Twelve Bridges tops Christian Brothers to shake off section finals loss to Casa Roble

The sting of last year’s section championship game loss is finally wearing off for the Twelve Bridges Raging Rhinos.

The Rhinos earned a 28-10 win in their season opener against the visiting Christian Brothers Falcons in front of a packed crowd. Rhino fans parked in nearby shopping malls and made the trek over to the stadium due to overflow.

The Rhinos lost in the CIF Division V Sac-Joaquin Section championship game last season when Casa Roble walked off the field with a shocking two-point conversion.

Head coach Chris Bean used that fact to fire up his young team.

“There’s a super bowl hangover, and I think we had a section title hangover,” Bean said with a grin. “I think for us it was very important to come out strong right off the bat.”

Bean said his team’s passion for the school plays a big part in why they are successful.

“They just love this school,” Bean said. “They love being Rhinos. This team has such a great culture and it is a big reason why we go out and fight in every game.”

A group of alumni were at the game to cheer on the team from the sidelines.

The Rhinos struggled in the first half and had to come from behind to get the win.

“We always knew this was going to be a four-quarter game,” Bean said. “The guys just have such a fight in them that I never doubted that we would stick with it and ultimately get a comfortable win.”

All four Rhino touchdowns came from the ground game. First, with a 14-yard rush by senior Braeden Ward. Ward also closed out the game with the fourth touchdown.

Senior Gavin Rappa and junior Chase Wyhlidko capped off the scoring with rushing touchdowns for the Rhinos.

Team captain Isaiah Rodriguez received a ton of praise from Bean after the game. Rodriguez has been an integral part of the team both as a receiver and defensive back since the school’s founding.

Rodriguez praised the coaching staff.

“Coach Bean is a big reason why this team is this good so quickly,” Rodriguez said. “I think everybody just loves playing for him. It’s why we can come out here and just keep fighting through the whole game. It’s why we don’t get discouraged even if we are losing late.”

Twelve Bridges is a brand new school while Christian Brothers has been around since 1876. Bean is well aware of that fact and had loads of respect for his opponent, calling them “the real deal.”

Coach Larry Morla has been at the helm for the Falcons since 2021. He is excited for what his team can bring this season.

“We have a third-year starting quarterback in junior Deakon Holden,” Morla said. “I think we are pretty excited about what he can do for us this year. To have a young guy like that with a bunch of experience can be huge.”

Morla also shouted out two-way senior Isaiah Jordan, who has already committed to play college ball at Air Force.

Morla takes great pride in the fact that most of his players also are on his track team at the school in the offseason.

“We are the fastest team in the league for sure,” Morla said. “It’s something that I think is really important and is really the key to our success.”

The Falcons lone touchdown on the night came from a 12-yard pass from Holden to senior receiver Armando Ramirez. Senior kicker Marin Velasco also hit a 25-yard field goal.

Both coaches emphasized having young teams. Morla said he has an entirely new offensive line. That can be a tough way to start off a season, but it also brings a sense of hope and excitement to both programs.

The Falcons will visit San Joaquin Memorial next week while Twelve Bridges travels to Reed.

Rhinos coach Chris Bean noted his team’s tough schedule after the game, particularly an October matchup against Nevada Union.

“We have big opponents like Nevada Union,” Bean said to his players. “But after the performance we had tonight, those guys are going to have a tough time stopping us.”

This story was originally published August 24, 2024 at 12:13 AM.