has started seven games at quarterback as Sanchez has played all over, and the two have combined for 32 touchdown passes. The Cardinals have rushed for 33 TDs and will use ball control to set the pace in their quest to make history.
This story was originally published December 7, 2023 at 9:55 AM.