Bradshaw Christian grinds past powerhouse Woodland Christian. 11-0 Sonora awaits

Bradshaw Christian High School football coach Drew Rickert gathered his players near the south end zone as the final seconds bled away Friday night.

The scoreboard behind them reflected a result few outside the south Sacramento program believed possible. Rickert’s fifth-seeded Pride — young, counted out by many and coming off a season defined by turnover — had just marched into Yolo County and stunned fourth-seeded Woodland Christian, 36–30, in a CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI quarterfinal. It was a victory built on heart, heavy doses of senior leadership and one running back determined to make up for lost time.

Senior tailback Mason Pisarski, who missed his last game while hospitalized with a sepsis-related medical issue, delivered one of the most memorable postseason performances in Bradshaw’s storied history. He ripped off three touchdown runs — from 16, 20 and 40 yards — and set the tone for a Pride offense that leaned on its physicality and resilience.

“This was my week,” Pisarski said afterward, still catching his breath as teammates hugged him on their way to the bus. “Being in the hospital last week, I just wanted to come back and play. We worked our butts off all week, and the energy was something different with that playoff environment.”

From the opening minutes, Pisarski’s presence shifted the field. After Woodland Christian quarterback Isaiah Hunt threw an interception on the Cardinals’ first drive, Bradshaw capitalized immediately: Pisarski burst 16 yards untouched to make it 7-0. A fumble recovery set up another short field, and Pisarski punched in a 20-yard score late in the quarter for a 14-0 Pride lead.

But Woodland Christian — a program with a championship pedigree, featuring 13 seniors and several holdovers from its undefeated CIF State title team two seasons ago — never folds easily.

Hunt, a senior captain who starred on that 15-0 squad alongside playmaker Noah Hinkle, rallied the Cardinals with a pair of second-quarter touchdowns. He found Hinkle for an 11-yard score early in the frame, then hit him again on fourth down with under two minutes remaining to tie the game 14-14 heading into halftime.

The momentum nearly swung fully to Woodland Christian before the break when linebacker Malachi Durham jumped a route and returned an interception 50 yards to the Bradshaw 6-yard line with 17 seconds left. But Bradshaw held firm, preserving the tie — a moment Rickert later pointed to as a turning point.

“You play a great team like that, and it’s going to be back and forth,” Rickert said. “Our kids showed a lot of heart tonight. I was really proud of them.”

Bradshaw Christian delivered the first blow of the second half as well. Senior Devin Hatcher, a four-year starter and “captain of our defensive secondary” as Rickert described him, grabbed a 30-yard touchdown run on the Pride’s opening possession of the third quarter to restore a 21-14 lead. Later in the quarter, Pisarski broke free again — this time for a 40-yard strike — pushing the advantage to 28-14.

Still, just as they had in the second quarter, the Cardinals (9-2) fought back. Junior running back Oliver Holleman exploded for a 50-yard touchdown run, and Hunt powered in the 2-point try to pull Woodland within 28-22 entering the fourth.

But every time the Cardinals surged, Bradshaw Christian answered with the poise of a veteran group — a surprising identity for a team that graduated most of its roster from last year’s heartbreaking section finalist team.

“Everybody counted us out,” Rickert said. “We graduated tons of kids. Everyone thought we weren’t going to be very good. These kids knew how hard they worked, and tonight they proved it. We grew up a lot.”

Early in the fourth quarter, Hatcher powered in a 1-yard touchdown and converted the 2-point attempt himself, extending the Bradshaw lead to 36-22. But Bradshaw’s defense — anchored by senior linebacker Samuel Danilyuk, who earlier grabbed the opening interception — stiffened, forcing a turnover on downs with just over five minutes left. Woodland Christian mounted one last push when Hunt scrambled for an 18-yard touchdown and another two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 36-30.

Bradshaw Christian (9-2) now draws another monstrous challenge. The Pride will travel to top-seeded Sonora (11-0) in a semifinal on Nov. 21.

“We just had to prove people wrong,” said Pisarski, the gritty Pride running back. “People at our school have been doubting us all year. We’re just trying to keep going.”

For Woodland Christian, whose senior-heavy roster and championship lineage made this one of the most anticipated small-school matchups of the tournament, the loss marks the end to a remarkable recent run under head coach Michael Paschke.

Bradshaw Christian, meanwhile, marches on — powered by its seniors, strengthened by adversity and fueled by a running back who refused to let his season end.