Despite new faces, Folsom promises same offensive fireworks Miller-Wing
Folsom High School coach Kris Richardson exudes an air of positivity when he speaks of the Bulldogs’ offense. That’s fitting since Folsom has earned the reputation as a breeding ground for high-caliber quarterbacks that send more objects into flight on Friday nights than Sacramento International Airport. Since Richardson took over the program as the varsity coach in 2005, Folsom has produced college quarterbacks — Cary Grossart (Northern Arizona), David Graves (Hawaii), Dano Graves (Air Force), and most recently Tanner Trosin (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) — that have incrementally raised the team’s profile and win totals nearly every year. “We have become known for our offense and have created a pretty serious quarterback legacy,” Richardson said. That legacy will now be passed on to senior Taylor Miller-Wing and sophomore Jake Browning. With just one scrimmage in the books and real game action yet to begin, both signal-callers will get a chance to fill the huge shoes of 2011 graduate Trosin (state- record 5,185 yards passing and 6,364 total yards of offense) and 2010 graduate Dano Graves (85 total TDs his senior season). Richardson said he may use both quarterbacks throughout the season, a tactic he has used previously when needed. But the biggest reason that Richardson and the Bulldogs believe their high-flying offense won’t skip a beat is depth at the receiver position. Senior Phillip Carter and juniors Troy Knox and Rodney Ellison each return after combining to catch 11 of Trosin’s 49 touchdown passes last year. “Last year was especially hard coming off of the state (Div. II Bowl) win because we had to prove we could win without all of the players we lost,” Carter said. “We had to prove ourselves then and we have to do it again this year.” The Bulldogs will also get a new, though slightly familiar, face on its sideline. Troy Taylor, head coach before joining Cal football’s broadcasting family, returns home to spend more time with his family and join the staff as a co-head coach. Taylor will be the primary offensive coordinator, allowing Richardson more time with the linemen. Also joining the staff is defensive coordinator Lou Baiz, who was recently assisting at Sacramento State. While Taylor’s offense will look a lot like the high-scoring unit from recent years, Baiz will bring in a new look to the defense. Linemen Quincy Capel and Zack Bodnar, and linebackers Chaz Arnold and Derek Stiles, all seniors, will provide experience and leadership for a unit that will look a lot different to opposing offenses. Regardless which side of the ball the 2012 Folsom Bulldogs are on, the players know that plenty of doubters will be watching and waiting for the inevitable drop-off. “We kind of just laugh at the talk about how we can’t meet the high expectations,” Knox said. “We can’t wait to show people that we are for real.” — J.M.
Browning 48
SportStars™
August 23, 2012
Upload photos and team stats! www.SportStarsOnline.com