‘Brody! Brody!’ Folsom wins NorCal Bowl as backup QB rallies after Lyons injury
It hasn’t been easy to be a backup quarterback over the years for the Folsom Bulldogs, especially when the starters tend to be tough and durable and do not miss games often due to injury.
That tough, durable bunch includes Ryder Lyons, a tank of a 6-foot-3, 230-pounder who has been the power source of the program’s offensive machine the last three seasons. But when Lyons was blasted on a legal hit on the far sideline late in the third quarter on Friday night against the best team the Bulldogs have faced this season, along came Brody Rudnicki.
The 6-2, 210-pound junior — who has received recruiting interest from scores of colleges due to his talent and upside despite limited action — showed that depth counts in high school football. He entered the game with the Folsom student rooting section chanting, “Brody, Brody!” and then engineered a 42-38 comeback to stun the Riordan Crusaders of San Francisco to win the CIF Northern California Division 1-AA championship at Prairie City Stadium.
An overflow crowd squeezed in on a frigid night to see the most anticipated game of the NorCal menu, and it was every bit as good and entertaining as advertised, with twists and turns and varied emotions.
When Lyons was jolted on that hit, Folsom trailed 38-28. He jumped up and swiftly jogged across the field to the Folsom sideline, his left arm dangling. Named earlier in the day as the Gatorade State Player of the Year, Lyons spent the rest of the game without shoulder pads and a heavy coat and hood as he watched a player who would have started at most any other program in Northern California lead the comeback.
Rudnicki on his second snap of the game took off for a 50-yard sprint, and then he hit Rob Larson for a 25-yard touchdown to pull Folsom to within 38-35. With 5:02 left to play, Rudnicki found Jameson Powell for a 20-yard scoring strike to make it 42-38, and then the Bulldogs had a fourth-down stop near midfield to stall Riordan’s last effort.
Rudnicki then helped run out the clock with more gritty runs, including victory formation, and the Bulldogs advanced to their seventh CIF State final since 2010. Folsom is 5-1 in state finals in that stretch and aims to improve that mark when the Bulldogs head to Saddleback College on Dec. 12 in Mission Viejo in Orange County to take on San Diego powerhouse Cathedral Catholic.
Folsom’s defense, taken to task in the first half, did not allow any points in the final two quarters to end Riordan’s best season in the 76-year history of the school. The Bulldogs defense, including Stanford-bound defensive back star Jason Hill Jr., played well in beating Oak Ridge 21-14 to win the program’s fifth consecutive CIF Sac-Joaquin Section large-school championship, and they earned their game balls for making stops in the final two quarters.
But the biggest game ball was reserved for Rudnicki. He impressed in summer workouts, with Lyons his No. 1 fan. And Rudnicki this season has been humble as a backup and humble as the sudden star.
“I couldn’t have done it without my team,” he said. “I was just the guy who had to come in and fill a spot, and I’m sure (Lyons) would have done the same thing and won the game. There was excitement and nervousness, but I love football. I love playing with my teammates, especially this team.”
Ever the good teammate, Rudnicki expects his friend Lyons is well enough to play in Mission Viejo, where, two years ago, he led a late drive to lift Folsom to a state championship.
“I’m hoping he heals, and I’m hoping for the best and speediest recovery,” Rudnicki said.
In a game that featured nearly 40 players with NCAA Division I scholarship offers, including a handful of players who signed this week, the first half was a scoring fest.
Lyons found Jameson Powell for touchdown strikes of 31 and 26 yards, and he had a 10-yard scoring run. Riordan was led by Stanford-bound quarterback Michael Mitchell Jr. and bruising and fast fullback Adonyae Brown. Mitchell had three touchdown passes, and Brown had three TD runs, including a 70-yarder.
But Riordan could not find the end zone in the second half, and Rudnicki did, improving Folsom’s record to 13-1.
Folsom coach Paul Doherty has praised the poise and growth of Rudnicki all season. He beamed about the grit of the Bulldogs who were on the verge of getting blown out before turning the tide.
“Our kids are resilient, and we try to prepare them for every scenario, and we just keep on rolling,” Doherty said. “These kids stick together. Brody was just incredible.”
This story was originally published December 5, 2025 at 11:26 PM.