Folsom’s Browning is definitely in a league of his own
Three weeks ago Washington-bound Folsom quarterback Jake Browning broke the California record for career TD passes and had 158 coming into this week’s matchup with Sacramento Burbank.
After seven TD passes in a 61-13 victory in which he played in the second half for the first time in a 4-0 season, Browning and his 165 career TD passes now moves closer to the national record of 210 set by Marty Mauk of Kenton, Ohio, in 2011.
“Nobody looks like they have a chance in the Sac-Joaquin Section to beat Folsom,” said California Prep Sports Writers Association perennial award-winning rankings guru and Cal-Hi Sports Editor Mark Tennis. “And the way he’s going it looks like Browning will throw 100 touchdowns this season.”
Before the ultra-spread offenses like the one Folsom head coach and former Cal quarterback Troy Taylor have installed as the bread-and-butter of many top teams, 100 TD passes was a career mark that would have cracked the top 10 in the Cal-Hi Sports Record Book. Now the 100-TD mark for a career is becoming almost an afterthought.
The assault on all-time career and season TD passing record continues this week as Cal-Hi Sports No. 5 and Sacramento Bee top-ranked Folsom hosts a Granite Bay team that is coming off a 13-7 loss to a Vacaville team that has wins over El Dorado Hills Oak Ridge and NorCal Division II Bowl champion Redding Enterprise. Browning may have to play in the second half two weeks in a row if former D1 Bowl Game champion Granite Bay puts up a fight.
The Prep2Prep jinx is in
All three teams to be featured this week and two that the Prep2Prep Sac-Joaquin Section Round-Up covered live went down to defeat.
Friday night the site was Rancho Cotate in Rohnert Park where American Canyon (2-2) trailed 42-0 before falling 56-22 in a stunning defeat.
Over at Moraga on Friday night Napa had beaten two NCS Redwood Empire foes, Santa Rosa Montgomery and Casa Grande Petaluma, before falling 52-27 on the road to NCS Division III power Campolindo.
The Clayton Valley Charter team that is the Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area No. 6 ranked team and the top-ranked Division II team in Northern California visits Napa on Friday in a game in which the Indians will look to rebound in a big way against a very tough opponent.
On Saturday the action moved to San Francisco where host St. Ignatius more than held its own against a St. Mary’s of Stockton team that was coming off a hard-fought 18-13 win over defending CIF Division IV Bowl Game champion Central Catholic of Modesto.
An interception of St. Mary’s quarterback Noah Righetti on a tipped ball in the second overtime led to a St. Ignatius field goal and a 27-24 defeat for the deflated Rams. Righetti had the games two biggest offensive plays with touchdown runs of 57-and-31 yards.
St. Mary’s (2-1) will get a chance to redeem itself big time when it hosts a Bay Area No. 13 ranked Los Gatos team that is coming off a solid 35-14 win over San Benito.
Elk Grove 7, Yuba City 0
Further evidence of the opinion of Cal-Hi Sports’ Tennis is the fact the Sacramento Bee No. 2 and Cal-Hi Sports No. 19-ranked Thundering Herd stayed unbeaten at 3-0 but struggled against a team that has played some tough teams but is still now only 1-3.
Running back Spencer Sheff had more yards than last week but despite rushing for 178 yards he couldn’t find the end zone whereas last week he ran for two scores.
The hero this week was junior Aidan Martinez. The 6-foot-4 210-pound tight end only caught one pass from sophomore quarterback Tyler Vander Waal but he rumbled 48 yards for the game’s lone score.
Besides the QB/TE combination the Elk Grove defense came up big and only allowed six first downs and 132 yards of total offense.
Next up is a road trip to 1-2 Davis.
Rocklin 47, Sacramento 6
The Sacramento Bee No. 6-ranked Thunder passing game rained down on the Bee’s No. 8 Dragons in what many thought would be a closer game.
Prior to the season dark horse Rocklin (4-0) wasn’t mentioned in the same breath as potential bridesmaids to Folsom in the newly realigned and seemingly more powerful Sierra Foothill League.
Those spots seemed to be reserved for Loomis Del Oro, a team coming off an appearance in last year’s CIF Division I Bowl Game, but a 52-0 loser to visiting De La Salle this week, and a Granite Bay team welcoming back legendary head coach Ernie Cooper after a one-year hiatus. El Dorado Hills Oak Ridge also came over from the Delta River League and was a section finalist last season.
The bottom line is after four weeks Rocklin is one of three 4-0 teams along with Folsom and Woodcreek of Roseville.
Senior 6-2, 175-pound quarterback Max O’Rourke threw for 291 yards and five touchdowns, with three of the TD passes going to wide receiver Blake Laurin. He had 144 yards receiving.
Sacramento falls to 2-1 and will meet cross-town Kennedy in a Metropolitan League opener for both teams.
After a bye Rocklin opens league hosting a 3-1 Oak Ridge team that was No. 3 in the Sacramento Bee rankings but is coming off a 26-14 loss to Reed of Sparks, Nevada.
Woodcreek (Roseville) 28, Ponderosa (Shingle Springs) 14
Speaking of one of the 4-0 teams in the Sierra Foothill League, it was the Malcolm Thomas Jr. show once again that kept the Sacramento Bee No. 14-ranked Timberwolves record perfect after an exciting win over the Bee’s No. 20 ranked Bruins.
The 6-1, 185-pound wide receiver, defensive back and kick returner upped his combined touchdown total to 11 this season with two receiving TDs and a 65-yard kick-off return he took to the house that sealed the deal. Thomas Jr. also had an interception that led to a score.
Next up is a league opener on the road at Oak Ridge that will be Woodcreek’s biggest test so far this season.
Other games of interest this week
Franklin (Elk Grove) at Grant (Sacramento)
Manteca at Central Catholic (Modesto)
Del Oro (Loomis) at Nevada Union (Grass Valley)
Rio Linda at River Valley (Yuba City)
Jesuit (Carmichael) at Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove)
