Folsom Romps Into SJS DIV II Semis - Nor Cal Preps
Posted by Troy Carrington on Saturday, November 20, 2010
Top 10 showdown quickly turned into another Folsom blowout as it led 35-0 after the first quarter and 75-0 at halftime to beat Vacaville 75-6. Quarterback Dano Gravesthrew for five touchdowns and ran for three more scores in the first half to send the Bulldogs into the SJS Division I semi-finals against Buhach Colony.
Playing in a driving rain the entire night, the game was even early with Vacaville getting good pressure on defense, but it quickly swung toward Folsom. It got the ball on Vacaville's 24 yard line after a punt attempt was negated when the punter's knee hit the ground. Graves got Folsom on the board with a six yard run for a 7-0 lead with 7:42 left in the first quarter. Vacaville was forced to punt again and a low snap ended up in the end zone, where it was recovered by Curtis McMurtrey for a 14-0 lead.
"When your defense is playing like that and then you get the ball and score quickly, it puts a team on the ropes real fast," Folsom head coach Kris Richardson said.
Taking advantage of another short field on its next possession, Graves connected with Tyler Trosinon a 2nd and 16 play for a 32 yard touchdown to stretch the lead to 21-0. Graves' second rushing touchdown was set up moments later after Dan Curry and Jordan Richardsforced a Vacaville fumble. This gave Folsom a 28-0 lead with 3:25 left in the quarter. Burton DeKoningthen added a blocked punt and Richards took an option pitch five yards at the end of the first quarter to make it 35-0.
"Once they knew we were having problems getting the snaps and throwing, they just really loaded up," Vacaville head coach Mike Papadopoulos said. "We didn't expect to have the problems that we did." He also added once mistakes happened the momentum just took over.
The scoring didn't stop there as Richards caught a 43 yard touchdown pass to stretch the lead to 42-0. Vacaville then saw a bobbled snap, a problem throughout the night, recovered by Folsom's Ben Trujillo. On the very next play, Richards caught an 18 yard score and a failed extra point conversion left the score at 48-0.
After Graves added his third touchdown run to make it 55-0, Folsom forced another fumble to set up its ninth score of the half. The turnover stalled the only close threat Vacaville had to score in the first half.
Richards caught a 53 yard screen pass and Trosin finished it off with a four yard touchdown catch to make it 61-0 with 5:05 left in the half. He added a crafty 64 yard wide receiver sweep on the following drive.
To close out the half, Graves connected with Kori Babineauxon a beautiful pump and go route for a 54 yard touchdown and a 75-0 halftime lead.
"Regardless of conditions, they did a great job of what they were doing," Papadopoulos said. "Tough to match up when they have the athletes that they have. That's one of the best high school quarterbacks (Graves) to ever come out of the area."
The second half was played with a running clock and saw Quincy Forterun it in from two yards out, but a missed point after left the final tally at 75-6.
"In that first half, that was a dominating performance," Richardson said. "That was the best we've played."
Doug's Notes
How this game was won?: The reasons for a Folsom victory are numerous, but the two that stand out was the passing game and the run defense. Despite the weather, Folsom was able to get its patent passing game going through wide receivers screens and challenging down the field. On defense, it loaded the box and the linebacker group as a whole had a very strong game in play recognition.
Turning Point: After a low snap on a punt resulted in Folsom's second touchdown, the early signs were showing that this could become a blowout. You don't want to play catch-up against Folsom and being down 14-0 early really seemed to take away some of the energy from Vacaville early in the game.
Offensive Player of the Game: Graves was outstanding in just playing in the first half. He passed for 327 yards and five touchdowns and added three rushing scores in showing his full arsenal of skills. He was accurate throughout the night, especially on intermediate-to-deep throws. This was highlighted by his touchdown pass to Babineaux. As a runner, he chose lanes well and showed some speed to break containment.
Defensive Player of the Game: Marcus Hendricks played a very solid game at defensive end and contributed to a number of negative plays early. He did a good job of shedding blocks and using his athleticism to take away Vacaville's first option. The play of the linebackers, led by DeKoning, headlined the effort, but Hendricks just added to what has been a quality year. "We prepared and had a great game plan," Richardson said of his defense. "We packed the box and they struggled with the wet ball more than we did." He added the turnover difference was a big factor in this game.
Where we go from here?: Folsom is really peaking right now with great tempo on offense and a defense settling into its identity. The defense has a good number of athletes and like it did against Pleasant Grove, showed the toughness needed to contain a dominant running game. The Bulldogs will face another tough running test this week against Buhach Colony. "Absolutely," Papadopoulos said when asked if Folsom was the best team Vacaville has played this year. "They represent us well from Northern California. With certain levels now with everything going on, it is a shame these guys and Grant are in the same bracket because they would be great representatives (for state bowl game)."
For Vacaville, it is a disappointing end of the season and was outscored 123-13 in its two losses. On this night, ball handling and special teams' mistakes and little playmaking on defense doomed the Bulldogs' season.
Playing in a driving rain the entire night, the game was even early with Vacaville getting good pressure on defense, but it quickly swung toward Folsom. It got the ball on Vacaville's 24 yard line after a punt attempt was negated when the punter's knee hit the ground. Graves got Folsom on the board with a six yard run for a 7-0 lead with 7:42 left in the first quarter. Vacaville was forced to punt again and a low snap ended up in the end zone, where it was recovered by Curtis McMurtrey for a 14-0 lead.
"When your defense is playing like that and then you get the ball and score quickly, it puts a team on the ropes real fast," Folsom head coach Kris Richardson said.
Taking advantage of another short field on its next possession, Graves connected with Tyler Trosinon a 2nd and 16 play for a 32 yard touchdown to stretch the lead to 21-0. Graves' second rushing touchdown was set up moments later after Dan Curry and Jordan Richardsforced a Vacaville fumble. This gave Folsom a 28-0 lead with 3:25 left in the quarter. Burton DeKoningthen added a blocked punt and Richards took an option pitch five yards at the end of the first quarter to make it 35-0.
"Once they knew we were having problems getting the snaps and throwing, they just really loaded up," Vacaville head coach Mike Papadopoulos said. "We didn't expect to have the problems that we did." He also added once mistakes happened the momentum just took over.
The scoring didn't stop there as Richards caught a 43 yard touchdown pass to stretch the lead to 42-0. Vacaville then saw a bobbled snap, a problem throughout the night, recovered by Folsom's Ben Trujillo. On the very next play, Richards caught an 18 yard score and a failed extra point conversion left the score at 48-0.
After Graves added his third touchdown run to make it 55-0, Folsom forced another fumble to set up its ninth score of the half. The turnover stalled the only close threat Vacaville had to score in the first half.
Richards caught a 53 yard screen pass and Trosin finished it off with a four yard touchdown catch to make it 61-0 with 5:05 left in the half. He added a crafty 64 yard wide receiver sweep on the following drive.
To close out the half, Graves connected with Kori Babineauxon a beautiful pump and go route for a 54 yard touchdown and a 75-0 halftime lead.
"Regardless of conditions, they did a great job of what they were doing," Papadopoulos said. "Tough to match up when they have the athletes that they have. That's one of the best high school quarterbacks (Graves) to ever come out of the area."
The second half was played with a running clock and saw Quincy Forterun it in from two yards out, but a missed point after left the final tally at 75-6.
"In that first half, that was a dominating performance," Richardson said. "That was the best we've played."
Doug's Notes
How this game was won?: The reasons for a Folsom victory are numerous, but the two that stand out was the passing game and the run defense. Despite the weather, Folsom was able to get its patent passing game going through wide receivers screens and challenging down the field. On defense, it loaded the box and the linebacker group as a whole had a very strong game in play recognition.
Turning Point: After a low snap on a punt resulted in Folsom's second touchdown, the early signs were showing that this could become a blowout. You don't want to play catch-up against Folsom and being down 14-0 early really seemed to take away some of the energy from Vacaville early in the game.
Offensive Player of the Game: Graves was outstanding in just playing in the first half. He passed for 327 yards and five touchdowns and added three rushing scores in showing his full arsenal of skills. He was accurate throughout the night, especially on intermediate-to-deep throws. This was highlighted by his touchdown pass to Babineaux. As a runner, he chose lanes well and showed some speed to break containment.
Defensive Player of the Game: Marcus Hendricks played a very solid game at defensive end and contributed to a number of negative plays early. He did a good job of shedding blocks and using his athleticism to take away Vacaville's first option. The play of the linebackers, led by DeKoning, headlined the effort, but Hendricks just added to what has been a quality year. "We prepared and had a great game plan," Richardson said of his defense. "We packed the box and they struggled with the wet ball more than we did." He added the turnover difference was a big factor in this game.
Where we go from here?: Folsom is really peaking right now with great tempo on offense and a defense settling into its identity. The defense has a good number of athletes and like it did against Pleasant Grove, showed the toughness needed to contain a dominant running game. The Bulldogs will face another tough running test this week against Buhach Colony. "Absolutely," Papadopoulos said when asked if Folsom was the best team Vacaville has played this year. "They represent us well from Northern California. With certain levels now with everything going on, it is a shame these guys and Grant are in the same bracket because they would be great representatives (for state bowl game)."
For Vacaville, it is a disappointing end of the season and was outscored 123-13 in its two losses. On this night, ball handling and special teams' mistakes and little playmaking on defense doomed the Bulldogs' season.