Bee’s Best: Handing game balls to Sacramento-area football players who dazzled
The Sacramento Bee hands out game balls, in spirit, to the following movers and shakers in Sacramento-area high school football from last week’s action.
Brody Rudnicki, Folsom: The junior passed for 361 yards and five touchdowns in a 49-7 win over Sacred Heart Prep of San Francisco as he filled in nicely for hobbled five-star recruit Ryder Lyons.
Brody Cole, Inderkum: The junior accounted for three touchdowns, one passing and two rushing, to power the Tigers past Destiny Christian Academy, 31-20. That’s three wins in a row for Inderkum.
Dunedin Tupou, Casa Roble: Just a sophomore, the linebacker had 18 tackles, a sack and two punts in a 39-14 win at Nevada Union. The Rams are 3-1.
Losi Asiati, Sutter: The junior running back chugged and sprinted for 205 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-21 victory at Bradshaw Christian in a small-school rumble. Sutter is 4-0.
D’Vaughn Norwood, Bella Vista: The junior running back rushed 29 times for 150 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-20 rivalry win over Del Campo, and first-year Broncos coach Jason Ott embraced the “Battle of the Oaks” trophy afterward. The series dates back to 1963 when Del Campo opened (Bella Vista opened in 1960).
Laron James-Radcliffe, Sacramento: The junior quarterback passed for 228 yards on six completions and five touchdowns, three to Damarie Taylor (Cordell Radcliffe rushed for 209 yards and two scores) in a 51-21 rout of Cosumnes Oaks. The Dragons are 2-1.
Kwanna Smith, Jesuit: The speedy sophomore rushed for 56 yards on seven carries and a score, and was named MVP of the 54th Holy Bowl. The Marauders, who are 3-1, claimed a 28-7 victory.
Chase Parkinson, Delta: The senior passed for 187 yards and six touchdowns, and he ran for 70 and a score in a 64-14 win over San Juan in an 8-man contest. The Saints of Clarksburg are 3-0.
Nick Johnson, Oak Ridge: The 6-foot-4 junior passed for 185 yards and hit receiver Isaac Ponce for three touchdowns in a 56-35 win over St. Mary’s of Stockton. Ponce also ran for a score and had five tackles for the 2-1 Trojans of El Dorado Hills.
Chase Wyhlidko, Twelve Bridges: The burly senior running back rushed for 173 yards and three touchdowns, caught three passes for 32 yards and recorded 10 tackles in a 42-41 win at Arroyo Grande of the Central Coast to move to 4-0.
Joe Lara/Andrew Quinn, Liberty Ranch: The junior running backs overwhelmed Dixon in a 62-29 win by combining for 30 carries 225 yards and six touchdowns. They also combined to make 10 tackles.
Waylon Gossic, Foresthill: The senior passed for 216 yards and three touchdowns to key a 29-26 victory over Vacaville Christian in an 8-man game. The Wildfires of Placer County are 3-0 for the first time in program history.
Nolen Sauve, Del Oro: The senior quarterback completed 12 of 14 passes for 229 yards and five touchdowns to engineer a 61-7 rout of Foothill of Palo Cedro, the No. 2-ranked team in the CIF Northern Section. Del Oro is 3-0 after going 2-8 in 2024.
Joseph Corey/Louis Means, Rio Linda: The running backs for Rio Linda combined to carry the ball 15 times for a combined 231 yards and six touchdowns in a 63-14 win over Foothill to move to 2-2.
Isaiah Ene, Granite Bay: The senior and fourth-year starting running back rushed 12 times for 138 yards and three scores, and recorded seven tackles in a 42-7 win over Ponderosa to move to 3-1.
This story was originally published September 16, 2025 at 2:54 PM.