Rocklin Thunder overwhelm Manteca in D-II semifinals, will take on Grant in section finals
The Rocklin Thunder were right at home in the pouring rain.
The top-seeded Thunder overcame the elements, outscored Manteca 23-0 in the second half and won 30-7 in the semifinal of the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs Friday night, earning a trip to the section championship next week at Sacramento City College’s Hughes Stadium.
It’ll be a matchup of local powers in the section final. Rocklin will take on No. 3 Grant, which beat No. 2 St. Mary’s, 28-21, Friday night in Stockton.
The Thunder’s 23 unanswered points in the second half came while scoring a pair of touchdowns after two interceptions from their defense, who had a sterling performance against the Buffaloes. Senior receiver Mavrik Collins scored three touchdowns.
“Tonight, our guys were excited about the elements and the opportunity to compete against a good team,” said Rocklin coach Jason Adams.
The game’s first score came when junior quarterback Reeve Sloan hit Collins for a 32-yard score early in the second quarter while both offenses struggled in the driving rain. Manteca tied it after recovering a Thunder fumble deep in their own territory when Manteca running back Ruben Moreno plunged in from two yards out.
Then it was all the home team after halftime.
“They’re really tough,” Adams said. “They gave us a front we weren’t really prepared for ... so they out coached us there for a while. We didn’t execute and take advantage of things we thought were going to be open.”
Rocklin opened the second half with a field goal and then got an interception from senior linebacker Alex Durham, leading to Collins’ second touchdown. His third went for 10 yards early in the fourth quarter.
The Thunder enter the section final with a 10-2 record on the season after finishing third in the Sierra Foothill League behind Folsom and Oak Ridge.
Adams credited his players for starting the process early last year.
“You start lifting in January and you start pushing the accountability piece and the trust piece,” Adams said. “And there’s so much time put in by our coaches and players where you get a really strong relationship. We spend more time with them than we do our own family. So these are special experiences for all of us.
“At some point in time, our season’s going to end, and we hope it ends with a W.”
Grant finished its season 9-3 with its only losses coming against state powers in non-conference games. The Pacers fell to De La Salle, Clovis East and Lincoln of San Diego. They’ll be riding a six-game winning streak heading into the section final against Rocklin.
