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2018

Night Lights Vista del Lago Eagles

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General Info, (916) 985-2581, folsomtelegraph.com. Office, 921 Sutter St. Suite 100, Folsom, CA 95630. Hours, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday Publisher: TOM KIRK 530-852-0225, bobf@goldcountrymedia.com Gold Country Media Design and Content Manager: JULIE MILLER, 530-852-0256, juliem@goldcountrymedia.com

Associate Publisher: BILL SULLIVAN, 916-351-3750, bills@goldcountrymedia.com

Folsom Telegraph Advertising Consultants: DEBBRAH CAMPBELL, 916-351-3744, debbrahc@goldcountrymedia.com

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The Folsom Telegraph is a weekly newspaper of general circulation published every Wednesday

by Placer Community Newspapers, Inc. Subscriptions are $38 per year for home delivery, $104 per year mail. Delivery questions? If paper is not received by 5 p.m. Wednesday, call (916) 7747900 or 1(800) 927-7355 by 7 p.m. for same day delivery. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Telegraph, 921 Sutter St. Suite 100, Folsom, CA 95630. USPS No. 536-940

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| FOLSOM BULLDOGS OAK RIDGE TROJANS VISTA DEL LAGO EAGLES Friday Night Lights 2018

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THIS SEASON

Competition will be tough in 2018

BY MATT LONG

For those high school football fans who can hardly wait for the season … good news!

The 2018 season starts a week earlier this year, as all three local teams kick-off their schedules on Friday, August 17.

Folsom hits the road to Concord to play national power De La Salle in the most anticipated season-opening game since playing Grant in 2010, a game broadcasted live on ESPN. Oak Ridge opens on the road at Lincoln, while Vista del Lago plays host to Folsom-Cordova Unified School District rival Cordova, a team they beat twice last year, including once in the playoffs.

Each time this year, players, coaches and fans are filled with optimism, hoping for a great season. For Folsom High now more than ever, that feeling is running strong. Not only are the Bulldogs coming off a 16-0 season and the program’s third state title since 2010, but they return eight starters on offense and another six on defense, which has everyone thinking of a possible repeat state championship. Quarterback Kaiden Bennett returns with the Ngata brothers, Daniyel in the backfield and Joe at wide receiver, as do fellow receivers Elijah Badger, Parker Clayton and CJ Hutton, as all six players in “skill” positions return. On the other side of the ball, all three linebackers (Clayton, Dylan Jorge and Elijah Swonger) are back, as is defensive tackle Tyler Hardeman. How the Bulldogs are able to replace three starting offensive and defensive linemen who graduated is one of the main keys to how the team will do this season. If they can replace the muscle on both lines, so long as players keep their heads and keep working hard, there’s no reason to think the Bulldogs will have another long postseason run.

Oak Ridge and Vista del Lago face much more of a rebuilding season than the Bulldogs, as those teams graduated many more key seniors than the Bulldogs. The Trojans are coming off a strong season that saw them win 11 games, losing only twice to the two teams which played for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I title, Folsom and St. Mary’s. Oak Ridge returns quarterback Matt Jenner, who replaced an injured Marco Baldacchino late in the season and put together a few strong games in the postseason. Three offensive linemen return and four players on defense who saw considerable action, but the rest of the starters will be relative newcomers this season.

The Eagles are coming off a 7-5 season a year ago. Vista went 4-1 in the Capital Athletic League, finishing behind Christian Brothers, and then split two playoffs games before its season came to an end with a loss to Patterson. Vista graduated 21 seniors off a team of 34 players, so in terms of returning players, the cupboard is nearly bare. Quarterback Grant Patterson returns with a couple linemen and receivers, and the defense returns a handful of players, but by and large, the Eagles will predominately have first-time starters in most positions.

Making things more difficult for all three teams will be realigned leagues that have brought in stiff competition. For Folsom and Oak Ridge in the Sierra Foothill League, the weakest teams in the league, Woodcreek and Nevada Union, were replaced by Grant and Whitney. While Woodcreek and Nevada Union had a combined record of 4-16 a year ago, Grant and Whitney combined to go 9-11. While none of the four teams made the postseason a year ago, Grant and Whitney are clearly stronger programs than their predecessors.

In the Capital Athletic League, the league’s worst team, Mira Loma, is gone, as is Casa Roble, who routinely finished in the middle of the pack. Those teams were replaced by Del Campo, who finished 12-1 a year ago and won the Capital Valley Conference; Capital Christian, champions of the Golden Empire League, who finished 7-4 overall, and Sacramento, who tied Burbank for the Metro League title and ended the year with a 7-5 record.

There will be no easy league game for any of the three local teams this season.

6 Friday Night Lights 2018 FOLSOM BULLDOGS OAK RIDGE TROJANS VISTA DEL LAGO EAGLES |

2018 predictions The Gold Country Media sports team plus a few other sports writers from the region took a stab at predicting the order of finish in the Sierra Foothill League, the home of Folsom and Oak Ridge, as well as the Capital Athletic League where Vista del Lago resides.

Folsom won a league championship a year ago, while Vista del Lago and Oak Ridge finished second to Christian Brothers and Folsom, respectively.

For the record, last season the group correctly predicted a Folsom-Oak Ridge one-two finish in the SFL, as well as predicting Woodcreek and Nevada Union placing sixth and seventh. In the CAL, we only picked two teams correctly, Casa Roble placing third and Mira Loma winding up in the cellar. We had Vista winning the league and Christian Brothers finishing second, but as it turned out, those teams were reversed.

This year’s predictions follow: Sierra Foothill League Folsom Del Oro Oak Ridge Granite Bay Grant Rocklin Whitney

Capital Athletic League Del Campo Capital Christian Christian Brothers Sacramento Vista del Lago Rio Americano El Camino

In the seven-member leagues, teams receiving firstplace votes received seven points, second-place votes scored six and so on.

Folsom received all seven first-place votes, and was the only team in either league that was predicted to finish in the same spot by all the voters. Del Oro received four second-place votes, while Oak Ridge, Grant and Whitney each earned one vote for second place.

Oak Ridge finished a distant third with Granite Bay not too far behind. Grant and Rocklin tied with the same amount of points just behind Granite Bay. All but one voter had Whitney finishing last.

Folsom scored 49 points with Del Oro following with 37 followed by Oak Ridge 28 and Granite Bay 24. Grant and Rocklin both scored 21 points.

In the CAL, Del Campo had four first-place votes, while Capital Christian had two with Vista del Lago earning the other. Those top two teams, along with Christian Brothers, finished far and away in front of the rest of the pack. Del Campo scored 42 points, Capital Christian had 39, while Christian Brothers scored 36.

The third newcomer to the league, Sacramento scored 30 and finished only two points in front of Vista del Lago. Rio Americano and El Camino were picked to bring up the rear by all seven writers.

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| FOLSOM BULLDOGS OAK RIDGE TROJANS VISTA DEL LAGO EAGLES Friday Night Lights 2018

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FOLSOM HIGH

BULLDOGS

Folsom seeks another state title

BY MATT LONG

T

he vibe around Folsom High’s football varsity football team is probably a lot like it was at the start of the 2014 season.

The 2014 Bulldogs, with several returning starters, had one goal in mind and that was to win a state championship. The skilled and veteran Bulldogs, of course, went on to do just that and did so in convincing fashion. Folsom finished with a 16-0 record and beat all 16 teams with a running clock by the end of the game.

The only difference this season is that this group of Bulldogs has already won a state title and are looking for a second. Like the 2014 team, Folsom returns several starters, including eight on offense and five on defense (two playing different positions), and are favorites to be playing for a state title in December.

While some coaches would be worried about complacency finding its way into the locker room, Folsom coach Kris Richardson is not. Based on the work the team did in the offseason, Richardson is feeling good as the season nears the start.

“We told the guys at the end of last season, you can’t stay the same for next year; you’ll either get better or you’ll get worse,” Richardson said. “We’ve had a great offseason. We’ve done great in the weight room. Elijah Badger is one example. He put on 20 pounds of muscle and now weighs

PHOTO BY BILL SULLIVAN

Folsom has eight returning starters on offense; top row – tackle Joe Wagner, receivers Parker Clayton and Elijhah Bader, center Kaden Richardson and receiver Joe Ngata. Bottom row: receiver CJ Hutton, quarterback Kaiden Bennett and running back Daniyel Ngata.

195 pounds. It’s all part of the maturation process, but Joe (Ngata) is up to 210 pounds and is one of the strongest guys on the team. Kaiden Bennett has improved his arm strength and is stronger all around because he ran the ball quite a bit last year and we anticipate he’ll have to do it again this year. Plus, he’s got two guys in Joey Washburn and Jake Reithmeier who are competing for his job.

“All the guys have a great work ethic and worked hard in the weight room and with their speed training. Our expectations are high.”

So it sounds as if the Bulldogs didn’t rest on their laurels, so expect another dynamite season. If the Bulldogs needed any motivation for the upcoming season, all they

needed to do was look at their schedule.

Folsom added the best team from Northern California over the last 25 years and one of the top schools nationwide in De La Salle, who they start the season against on Aug. 17. Jesuit, a team the Bulldogs beat twice last year, including a tight 27-14 game in the semifinals of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs is their second opponent. Two weeks later, the Bulldogs travel to Chaminade from West Hills, an hour or so northwest of Los Angeles. Chaminade, who won a Division II state title in 2013 and is coming off a 9-2 season a year ago, figures to be a good challenge the Bulldogs.

“If there’s a way to motivate a team in the offseason this De La Salle game is it,” Richardson said. “We’re excited to go play

8 Friday Night Lights 2018 FOLSOM BULLDOGS OAK RIDGE TROJANS VISTA DEL LAGO EAGLES |

them. They’ve been the best program in the country the past two decades. Chaminade is going to be a top-10 school, and will be one of the better teams on our schedule.”

The Sierra Foothill League has two new teams that figure to make things a bit tougher overall, as Grant and Whitney replace Woodcreek and Nevada Union on the schedule. These teams might not have anything for Folsom this season, but they will be more competitive than their predecessors.

“I’m excited to have Grant in the SFL, especially with our recent history with them,” Richardson said. “They were 4-6 last year, but that’s the best 4-6 team I’ve ever seen. Grant is still Grant. I don’t know much about Whitney, but they’ve

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| FOLSOM BULLDOGS OAK RIDGE TROJANS VISTA DEL LAGO EAGLES Friday Night Lights 2018

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FOLSOM HIGH

BULLDOGS

Skill to burn,

but the line holds the keys

PHOTO BY BILL SULLIVAN

Folsom returns its four starting receivers last year who combined to catch 203 passes for 3,746 yards and 48 touchdowns. From left – Joe Ngata, Parker Clayton, CJ Hutton and Elijhah Badger.

BY MATT LONG

W

ith eight starters returning, including all six playing the “skill” positions, there will be no shortage of talent on the offensive side of the football for the Bulldogs.

Quarterback Kaiden Bennett, running back Daniyel Ngata and receivers Joe Ngata, Parker Clayton, CJ

PHOTOS BY BILL SULLIVAN

Above: Daniyel Ngata returns as one of the top running backs in the Sac-Joaquin Section. At left, Kaden Richardson returns as a starter and will anchor the offensive line with Joe Wagner, at right.

10 Friday Night Lights 2018 FOLSOM BULLDOGS OAK RIDGE TROJANS VISTA DEL LAGO EAGLES |

A PUBLICATION OF THE FOLSOM TELEGRAPH

Football Fans

Joe Ngata is Folsom’s top receiver and will play next year at Clemson University.

PHOTO BY BILL SULLIVAN

Hutton and Elijah Badger all return from an offense that averaged 48 points and gained nearly 500 yards of offense per game a year ago. They’re all likely bigger, stronger and faster than a year ago, so that doesn’t bode well for opposing defenses. All but Hutton have scholarship offers and all, including Hutton, are impact players.

Joe Ngata, one of the most highly recruited players in the nation, committed to Clemson in late July. Last season, Ngata, with great size and speed to burn, caught 81 passes for 1,777 yards and 26 touchdowns. He gained nearly 22 yards each time he caught a pass a year ago.

There are few players on any team Folsom will play this season who can cover Ngata one-on-one. Throw in Badger, who also has several scholarship offers to major schools, and it makes things harder for the opponent. Clayton and Hutton simply add to the misery defenses face, as Bennett has multiple options on every play. Other receivers in the mix include Caleb Nelson, Gavin Davis-Smith, Chris Catalano and Jayden Meneghetti.

When Bennett wants to hand the ball off, Daniyel Ngata is as explosive as they come.

He gained 863 yards and scored 11 rushing touchdowns a year ago, but only carried the ball more than 10 times in three games. He averaged nine yards per carry. Joey Washburn, Dylan Jorge and Dominic Navarro back up Ngata.

Bennett is coming off a superb season in which he threw for 4,431 yards and 57 touchdowns against 13 interceptions, completing 67 percent of his passes. He also led the Bulldogs with 1,218 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. Backing up Bennett are Washburn and Jake Reithmeier.

The key to Folsom’s offense, aside from staying healthy, will clearly be the play of the offense line. Kaiden Richardson (6-2, 260) returns at center, while Joe Wagner (6-3, 260) moves from guard to tackle. The other starting tackle will be Garrison Passmore (6-4, 265), while David Ruiz (6-2, 280), Enrique Carrillo (6-1, 270) and Tommy Nunez (6-0, 265) are battling for the two starting spots at guard.

Chandon Pierre (6-3, 255) and Tyler Hardeman (6-2, 260), both starters on defense, are options on the offensive line as well, as are juniors Logan Harrison (6-2, 220) and Colby Christierson (5-11, 240).

“Kaden is back at center and Joe is making the transition from guard to tackle,” Richardson said. “I’ve always felt Garrison could be a talented linemen if he developed in the weight room and he’s done that. Ruiz started some games last year and he and Carrillo and Nunez are battling to be the starting guards. I feel good about this group, but you never know with linemen until you put the pads on. We’ll find out if they can play and how they look once we do that.”

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| FOLSOM BULLDOGS OAK RIDGE TROJANS VISTA DEL LAGO EAGLES Friday Night Lights 2018

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FOLSOM HIGH

BULLDOGS

Defense ready to dominate

BY MATT LONG

Gone are the days that Folsom’s defense is overlooked.

At the beginning of this decade, Folsom’s offense got all the publicity, but the defense has come to be strong in its own right, especially over the last five years.

This year’s unit figures to be strong again, but coaches have shuffled players to 15 new positions and had to bring in

BULLDOG ROSTER

2018 varsity

FOLSOM HIGH

PHOTO BY BILL SULLIVAN

Folsom returns six players who started a majority of the season last year: Parker Clayton, Elijah Swonger, Tyler Hardeman, Dylan Jorge, Gavin Davis-Smith and CJ Hutton.

NO. NAME YR. HT. WT. OFF. DEF. 1 Kaiden Bennett Sr. 6-1 180 QB 2 Caleb Nelson Sr. 6-0 170 WR DB 3 CJ Hutton Jr. 5-9 165 WR DB 4 Daniyel Ngata Jr. 5-9 190 RB DB 5 Dylan Jorge Sr. 6-0 195 RB LB 6 Bryce Buck Sr. 5-9 155 K 7 Jacob Reithmeier Jr. 6-2 195 QB 8 Parker Clayton Sr. 6-1 185 WR DB 9 Davion Blackwell Jr. 6-1 190 RB DB 10 Joe Ngata Sr. 6-4 210 WR DB 11 Jay Taylor Jr. 5-11 180 RB DB 12 Joey Washburn Sr. 6-0 209 QB LB 13 Noah Jenkins Sr. 6-3 185 LB 14 Elijhah Badger Jr. 6-2 195 WR DB 15 Jayden Meneghetti Jr. 6-4 200 TE DL 16 Trey Buckley Jr. 5-8 155 DB 17 AJ Arbis Sr. 5-8 145 WR DB 18 Grant Furrey Jr. 6-1 185 WR LB 20 Chris Catalano Jr. 5-10 175 WR LB 21 Dominic Navarro Jr. 5-8 160 RB DB 22 Harrison Craft Jr. 6-0 165 WR LB 23 Matthew Simon Jr. 5-10 145 WR DB 24 Landon Bautista Sr. 5-8 160 WR DB 25 Kennan Ali Jr. 4-10 85 WR DB 26 Kyle Peterson Jr. 6-1 175 WR DB 27 Gavin Davis-Smith Sr. 5-11 173 WR DB 28 Kaden Bennett Jr. 5-11 166 WR DB 29 Aidan Budge Sr. 5-9 150 WR DB 30 Ira Gulewich Sr. 5-11 197 LB

NO. NAME YR. HT. WT. OFF. DEF. 31 Dylan Richard Jr. 5-11 220 RB LB 32 Aravind Pandian Jr. 5-9 185 LB 33 Caleb Thaggard Jr. 5-9 185 LB 34 Elijah Swonger Sr. 5-11 190 RB LB 36 Victor Alonzo Sr. 6-0 180 LB 40 Deshawn Lynch Jr. 6-3 265 TE DL 42 Lucas Gorman Jr. 5-4 155 WR DB 43 Avinav Baral Jr. 5-6 140 WR DB 44 Alex Wong Jr. 6-0 192 TE LB 45 Kien Dinh Jr. 5-11 190 LB 50 Caleb Freeland Sr. 5-11 245 DL 51 Kaden Richardson Sr. 6-2 260 OL DL 52 Tyler Hardeman Sr. 6-2 260 OL DL 54 Logan Harrison Jr. 6-2 220 OL DL 55 Chandon Pierre Sr. 6-3 255 OL DL 56 Garrison Passmore Sr. 6-4 265 OL DL 57 Tyler Nycum Sr. 5-11 220 OL DL 58 Lucas Springer Jr. 5-9 220 OL DL 59 Tommy Nunez Sr. 6-0 265 OL DL 62 Colin Thomas Jr. 5-7 185 OL DL 63 Alec Scandura Jr. 5-11 175 OL DL 64 Jacob Day Sr. 5-11 220 OL DL 68 Oleg Korotchenko Jr. 5-10 190 OL DL 72 Zayd Merayyan Jr. 5-10 255 OL DL 73 Isaac Dugars Jr. 6-0 230 OL DL 74 Colby Christierson Jr. 5-11 240 OL DL 75 Joseph Wagner Sr. 6-3 260 OL DL 77 David Ruiz Sr. 6-2 280 OL DL 78 Enrique Carrillo Sr. 6-1 270 OL DL 79 Bud Bolton Jr. 6-2 265 OL DL

12 Friday Night Lights 2018 FOLSOM BULLDOGS OAK RIDGE TROJANS VISTA DEL LAGO EAGLES |

A PUBLICATION OF THE FOLSOM TELEGRAPH

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| FOLSOM BULLDOGS OAK RIDGE TROJANS VISTA DEL LAGO EAGLES Friday Night Lights 2018

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FOLSOM FRESHMAN FOLSOM VARSITY/JV FOOTBALL SCHEDULE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

FOLSOM HIGH

BULLDOGS

Aug. 17 Aug. 24 Aug. 31 Sept. 7 Sept. 14 Sept. 21 Sept. 28 Oct. 5 Oct. 12 Oct. 19 Oct. 26

De La Salle Jesuit Antelope Chaminade Oak Ridge (JV) Monterey Trail Rocklin Whitney Granite Bay Grant Del Oro

Away 7:30 p.m./JV 5 p.m.

Home 7 p.m./JV 4:45 p.m.

Home 7 p.m./JV 4:45 p.m.

Away 7 p.m.

Home 7 p.m./JV 4:45 p.m.

Away 5 p.m.

Away 7 p.m./JV 4:45 p.m.

Home 7 p.m./JV 4:45 p.m.

Home 7 p.m./JV 4:45 p.m.

Away 7 p.m./JV 4:45 p.m.

Away 7 p.m./JV 5:15 p.m.

Aug. 23 Aug. 30 Sept. 6 Sept. 13 Sept 20 Sept. 27 Oct. 4 Oct. 11 Oct. 18 Oct. 25

Jesuit Antelope Oakmont Oak Ridge Monterey Trail Rocklin Whitney Granite Bay Grant Del Oro

Home 5:30 p.m.

Home 5:30 p.m.

Away 5:30 p.m.

Home 5:30 p.m.

Away 5 p.m.

Away 5:30 p.m.

Home 5:30 p.m.

Home 5:30 p.m.

Away 5:30 p.m.

Away 5:30 p.m.

PHOTO BY BILL SULLIVAN

Chandon Pierre and Deshawn Lynch are new starters at defensive end and their play will be key if Folsom’s defense is to be as good as last year. got a new coaching staff this year. Del Oro will be improved. Oak Ridge always plays us tough. Granite Bay, Rocklin . . . there is no week in the SFL where you can afford to show up and play a bad game.”

The keys for success this season will be, first and foremost, staying healthy, which is always the case in high school football. If the Bulldogs can do that, things look promising for an outstanding season.

“I’m hoping we can play enough guys to stay healthy, as well as to get some other guys some experience,” Richardson said. “I feel we need to do a better job of not giving up the big play on defense. We played well against the run last year, but gave up some big plays over the top. Offensively, it always comes down to protecting the quarterback. We will be able to run the ball, but can we pass protect with three new starters? We’re going to find out right away because De La Salle always has a great defense.”

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A PUBLICATION OF THE FOLSOM TELEGRAPH

N

five new starters from last year’s group. The Bulldogs have four players returning to their same positions as a year ago; defensive tackle Tyler Hardeman, linebackers Elijah Swonger and Dylan Jorge, and safety Gavin Davis-Smith. Hardeman is coming off a great junior year, as he looks to have an even better senior season. At 6-2, 260 pounds, the defensive tackle is tough to block and creates havoc against both the run and the pass.

“Tyler is a hard guy to block because he’s got a low center of gravity,” Folsom coach Kris Richardson said. “He grew up as a linebacker, so he knows how to get to the ball. He’s a force because he knows how to set blocks and then get to the ball. I thought last year he was one of the best interior defensive linemen in the area, and I feel the same way this year.”

Swonger and Jorge are key pieces and top tacklers at linebacker. Davis-Smith is solid and steady at safety.

“Elijah and Dylan were two of our leading tacklers last season,” Richardson said. “They do a great job, and we’ve got some depth with Chris Catalano, Dylan Richard and Alex Wong. Gavin started last season as the fifth guy/next guy in, but by the end of the year he was playing a majority of the snaps. With his confidence, speed and strength, he made a huge improvement last season.”

Parker Clayton and CJ Hutton are returning starters at new positions. Clayton moves from linebacker to safety, while Hutton moves from safety to corner.

“Parker moving to safety isn’t that big of a difference from linebacker, and it’s really a luxury to be able to play him at safety,” Richardson said. “He’s replacing Tanner Ward, and we ask a lot of that position in that they hit like a linebacker and cover like a defensive back and Parker can do both.

“CJ can play any position in the backfield and really could play a nickel linebacker position too. As we were shuffling guys around creating spots for people, CJ attacked the cornerback position with enthusiasm. He’ll be fantastic at corner.”

The new starter in the secondary is Caleb Nelson. A leg injury last year limited his playing time, but now he’s healthy and confident. Richardson called him a rangy, long-armed cornerback.

Others who will see time in the secondary include Joe Ngata and Elijhah Badger, as well as Davion Blackwell.

The new starter at linebacker replacing Clayton is Noah Jenkins, who Richardson said could be the team’s most improved player from a year ago.

“Noah developed last year and about the middle of the season really started to play some good football,” Richardson said. “He’s improved a ton in the weight room, as well as with his knowledge of the game.”

Of Folsom’s five new starters on defense, three come on the defensive line. Deshawn Lynch (6-3, 265) starts at one defensive end spot, while Chandon Pierre (6-3, 255) will lineup opposite of Lynch. Sliding into the nose tackle position will be Caleb Freeland (5-11, 245), who saw a lot of playing time last year as a reserve. Other linemen in the mix include Joe Wagner, David Ruiz, Kaden Richardson and Dylan Richard.

“We’ve finally got some beef on the line this year,” Richardson said.

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916-693-5897 Tyler Hardeman is Folsom’s top returning defensive lineman and will be a force to be reckoned with in the interior line.

PHOTO BY BILL SULLIVAN

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| FOLSOM BULLDOGS OAK RIDGE TROJANS VISTA DEL LAGO EAGLES Friday Night Lights 2018

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VISTA DEL LAGO

EAGLES

Eagles hope to compete for league title

Grant Patterson returns for his second season as Vista’s quarterback.

PHOTO BY BILL SULLIVAN

BY MATT LONG

W

ith 28 players on their roster, Vista del Lago has the smallest football team in their program’s 11-year history.

This year more than any, the team will need to stay healthy and will need contributions from everyone to be successful. Though the roster is small, the Eagles have some talented returning players and the team hopes to compete for a Capital Athletic League championship.

The Eagles return players in key positions on offense, which has coach Mike Struebing excited. Quarterback Grant Patterson returns, as do top receivers from a year ago, Chad Wilson, Nate Hollingshaus and Mitchell Northcutt, along with a pair of returning linemen in center Collin Homer and tackle Josh Morris.

Defensively, the Eagles have even fewer returning players, but the one players who is back is leading tackler Garet Homer, who led the team with 107 total tackles. Homer returns at linebacker and will clearly be the leader of the defense. Wilson is another key returner in the secondary.

“With 28 guys, it’s going to take a collective effort; everyone moving in the same direction at the same time,” Vista coach Mike Struebing said. “We’re going to need some luck going our way too that the injury bug stays away.”

If losing 21 seniors off a team of 36 players last year doesn’t have the Eagles with their backs to the wall this season, realignment does. This season in the Capital Athletic League, gone are Casa Roble and Mira Loma, one team in Casa Roble which is recent history has been average, and the other which hadn’t one a league game in four seasons. Replacing them are three teams which not only have had good football teams in recent history, but all three won at least a piece of league championships a year ago. Del Campo finished 12-1 overall and were champions of the Capital Valley Conference; Capital Christian won the Golden Empire League and ended with a 7-4 record, while Sacramento High were cochamps of the Metro League and posted a 7-5 record a year ago.

You always want to play the best and be challenged and this league will certainly do that.”

18 Friday Night Lights 2018 FOLSOM BULLDOGS OAK RIDGE TROJANS VISTA DEL LAGO EAGLES |

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Chad Wilson will be a key player on both sides of the ball for the Eagles. Wilson will start at wide receiver and cornerback.

“I think it’s great for the league to add these teams,” Struebing said. “You always want to play the best and be challenged and this league will certainly do that. Sac High, Del Campo and Capital Christian are three good programs and will certainly test us. It will be an exciting league this year.”

The Eagles’ three home league games this season come against Del Campo, Christian Brothers and Capital Christian, so not only will the Eagles be challenged, but they will have tough tasks on their home field.

“If we can compete for a league title, I think that would be a pretty successful year,” Struebing said. “The league got a lot tougher, and we have to prove that we deserve to be in mix. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

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19

VISTA DEL LAGO

EAGLES

Returning starters to lead Vista’s offense PHOTO BY BILL SULLIVAN

Nate Hollingshaus, Mitchell Northcutt and Chad Wilson are three returning starters at receiver, and along with returning quarterback Grant Patterson, represent the strength of the Vista offense.

BY MATT LONG

Six returning starters on offense, including quarterback Grant Patterson, has Vista excited about the offense this season.

Patterson is a speedy senior quarterback who learned the ropes a season ago when he attempted all 303 passes the Eagles threw as a team. A starter from the first game, Patterson completed 59 percent of his passes for 22 touchdowns against eight interceptions. He learned a lot last season, and should be even more effective this year.

“Grant is head and shoulders above where I thought he’d be,” Vista coach Mike Struebing said. “He worked extremely hard and had a great offseason. He’s so much more comfortable this year. Last year, we pushed him to grow and we saw the growth we were looking for and we’re excited for him this season. He’s comfortable with all of our packages and what we want to do.

Because of that comfort, he’s picking things up quicker this season.”

Patterson should be more effective and efficient in running the offense, not just

because of his experience a year ago, but also because of the chemistry he’s built with his top-two receivers from a year ago: Chad Wilson and Nate Hollingshaus. The two combined for 97 catches and 13 touchdowns and look to put up bigger numbers this season.

“Chad has busted his butt and worked hard,” Struebing said. “He doesn’t say much, but he takes a lot of pride in doing things the right way and it shows in his play. Him and Grant together, they have a good partnership and got together regularly

20 Friday Night Lights 2018 FOLSOM BULLDOGS OAK RIDGE TROJANS VISTA DEL LAGO EAGLES |

to throw in the offseason.

“Nate is a perfectionist and wants to be perfect in everything. He’s our most technical guy and will run routes over and over again to get it perfect. I’m happy with his growth the last three years. It’s impressive the amount of work he’s put in.”

Mitch Northcutt caught 13 passes a year ago, but that number should be way higher this season.

“Mitch is as athletic as any guy on our roster,” Struebing said. “He’s extremely fast, and at 6-3 is very long. He moves well and

A PUBLICATION OF THE FOLSOM TELEGRAPH

will be a heck of a weapon.”

Perhaps the biggest loss to the offense was the graduation of leading rusher Dominick Norris, who gained 2,227 yards on 347 carries and scored 25 touchdowns. Slated to replace Norris is junior Jaxson Hansen.

“Jaxson is a big, strong, athletic kid, who didn’t see much action behind Dom last year,” Struebing said. “There’s something unique about the way he runs. I’m excited to watch him play.”

Another key loss is tackle Andrew Cokley, but the Eagles do return two starters in center Collin Homer (5-10, 190) and tackle Josh Morris (6-2, 215). Homer and Morris, both juniors, will lead the offensive line.

“Both Collin and Josh were sophomore starters last year, so it’s nice to have them back anchoring the offensive line,” Struebing said.

“We’re young, but we’re not necessarily inexperienced. We had a lot of sophomores up last year. Having Collin and Josh back up front will help us a ton, because they will give the new guys up front a good understanding of what’s going on.”

Struebing was reluctant to mention the other starters, as he said there are several players battling for positions. He is looking forward to watching the offense grow and play with the potential that it has.

“The keys to the offense this season will be balance,” Struebing said. “Everyone is going to have to contribute. It’s not going to be like last year when we handed the ball off to Dom and had him carry us.

It’s going to take everyone contributing for us to have success. That will make it more fun too, as everyone will be involved.”

PHOTO BY BILL SULLIVAN

Collin Homer and Josh Morris return as starters on the offensive line.

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| FOLSOM BULLDOGS OAK RIDGE TROJANS VISTA DEL LAGO EAGLES Friday Night Lights 2018

21

VISTA DEL LAGO

EAGLES As one of the few returning starters, Garet Homer will be the glue that holds the defense together.

Homer to lead Vista defense

W

ith the graduation of fellow linebackers Hunter Corbitt and Brendan Pugh, Vista senior Garet Homer is the unequivocal leader of the Eagles’ defense this season.

The 5-9, 170-pound senior led the team in tackles a year ago with 107, including a team-high 52 solo tackles. Homer, an inside linebacker, takes over the play-calling this season and Vista coach Mike Struebing is confident in his ability to lead the defense.

“Garet moves as well as anyone and has a nose for the football,” Struebing said. “He was our leading tackler a year ago in our new defensive scheme and did a wonderful job. He’s tough to block, and makes us go on defense.

“He will be managing our defense and directing guys this year. He’s a heck of an athlete. I don’t know where we’d be without him. I really don’t.”

Garet moves as well as anyone and has a nose for the football. He was our leading tackler a year ago in our new defensive scheme and did a wonderful job. He’s tough to block, and makes us go on defense. “

VISTA DEL LAGO VISTA DEL LAGO FRESHMAN VARSITY/JV FOOTBALL SCHEDULE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

BY MATT LONG

PHOTO BY BILL SULLIVAN

22 Friday Night Lights 2018 FOLSOM BULLDOGS OAK RIDGE TROJANS VISTA DEL LAGO EAGLES |

Aug. 17 Cordova Home 7 p.m./JV 5 p.m.

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Oct. 25 Christian Brothers Away 3:30 p.m. * Sept. 13 game at Pioneer High School

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Homer will also see time at running back on offense. Like many Eagles, Homer will have responsibilities on both sides of the ball. Chad Wilson, a starting receiver, will start at cornerback on defense. Fellow receiver Mitchell Northcutt will start at safety. The other starters in the secondary will be Nik Goodwin at safety and Erik Johnson at corner. Showing his versatility, Goodwin was Vista’s junior varsity quarterback a year ago.

Ryan Tung, who was in on 44 tackles a year ago, will play in nickel situations.

Playing alongside Homer at linebacker will be Ethan Menezes. That’s all the players Struebing wanted to mention at the time of the interview.

“We’re not even close to clear at this point of who is starting where,” Struebing said the first week of practice. “With only 28 guys, we’ve got guys playing everywhere; it’s like a hodge podge right now.”

Despite not having many starters returning on defense, Struebing is confident in the group.

“I like us on both sides of the ball,” Struebing said. “We’re thin, and we’ve got a lot of guys playing both ways. We changed defensive schemes last year, so this will be year two in this defense. We’ve made a ton of growth, and I’m excited to see us play. More so than in the past, we have the ability to be dynamic on defense, both because we’re athletic and because of our scheme. We can put stress on teams and attack them in different ways.”

EAGLES ROSTER

2018 varsity

VISTA DEL LAGO

NO. NAME 1 Erik Johnson 2 Jack Platt 3 Chad Wilson 4 Mitchell Northcutt 5 Nate Hollingshaus 6 Tim Bolyard 7 Kyler McMullen 8 Zach Corbitt 9 Ethan Menezes 10 Nik Goodwin 11 Jayden Dias 12 Nate Zan 13 Ryan Tung 14 Grant Patterson 20 Garet Homer 22 Justin Britz 25 Jack Tessler 27 Jaxson Hansen 50 Nate Erlich 51 Levi Burnett 52 Ricky Singh 53 Collin Homer 54 Omar Geiger 62 Josh Morris 64 Billy Martin 65 Nate Guess 66 Corey Thomas 67 Evan Depetrillo 80 Kam Kascht

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| FOLSOM BULLDOGS OAK RIDGE TROJANS VISTA DEL LAGO EAGLES Friday Night Lights 2018

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| FOLSOM BULLDOGS OAK RIDGE TROJANS VISTA DEL LAGO EAGLES Friday Night Lights 2018

25

OAK RIDGE

TROJANS

Trojans eager to see how they stack up

BY MATT LONG

O

ak Ridge features a 2018 roster with 17 seniors, 14 of which played football last year. That’s the smallest senior class that head coach Eric Cavaliere can remember at Oak Ridge.

With five starters on offense returning and only three on defense, a large majority of the team will be first-year varsity starters, making for a young and relatively inexperienced team to start the season.

It’s a far cry from last year’s veteran team that went 9-1 during the regular season and made it to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I semifinals

PHOTO BY BILL SULLIVAN

With the loss of many seniors, Oak Ridge will have several first-year starters. Some key underclassmen for the Trojans will be Connor Harlan, Evan Robinson and Justin Lamson. before losing to St. Mary’s for the second straight season.

That said, you can never count the Trojans out because they’ve got a phenomenal coaching staff that always gets the most out of their players. Also, taking the place of the graduated seniors are many starters off a junior varsity team that won eight games a year ago. Four sophomores who helped the freshman team go 10-0 last year are also on the varsity team this season, as the Trojans still have plenty of talent to fill the roster.

The team has two big advantages offensively heading into the season. Despite only having five returning seniors, one comes at the most crucial position of quarterback.

Marco Baldacchino started 11 games at quarterback a year ago, but Matt Jenner started the first two playoff games and replaced Baldacchino in the team’s final game and put up surprisingly outstanding numbers considering he didn’t play the position until the postseason. Jenner completed 60 percent of his passes and threw 14 touchdowns in three games against no interceptions.

Three other returning starters come on the offensive line. Guards Jesse Jimenez

Matt Jenner started two playoff games a year ago and will be the starting quarterback for the Trojans.

PHOTO BY BILL SULLIVAN

and Jacob Crannell return, as does tackle Zach Welch. As Cavaliere said, if you have pick a spot on your team to have returning, experienced players, there is no better place to have that than on the offensive line.

Defensively, only linebacker Sam Sanders returns from the front seven. Oak Ridge again lucks out in that the other two returning starters come at the ever-crucial cornerback position, where Sawyer Merrill and Avant Jacobs are back for another year. Their skill and experience will help take some pressure off the younger players around them.

If losing 13 senior starters from a year ago wasn’t a big enough hit, the competition also got a bit tougher in the Sierra Foothill League this season. The two teams that have routinely finished at the bottom of the standings the last four years, Nevada Union and Woodcreek, have been replaced by perennial power Grant and Whitney. The Pacers had their streak of 26 straight seasons in the playoffs broken a year ago, while the Wildcats have only had two losing seasons in their 12-year history and one of those was the first year of their program in 2006.

“Grant and Whitney are a great fit for the SFL,” Cavaliere said. “Whitney is another Rocklin-area team and the demographics of their program fit the SFL. Grant has great history and tradition and

26 Friday Night Lights 2018 FOLSOM BULLDOGS OAK RIDGE TROJANS VISTA DEL LAGO EAGLES |

brings that along with speed, athleticism, and toughness. We have a long history with Grant. It’s always a great game with them. Some of my best memories are games against Grant.”

So what’s in store for the Trojans in 2018? At this point, who knows? Cavaliere isn’t sure how things will turn out, but he likes his team.

“It will be interesting where we stack up,” Cavaliere said. “We could have a great team, but if all the other teams in the SFL have great teams, we could finish in the middle of the pack. We could have an average team, but if the other teams are average too, we could be near the top. You just never know.

It’s so early and nobody really knows to much about anybody.

“Folsom could have its best team ever.

It will be interesting to see how we match up with them. If you take them out of the equation, Granite Bay lost a ton of seniors.

Del Oro had a lot of young guys last year.

Rocklin returns a lot of players so they could have a good year. It’s unpredictable.

“We’re excited for the season. We’ve got some questions marks, but we’ve got players from successful JV and freshman teams stepping up to fill roles. Everything we’ve done so far has been in shirts and shorts with no pads. With football, you never know until you play a real game with pads.”

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| FOLSOM BULLDOGS OAK RIDGE TROJANS VISTA DEL LAGO EAGLES Friday Night Lights 2018

27

OAK RIDGE Sam Sanders is a returning starter at linebacker and is the heart and soul of the Trojans’ defense.

PHOTO BY BILL SULLIVAN

TROJANS

Trojans’ defense is young, but talented At right, from top, Sawyer Merrill and Avant Jacobs return as starting cornerbacks for the Trojans. Their strong play, experience and leadership will help the rest of the defense, as many are first-year starters. Nathan Addleman and Gage King are defensive ends for the Trojans who will anchor the line.

PHOTOS BY BILL SULLIVAN

BY MATT LONG

With only three starters returning on defense, clearly it’s a rebuilding year on that side of the ball for the Trojans.

Oak Ridge returns senior Sam Sanders at linebacker, who had a great year last year with 98 tackles (second on the team) four interceptions, and two fumble recoveries.

“Sam is really good at learning and studying and he plays the way he’s coached,” Oak Ridge coach Eric Cavaliere said. “Coach Darren Jonutz is a detail-oriented coach and Sam can implement his schemes. He’s got a knack for the ball. He has his hands on it a lot and that’s great news for us.”

Joining Sanders as returning starters from last year are cornerbacks Sawyer Merrill and Avant Jacobs, who represent the strength of the defense. The two combined to make four interceptions and defend 17 passes a year ago.

“There weren’t many better cornerbacks in the SFL than Avant and Sawyer last year,” Cavaliere said. “They really executed. They’re confident-inspiring and having two guys who can cover changes what you can do. There are plenty of ways to get them help, but it’s nice that we don’t have to.”

Everyone else in the lineup will be firstyear starters, but the Trojans feel they have

plenty of talented players. Lining up next to Sanders at inside linebacker will either be Evan Robinson or Connor Harlan. Robinson was the quarterback of the junior varsity team a year ago, and is playing linebacker for the first time this year. Backing up Sanders is Jake Dyer.

“Evan is big and strong and his best asset is his coachability,” Cavaliere said. “He’s smart and just absorbs things. Connor strengths are his instincts, speed and physicality.”

Outside linebackers include starters Nick Mountain and Justin Lamson. Fighting them for jobs are Hunter Nabers and James Lujan, respectively.

“Because of vacated positions, there is lots of competition all over the defense for positions,” Cavaliere said. “Nick is a physical player and almost a carbon copy of Ryan Brown, who played there last year. Justin is talented and athletic. He’s big, strong, physical, and intense. We’re excited to have him for the next three years.”

Joining Merrill and Jacobs in the secondary is their backup, Mujahid Samad, and starting free safety EJ Delwiche. Vinnie Mini is battling Delwiche for playing time.

“EJ has a good nose for the football, he’s physical, and does a great job at free safety,” Cavaliere said.

What Oak Ridge lacks in size up front, they make up with athleticism and numbers.

Several players are in the rotation behind starting ends Gage King and Nathan Addleman and tackles Jacob Crannell and Anthony Whiting. Zach Welch, Christian Ross, Mason Walsh, Daniel Kelly and Cole Hathaway should also see playing time.

“We have an active, athletic group up front,” Cavaliere said. “I don’t think we’re going to mow anyone over with our size, but I like how this group runs to the ball. Anytime you have athletes at these positions, it’s very exciting.”

Overall, it’s a young bunch on defense, but Cavaliere is excited to see how they play together.

“A critical component is our coaching staff with Darren Jonutz, Kevin Placek and Mark Rubalcaba,” Cavaliere said. “Mark has joined us from Whitney, and we’ve learned some things from him that will help us this year.

Darren does a great job of putting plans into place. We had a lot of question marks heading into last year, and our defense ended up playing really well. We have even more question marks coming into this season, but we already seem further along than I thought we’d be.

The kids have really stepped up, and our staff does a great job preparing them.”

28 Friday Night Lights 2018 FOLSOM BULLDOGS OAK RIDGE TROJANS VISTA DEL LAGO EAGLES |

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OAK RIDGE

TROJANS

BY MATT LONG

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Veteran line

to lead Trojan offense PHOTO BY BILL SULLIVAN

Jesse Jimenez, Zach Welch and Jacob Crannell are returning starters on the offensive line for the Trojans.

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ak Ridge returns five players who started at least one game on offense from a season ago. While that means there are six new starters, the starters they do return will have a significant impact.

Three of those starters are linemen, the starting point for any good offense. Tackle Zach Welch, all 6-5, 290 pounds of him, leads the offensive line. Welch has verbally committed to the University of Nevada Reno and should have a great senior year. The other two returning starters are guards Jacob Crannell (6-1, 255) and Jesse Jimenez (6-2, 290).

Not only will those three provide quarterback Matt Jenner protection, they also give head coach Eric Cavaliere a sense of peace knowing he’s got 34

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OAK RIDGE OAK RIDGE FRESHMAN VARSITY/JV FOOTBALL SCHEDULE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Aug. 17 Aug. 24 Aug. 31 Sept. 14 Sept. 21 Sept. 28 Oct. 5 Oct. 12 Oct. 19 Oct. 26

Lincoln Vacaville Reed Folsom Rocklin Grant Del Oro Whitney Granite Bay Elk Grove

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OAK RIDGE three veterans on the offensive line.

“Zach has done a lot of work; they don’t just hand out scholarships,” Cavaliere said. “We’re excited. He’s physical, strong, motivated and on top of all that he’s a great kid. Jesse and Jacob are butt kickers. When they go, we go. The offensive line is a great place to have experience. We’re excited about this group.”

Nick Scalise (6-6, 295) starts on the other side of Welch to give the Trojans two massive tackles. Matt Murphy (6-1, 240) starts at center. Others fighting for time on the line include Brandon Summers and Sean Gatson.

Jenner didn’t take a snap at quarterback until the first playoff game last year, but had immediate success filling in for the injured Marco Baldacchino. Jenner has great size (6-4, 210) and though a different type of quarterback than Baldacchino, should be a

30

TROJANS ROSTER

2018 varsity

OAK RIDGE

NO. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 27 28

NAME Avant Jacobs Bryce Law Matt Jenner EJ Delwiche Nathan Addleman Vinnie Mini Evan Robinson Mitch Anderson Justin Lamson Gage King Zach Crozier Mujahid Samad James Lujan Sawyer Merrill Carson Frost Tyler Jeppesen Nick Mountain Jake Dyer Justin Heckman Keaton McCoy Gui Lozada Nathan Anderson Alex Travis Alex Atkins

TROJANS

good one for the Trojans.

“Matt is very coachable, and is solid at running the offense,” Cavaliere said. “He executes the play, makes the correct reads, and throws to the right receiver. He’s patient and because he’s so big, he can step up in the pocket really well.

He has a strong arm, and he can attack the outside of the field down the field very well.”

Jenner’s backups are Evan Robinson and Justin Lamson, who quarterbacked the junior varsity and freshman teams, respectively, a year YR. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr. So. So. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. So. Jr. Sr. Sr.

HT. 5-9 6-1 6-4 6-2 6-0 6-1 6-1 5-8 6-2 6-4 5-7 5-10 6-1 6-0 6-0 6-4 6-1 5-10 5-9 6-0 5-10 5-10 5-10 5-10

WT. 170 160 210 165 196 175 205 165 185 236 160 160 175 160 165 215 185 170 175 165 170 180 165 155

OFF. WR WR/K QB/WR WR RB TE QB RB QB TE WR WR TE WR QB WR TE RB WR WR WR RB WR RB

DEF. DB DB DL DB LB DB DB DL DB DB LB DB DB DB LB LB DB DB DB LB DB DB

ago.

Like Jenner, running back Nathan Addleman came on in the postseason last year and played well. This year, the starting job is his.

“Pound for pound, Nathan is one of the strongest players on the team along with Avant Jacobs,” Cavaliere said. “He’s tough and physical, and he’s added a level of explosiveness to his game this year. Mitch Anderson and Connor Harlan Nathan Addleman will be Oak Ridge’s starting running back.

PHOTO BY BILL SULLIVAN

NO. 29 30 32 33 34 40 42 43 44 47 50 54 55 56 61 62 64 65 68 70 71 72 74 75 77

NAME RJ Ramirez Sam Sanders Tyler Rizzuto Ty Louie Connor Harlan Hunter Nabers Christian Ross Chris Rexroat Mason Walsh Daniel Kelly Logan Luddy Sean Gatson Matt Murphy Ben Dillon Anthony Whiting Ethan Criswell Ben Yoder Zach Welch Jason Pawlek Cole Hathaway Nick Scalise Jesse Jimenez Jacob Crannell Brandon Summers Davey Miller

34 Friday Night Lights 2018 FOLSOM BULLDOGS OAK RIDGE TROJANS VISTA DEL LAGO EAGLES |

YR. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. So. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Jr. Jr. Jr. Sr. Sr. Jr. Jr.

will back him up.”

Perhaps Oak Ridge’s biggest loss from a year ago comes at receiver. Justin Poerio and Austin Jarrard combined to catch 130 passes for 2,237 yards and 24 touchdowns.

The rest of the team made 66 catches for 791 yards and 9 touchdowns. Sawyer Merrill is the team’s top returning receiver (other than Jenner, who caught 18 passes) and he hauled in 11 passes (eight in the postseason) for 118 yards and 1 touchdown.

Jacobs will join him at receiver and a big year is expected from both of them. Numerous other receivers will join Merrill and Jacobs, including Robinson, Lamson, EJ Delwiche, Gage King and Tyler Jeppesen.

“Avant and Sawyer are both strong on the outside,” Cavaliere said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we spread the catches out more this year. We don’t have that one dominate player like last year, but we have several receivers who we feel can get the job done.”

HT. 5-11 6-1 5-9 6-1 6-0 5-11 6-3 5-9 6-3 6-1 5-8 6-2 6-1 6-5 5-10 5-11 6-1 6-5 6-0 6-1 6-6 6-2 6-1 6-3 5-9

WT. 145 210 215 170 200 180 215 225 220 220 183 260 240 220 205 225 230 290 265 190 295 290 255 240 232

OFF. WR RB RB WR RB TE TE RB TE TE RB OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL

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DEF. DB LB LB DB LB LB DL LB DL DL LB DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL

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