Sutter beats rival Casa Roble for CIF title behind monster game by Max Bringgold
The backdrop of a school that opened in 1893 is the scenic view of the Sutter Buttes, the volcanic lava domes that dot the northern part of California’s Central Valley.
The Sutter Huskies football program is also very much an old-school deal, a throwback program that plays home games on natural grass with a decades-long team motto of: “Hit or sit.”
On Friday afternoon at Sacramento City College, Sutter players, coaches and fans celebrated a breakthrough achievement, muscling and racing past rival Casa Roble, 42-27, to win an entertaining and fiercely fought CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division V championship bout.
After winning 12 Northern Section crowns, a section that stretches to the Oregon border, Sutter basked in its first blue banner in its third season in this section, the second-largest of the 10 that are sprinkled across California. Sutter lost a heartbreaking Division V title game to Hughson at Hughes Stadium a year ago, and the Huskies remembered that hurt.
The Huskies were inspired by their lone loss this season, a 22-9 setback to Casa Roble on Halloween, to decide the Golden Empire League championship.
Max Bringgold was the man of the hour, and Ryan Reynolds was the coach of the hour. Bringgold had the game of his life: The third-year varsity starter caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from Braden Scritchfield to cap the game’s first drive, he tossed a 5-yard scoring pass to Scritchfield on a nifty trick play, he rushed for scores of 12 and 14 yards, and then he iced it with a late interception.
Reynolds is the energized coach in his 17th season heading the Huskies, with this marking his 29th season with the program. The coach who grew up playing small-town football in McKinleyville in Humboldt County in the northern part of the state was so giddy with his team’s effort that he dove into the postgame team photo with the scoreboard in the backdrop.
“Our boys had a chip on their shoulder since that loss to Casa in Week 10, and I’m telling you, they handled their business,” Reynolds said, soaking wet from the customary water-jug celebration. “Max was a monster today. The last two weeks, he’s been unbelievable.”
Reynolds said he was moved by the large contingent of Sutter fans who made the hour-long trip.
“The support is tremendous,” he said. “Our community is awesome. I mean, it doesn’t get any better than this: small-town football at its finest. And look at this venue. This venue is tremendous. This section does such a wonderful job. This is incredible.”
So, too, is the small-school vibe for Sutter, which includes scores of players growing up together. A good many of the varsity players played youth ball, dreaming of becoming a Sutter Husky in a region that embraces athletics.
Sutter’s campus was gutted by a fire on Thanksgiving in 1961, replaced by the current campus two years later, and it has aged nicely.
“There’s nothing better than small-school football,” Reynolds said. “We’ve got horses that run around the track (for home games), we have (a coaching box) that’s from the early ‘60s. We love it.”
Reynolds has carried the tradition from previous head coach Scott Turner, who won eight Northern Section crowns, including four in a row, ending in 2017. Sutter won its first section titles in football in 1974 and 1975 under coach Tom Crowhurst. This is the fifth section crown for Reynolds.
And there are more championships to pursue. All CIF section champions in the state, except for the 8-man level, advance to Northern California or Southern California regional championship rounds. The CIF will announce brackets on Sunday afternoon.
Big effort by Casa Roble’s Lopez, a ‘dawg’
Sutter (12-1) had to withstand another superb effort by the best skill player the Huskies have faced this season. Aidan Lopez, one of the top quarterbacks in Northern California, passed for 394 yards with more of his trademark touch passes, including a number of deep strikes. He had touchdown passes to Karter Coss and Jared Alexander, and he didn’t stop competing until Bringgold intercepted his last pass of his senior season to ice it.
“(Lopez) is great,” Bringgold said. “I know he’s going to thrive at the next level. He’s a dawg. He’s great.”
Casa Roble finished 11-2 under coach Chris Horner, who led the Rams of Orangevale to the section Division V crown in 2023.
Bringgold tasted a bit of greatness in his first varsity game as a sophomore, making three interceptions in a rout of Carson of Nevada. He had eight picks for the season, had a solid junior season for a 9-3 team and is eager for more games. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound senior rushed for 112 yards and played nearly every down.
“I’m so thankful for my team, my friends,” Bringgold said. “I couldn’t do it without my (offensive) line. All of them block, all the work they put in. They help me move. They help me thrive.”
As for the mood on campus and in the Sutter region, Bringgold said, “We’ve got a great small community. Our town is so awesome. We’re so pumped. It means so much to (coach Reynolds) and to us.”
Asked what he and the Huskies will do to celebrate, Bringgold said, “Well, we’re all under 21, so none of that. We’ll just hang out and have fun.”
Sutter is also proof that a blue-chip prospect doesn’t have to play at a large-enrollment school with state-championship pedigree to draw national recruiting interest. Sutter’s defense is anchored by Troy Bowens, a 6-5, 255-pounder who has scholarship offers from Arizona State, Oregon, Notre Dame and scores of others.
Asked earlier this season why he remained loyal to Sutter while other large-school programs in the section had players reach out to him to suggest a transfer, Bowens said: “This is home.”
This story was originally published November 28, 2025 at 5:12 PM.