Folsom ends Inderkum’s 22-game win streak to reach D-I section finals. ‘That was spectacular!’
Mike Wall can be demanding and fierce, and his familiar gravely voiced bark of “Heeey!” is as emphatic as any piercing whistle.
Wall is the longtime boy basketball coach for the Folsom Bulldogs, big on effort and fundamentals, and the man known for his growl was positively ecstatic on Tuesday night in Natomas.
Seeded third in the large-enrollment field in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I race, visiting Folsom unloaded on a long and athletic Inderkum Tigers outfit that roared in with a 22-game winning streak and a 28-1 overall record. It was Folsom’s game, start to finish, with defense, desire, shooting, poise and depth keying a 69-50 triumph.
“Our depth and defense was great, and wow,” Wall said. “This is as good of a win as we’ve had, considering the opponent and the environment. It was control and chaos. We wanted to control the game, but we didn’t have to slow down. We can play fast, too, and our defense was incredible. I couldn’t be prouder. That was spectacular, a methodical beating.”
Wall and his staff pored over hours of Inderkum game film and noticed a curious trend. No one dare tried to press Inderkum guards. Folsom gave it a shot, and the different defensive looks in the half court had the Tigers off their game.
“We said, ‘Screw it! Let’s press,’ and it set the tone,” Wall said. “We came in thinking, ‘Let’s not hope we beat them.’ Let’s win.”
Folsom has achieved a great deal in this sport the last 40 years, starting with the 1985 CIF State Division III championship team under famed coach Stan Harms, and it’s been a machine under Wall the last 20 seasons as the school grew in enrollment numbers and in stature.
One of the greatest coaches in regional history, Wall has his eighth team in a section final and seeks the program’s fifth championship. With a nine-game winning streak, the 27-3 Bulldogs face another stout challenge in three-time defending D-I champion Modesto Christian, the top seed that beat league rival Lincoln of Stockton 74-70 in the other semifinal.
The championship game is Friday night at Golden 1 Center, home of the Sacramento Kings.
Junior shooting wing Joven Dulay led Folsom with 21 points; 6-foot-5 senior point guard Chase Rawlins had 14 and expertly controlled pace and tempo; 6-4 junior Jack Shull came off the bench to hit 3-pointers and scored 13; and Alec Day, another key 6-4 junior, had 8 points.
Dulay made four 3-pointers, Rawlins and Shull each made three, and Day had two. Folsom stormed to leads of 23-10 after the first quarter, 38-20 at the half and 54-35 after three.
Rawlins, smooth with the ball with the dribble and pass, is the focal point, headed to UC Davis on scholarship.
“He controls the game,” Wall said. “When the ball is in his hands, I’m confident. He can slice you up with passes, doesn’t have turnovers. He’s been great.”
Rawlins said he relishes the opportunity to lead the Bulldogs.
“Playing with a lot of shooters helps, and I just get the ball to them,” Rawlins said. “It all starts with Coach Wall. We prepare so much. We feel ready.”
All section semifinalists advance to CIF Northern California regional rounds that start next week.
It appears likely that Folsom and Modesto Christian will both advance to the prestigious Open Division — the big boys — to help fill out that bracket.
Inderkum will be in the NorCal D-I field and could get a top two seed along with Lincoln of Stockton.
Division II
Rocklin 67, Woodcreek 50
Mark Lavrenov scored 30 points and had 15 rebounds and Ely Willis had 16 points to power the second-seeded Thunder into Thursday night’s 8 p.m. final against Jesuit, with the triumph of the No. 3-seeded Timberwolves in an all-Placer County semifinal.
Lavrenov is one of the program’s greatest players, just the second to eclipse 2,000 career points, the other being Brendan Lane in 2009. Rocklin won a section title that year under Steve Taylor, who may well be in his final season this winter.
Michael Kirby had 12 points for Woodcreek and Max VanLanigham 11.
Jesuit 54, Destiny Christian Academy 50
Luke Browne had a late 3-pointer, and the Marauders played more stout defense in a season full of such efforts to return to a section final for the 19th time, seeking their 12th blue section banner.
Sahib Randhawa led Jesuit with 13 points and Asher Schroeder played solid as he has all season at guard.
“Just a great team effort,” Jesuit coach Tim Kelly said. “Players were awesome sticking to a game plan and executing on the road in a tough environment against a really good team.”
Folsom, Jesuit and Rocklin represent three teams from the power-packed Sierra Foothill League.
“The SFL definitely preps your team,” Kelly said. “Good players, great coaches, and a playoff-brand of basketball in league play.”
Division III
Christian Brothers 56, Twelve Bridges 39
Senior guard Daniel Powers had 18 points, senior forward Stephan Hewitt had 13, sophomore guard Andrew Rabb-Patterson scored 12 and sophomore guard Joaquin Lucero-Mattis had 10 to lead the charge for the top-seeded Falcons against the Raging Rhinos of Lincoln.
Christian Brothers returns to the section title game a year after losing it to Sacramento High at Golden 1 Center. The Falcons at 4 p.m. Friday will play 10th-seeded El Capitan of Merced, which beat Burbank 57-42 days after toppling No. 2-seeded Placer on the road, 67-54.
Sac-Joaquin Section boys basketball semifinals
All championship games at Golden 1 Center
Division I
Modesto Christian 74, Lincoln-Stockton 70
Folsom 69, Inderkum 50
Friday’s championship
No. 1 Modesto Christian vs. No. 3 Folsom, 8 p.m.
Division II
Rocklin 67, Woodcreek 50
Jesuit 54, Destiny Christian 50
Thursday’s championship
No. 2 Rocklin vs. No. 4 Jesuit, 8 p.m.
Division III
Christian Brothers 56, Twelve Bridges 39
El Capitan 57, Burbank 42
Friday’s championship
No. 1 Christian Brothers vs. No. 10 El Capitan
Division IV
Natomas 66, Venture Academy 53
Casa Roble 63, Ripon Christian 57
Thursday’s championship
No. 1 Natomas vs. No. 2 Casa Roble
Division V
Woodland Christian 76, Bret Harte 61
Argonaut 75, Fortune 64
Friday’s championship
No. 1 Woodland Christian vs. No. 2 Argonaut
Division VI
Stone Ridge Christian 65, Elite 56
Sacramento Waldorf 50, Vacaville Christian 42
Thursday’s championship
No. 2 Sacramento Waldorf vs. No. 1 Stone Ridge, noon
This story was originally published February 25, 2025 at 10:48 PM.