Watch out for these Sacramento-area running backs during 2024 high school football season
There is an old saying in football that to win championships, you must run the ball.
History has shown this to be true at the high school level in the Sacramento region, even in an era of heavy passing. To have one quality back is a bonus. To have two is a gift. To have three is almost showing off.
The Placer Hillmen of Auburn have two runners of note in Shaun Jones and Baylor Kelley. The Grant Pacers of Del Paso Heights have two backs in returner Leon Martin and Cosumnes Oaks transfer Brandon Lambert. The Rocklin Thunder have two runners back in the mix in Derek Keeley and Rafi Merino.
The Folsom Bulldogs may well have three backs in the mix in Carter Jackson, who returns to Folsom after two varsity seasons running like the wind at Granite Bay, and returner Daymion Rivera and Oak Ridge transfer Erick Orme. And there is the Bradshaw Christian Pride, a small-school powerhouse with throwback football values under longtime coach Drew Rickert, who returns his team’s top three rushers from 2023.
Rickert’s championship formula has been old school: Pound the rock, three yards and a cloud of dust and grass — or turf when playing on the fake stuff. Mateo Mojica, Brandon Burden and Nathan Zeppieri last fall combined to rush for 3,049 yards and 37 touchdowns for a Bradshaw Christian bunch that came up two points shy of winning a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championship.
Also back for the Pride is steady quarterback leader Ethan Rickert, son of the coach, who provides the offensive balance with passes but can also run.
Here’s a closer look at running backs to watch in 2024. Each of these players started on varsity last season, a minimum requirement to make the list. Only Jackson of Folsom has a verbal commitment to a Division I college to play on full scholarship. This doesn’t mean it’s a down year for regional prep runners. It’s an example of how difficult it is to secure a scholarship.
Teams in this region can engage in intrasquad scrimmages beginning Friday. They can scrimmage opponents Aug. 16-17. The regular season kicks off Aug. 23-24.
Brock Bauk
School: Union Mine
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-7, 170
Comment: A relentless competitor, Bauk can walk the walk and talk the talk. He is a 4.6 GPA student who plays three sports, and he has taken college courses throughout his high school time in El Dorado. He rushed for nearly 600 yards last season in helping power the small-school Diamondbacks to the playoffs.
Diego Bautista
School: Woodland
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-10, 180
Comment: The Wolves did not have a winning season in 2023, but defenses certainly remember Bautista. He rushed for 1,115 yards, eclipsing 100 yards seven times. He had 363 yards receiving and 10 total touchdowns and aims to up all of these numbers, including his team’s victory total.
Braylen Blevins
School: Casa Roble
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 6-0, 190
Comment: The defending D-V section champs return their Ram-tough bruiser back who earned Bee All-Metro honors last season and whom coach Chris Horner calls “a beast.” Blevins rumbled for 951 yards and 12 TDs last fall, averaging 8.1 yards per attempt. He also caught three TDs and made 44 tackles on defense.
Joseph Brown
School: Liberty Ranch
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-9. 180
Comment: A do-all talent who earned Bee All-Metro honors in 2023, what can Brown do for you? He’s a workhorse for the Hawks of Galt, rushing for 1,397 yards and 17 touchdowns to go with 19 catches for 267 yards in 2023. Brown had 65 tackles to help lead the D, including three interceptions.
Brandon Burden
School: Bradshaw Christian
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-11, 180
Comment: A two-sport grinder, BB has already rushed for 2,062 yards and 31 TDs in 24 games over two varsity seasons while sharing the load. Expect more reliability. Brandon invites the burden of expectations.
Landon Dahler
School: Pioneer
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-10, 170
Comment: Dahler led the Patriots of Woodland in rushing in 2023 with 816 yards, averaging 6.8 yards a carry. He reached the end zone nine times for a playoff team in taking over for all-time career program rusher Jack Carner.
Isaiah Ene
School: Granite Bay
Year: Junior
Height/weight: 5-9, 195
Comment: In sharing the backfield the previous two seasons, the two-time Bee All-Metro honoree is capable of producing this season what he did his first two varsity seasons combined. He rushed for 764 yards and nine TDs as a freshman and went for 828 and eight last season, when he also had 89 tackles and returned three of his four interceptions for touchdowns. Highly regarded by rival programs, Ene has scholarship offers from Arizona, Washington, Utah and others.
Gio Gimenez
School: Winters
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-8. 175
Comment: A third-year varsity starter, The G has been consistent. He rushed for 990 yards and 12 TDs in 2023 a year after going for 1,104 and 13. His average per carry both season was 7.2. He also made 100 tackles last fall for a playoff team of steep tradition rooted in Yolo County.
Carter Jackson
School: Folsom
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-10, 185
Comment: A two-time Bee All-Metro pick, Carter started his prep career at Folsom, transferred to Granite Bay, where he rushed for 3,099 yards and 43 touchdowns over two seasons, and is back with Folsom. Great burst and breakaway speed, can also play in the secondary and is verbally committed to Nevada as the No. 3-rated running back for his class in California by 24/7.
Shaun Jones
School: Placer
Year: Junior
Height/weight: 5-11, 205
Comment: Jones looks the part of big-time back with his size and ability. In sharing the backfield load in 2023, he managed to scoot and power his way to 957 yards and 17 touchdowns. He’s just warming up.
Derek Keeley
School: Rocklin
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-11, 190
Comment: A Bee All-Metro All-Purpose pick last season, Keeley punishes foes with hard running and as a linebacker. He rushed for 1,070 yards and 20 scores for a section championship team. He recorded 75 tackles on varsity as a sophomore and 97 in 2023.
Baylor Kelley
School: Placer
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-10, 170
Comment: The leading rusher for the Hillmen his sophomore and junior seasons, Kelley has rushed for 2,352 yards and 32 touchdowns with plenty left in the tank to help power the storied program to its 11th league crown in 12 seasons. He also makes plays on defense, including 40 tackles as a safety in earning Bee All-Metro All-Purpose honors.
Brody Krupp
School: Woodcreek
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 6-1, 220
Comment: Teammates call the Bee All-Metro pick “Mr. Woodcreek” on the Roseville campus because Kropp does it all, including leadership and results. A fourth-year varsity starter, Krupp rushed for 502 yards and six TDs while making 98 tackles for the school’s finest team, one that reached the section D-III finals.
Brandon Lambert
School: Grant
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 6-1, 185
Comment: Lambert was a playmaker last season for a D-I playoff team at Cosumnes Oaks of the Delta League, scoring 15 times, including 12 rushing to go with 1,130 yards. Now he joins Grant via transfer, where he’ll compete for the lead role at a school that for decades has valued its running backs.
Leon Martin
School: Grant
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-9, 195
Comment: Despite sharing the backfield with two Division I scholarship signees, Martin had his moments in 2023. He rumbled for 214 yards and a score on 37 carries in a big 22-21 nonleague win at powerhouse Los Gatos and returns ready to burden more of the load.
Marcus Meras
School: Sutter
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-7, 165
Comment: He’s not the biggest guy, but good luck getting to him. Meras in seven games last season rushed for 763 yards and nine scores, averaging 8.5 yards a carry for the small-school juggernaut.
Rafi Merino
School: Rocklin
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-8, 165
Comment: The Thunder won the D-II section championship with offensive balance and defense, and the depth included Merino, who scooted for nearly 700 yards and scored eight times. It’ll take all hands, arms and legs for the Thunder to repeat, and Merino is up for the task.
Mateo Mojica
School: Bradshaw Christian
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-9, 205
Comment: One of the region’s most versatile talents, MM is a model of consistency. He rushed for 1,327 yards and 13 scores with six 100-yard games on varsity as a sophomore, then went for 1,302 and 13 scores last season while eclipsing 100 yards six times. He also had 142 tackles last season after logging 115 as a sophomore.
Darius Moore
School: Sacramento
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-8, 170
Comment: Despite sharing the backfield with since-graduated star Lamar Radcliffe, Moore showed plenty or promise, rushing 74 times for 881 yards and four scores, averaging nearly 12 yards a carry for a playoff team. The load is now his.
Erick Orme Jr.
School: Folsom
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-8, 185
Comment: Orme rumbled and scooted for 902 yards and 18 touchdowns in 2023, eclipsing 100 yards four times, and he helped power Oak Ridge to the section D-I finals. He has since transferred to rival Folsom.
Henri Reed
School: Lindhurst
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 6-2, 175
Comment: In 10 games last fall, Reed was a runner, rushing for 1,022 yards in averaging 12.8 yards a carry. He had 17 touchdowns, including a 91-yarder, and he averaged nearly six tackles on defense as one of the region’s top small-school talents.
Daymion Rivera
School: Folsom
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-9, 175
Comment: One of the fastest and quickest players in the region, Rivera rushed for 681 yards in 2023, averaging 7.7 yards, scored eight times and had 31 catches for 380 yards and two scores. He played his best games during Folsom’s march to the state championship.
Fred Robinson
School: Mesa Verde
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-5, 150
Comment: A dynamo who belies his small frame, Robinson rushed for nearly 400 yards and five scores before injuries derailed him for the Mavericks last season. The coaches are high on him.
Alex Rodriguez
School: Rosemont
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-9, 185
Comment: He goes by “Pit” and competes like a tank. In sharing the backfield last season, Rodriguez rushed for 770 yards and four scores, averaging 5.9 yards a carry for the Wolverines of the Sacramento City Unified School District.
D’Adrien Sanders
School: Monterey Trail
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-10, 185
Comment: In the run-heavy veer, Sanders is ready to take the lead role after sharing the backfield last season. He rushed for 794 yards and 13 TDs for the longtime Elk Grove Unified powerhouse, showcasing burst and power.
Dennis Syders
School: Marysville
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-10, 175
Comment: Syders led the charge for a playoff team in 2023, rushing for 1,209 yards and 14 touchdowns, including a 90-yard burst. He also plays on defense and special teams for a small-school program used to making the playoffs.
Malakai Taione
School: Destiny Christian
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-10, 170
Comment: Taione is the lead back for a rebuilding team at a school that was formerly known as Capital Christian. Last season, he rushed for 1,132 yards, averaging 7.3 yards a carry, and 15 touchdowns. He can sprint, too, including an 88-yard TD run.
Armon Thorntona
School: Laguna Creek
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-9, 200
Comment: A power back who rushed for 802 yards and 17 touchdowns for a D-II playoff team in 2023, Thorntona looks a bit different these days. There is less of him. He dropped 20 pounds to add speed and burst to his game.
Brad Williams
School: Mira Loma
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 6-0, 175
Comment: Williams did it all for the resurgent Matadors last season. He rushed for 970 yards in nine games, averaging 10.2 yards a carry, and he scored 11 times, including a 71-yarder. He had 19 catches for 371 yards and three scores and broke up four passes on defense.
Jasen Womack
School: Oak Ridge
Year: Junior
Height/weight: 6-1, 180
Comment: Womack turned heads last season with his playmaking ability and his zest to compete. He rushed for seven scores and 964 yards, averaging 7.0 yards per carry, and he caught 29 passes for 279 yards and two TDs as a nice deep target. He’s poised for an even bigger season as Oak Ridge seeks a return to the section finals.
Nathan Zeppieri
School: Bradshaw Christian
Year: Senior
Height/weight: 5-11, 185
Comment: The Zep averaged 7.9 yards per carry in 2023, reaching the end zone 11 times. He had four 100-yard games and made 38 tackles for a team used to competing for championships.
▪ Who’d we miss? Update us with players of note by emailing jdavidson@sacbee.com.
▪ Want more? Is football you thing? It’s ours, too.
Consider a subscription to The Sacramento Bee for unique, in-depth prep football coverage unlike anywhere else. You won’t just read about scores and statistics, but also themes and trends that shape the seasons. The Bee will continue to roll out in-depth player rankings on offense and defense, flushed-out weekly team rankings, league and game previews, profiles on top players and big-picture stories on issues that impact the sport, including concussion concerns, transfers and realignment.