Folsom’s Browning sets records while Jesuit’s Bisharat, Rio Linda’s Brown and Grants’ Collins, plus other running backs have big days rushing
We apologize early on in this week’s playoff round-up if the weekly CIF Sac-Joaquin Section missive appears to consistently be centered on Folsom and its record-setting quarterback Jake Browning.
The bottom line is a few CIF-SJS teams other than Folsom, Grant-Sacramento and Central Catholic-Modesto in particular, have good chances of advancing to a December 12 or 13 CIF NorCal Bowl Game, but the way things are looking, the Bulldogs look like the one sure thing as we enter week two of the eventual drive to Carson on December 19-20 for all the marbles.
Division I
This past week not only did CIF-SJS Division I top-seeded Folsom (11-0) dismantle Stagg-Stockton in a 70-14 victory, and register at least 70-points for the second straight week, Washington-bound Browning lit up the scoreboard with nine TD passes, including eight in the first half (both records).
The eight in a half ties Browning for the most nationally with Kaylor Sullivan of Fort Bragg who did it earlier this year in a win over Encina Prep-Sacramento. Two others from outside California have also equaled eight TDs in a half.
The nine TDs ties with three others for No. 2 on the Most Touchdown Passes (Game) list in the Cal-Hi Sports Record Book. Browning is also tied with David Koral (Pacific Palisades, 1999) for No. 1 with the 10 TDs he threw in the first game of his sophomore season in 2012. This season Browning now has 3,964 yards passing and 64 touchdowns.
On a national level, Browning has surpassed the magical 200-career TD mark with 202 and is now within legitimate striking distance of the record 219 career TDs set by Marty Mauk of Kenton, Ohio, in 2011. Should Folsom make it to Carson in Division I, he could play in five more games.
“Records are nice but it’s more of a team record for everyone that’s been a part of it over my entire career,” Browning told Prep2Prep via text.
The TD record is also secondary to Folsom and Browning proving they can win a state title even though the road this year won’t go through De La Salle since the two can’t possibly play under this year’s system.
“We feel like we have everything to prove and it starts with beating Franklin this week,” Browning continued. “As for not playing De La Salle I don’t have any regrets about it. It’s not my job to decide how that works. My job is to play whoever we get matched up against.”
On the other side of the bracket Jesuit-Sacramento (9-2) rebounded from the Grant loss and kept its end of our predicted ultimate title-game match-up with Folsom intact with a 27-0 whitewash of Gregori-Modesto.
Junior star running back Beau Bisharat had touchdown runs of 24, 83 and 80 yards and finished with a career-high 324 yards. He now has 1,674 yards and 23 TDs this season.
The Marauders now host a No. 7 seed Tracy team coming off a 21-19 win over the Turlock team whose victory two weeks ago qualified it for the D1 playoffs and knocked Grant down to Division II.
Third-seeded Granite Bay (8-3) put up its highest point total of the season in a 63-14 shellacking of Chavez-Stockton that was 56-0 at halftime before subs entered. Five different running backs combined for six TDs and the team rushed for 347 yards on 34 carries.
Granite Bay now meets No. 6 Napa. The Indians (9-2) were a 39-14 winner over Pitman-Turlock.
The only real upset in Division I was No. 12 seed Monterey Trail-Elk Grove (7-4) pulling out a 29-28 victory over cross-town No. 5 Cosumnes Oaks. Despite being from the same school district and only five miles apart as the crow flies, it was the first-ever meeting between the two schools – and it was a fight to the end.
Monterey Trail senior running back Trey Nahhas had 242 yards rushing on 35 carries with two TDs, but it was an interception by Jermaine Bell (his second of the game) as time expired that snuffed out a potential winning Cosumnes Oaks drive. Nahhas is now the CIF-SJS rushing leader with 2,136 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Monterey Trail now meets No. 4 seed Merced. The Bears (9-2) were a 66-27 winner over Tokay-Lodi behind the passing and running of quarterback Tyrone Williams.
Division II
Top-seeded Grant (11-0) got a little tussle for two-plus quarters from Patterson in an eventual 42-23 victory. After leading 14-7 early and then 21-7 at the half, Patterson closed to 21-14 before Grant took control down the stretch. Junior running back sensation DeShawn Collins rushed for 270 yards and three touchdowns, and the host Pacers had 11 sacks and three interceptions. David Moala and Jacquez Cheathum had 4 1/2 sacks each. Collins now has 2,030 yards and 26 TDs this season
Grant, in the CIF-SJS playoffs for a record 24th-consecutive season now meets Downey-Modesto. Eighth-seeded Downey (10-1) escaped with a 20-19 win over Antelope.
No. 2 Elk Grove 69, Vintage-Napa 7
The Thundering Herd got four TDs from Manny Scott-Anderson, two rushing and two on interception returns, in a rout of the visitors. Despite a running clock in the second half, Elk Grove (9-2) amassed 618 yards of offense.
Next up is No. 10 Wood-Vacaville, a 34-33 upset winner over host Burbank-Sacramento. After scoring late the visitors decided to go for a two-point conversion and quarterback Marcus Howard hit wide receiver Damon Gidron with a quick slant and the game-winning conversion gave Wood its first postseason victory since 1996.
No. 3 St. Mary-Stockton 55, River Valley-Yuba City 12
Host St. Mary’s (10-1) got three touchdowns passing and one rushing from quarterback Noah Righetti in a first half that saw the Rams go into the locker room at halftime with a 41-0 lead. Righetti finished with 340 yards passing and five TDs and the one score rushing.
The Rams now meet No. 6 seed Rocklin, a 35-7 winner over Del Campo-Fair Oaks. Rocklin (9-2) got busy in the second half after the game was tied 7-7 after two quarters.
No. 4 Del Oro-Loomis 14, Roseville 6
The Del Oro faithful can thank the Hurst brothers for getting the Golden Eagles to the second round. Logan Hurst scored on a 1-yard run after he and his brother Mason Hurst connected on a 57-yard pass play, and Dalton Gee had a 13-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run that sealed the deal as the Golden Eagles (6-5) defeated the Tigers in a clash of defenses.
Next up for the defending CIF NorCal Division II champions is a match-up with Vacaville. The Bulldogs (9-2) were a 42-7 winner over Yuba City.
Division III
No. 10 Rio Linda 62, No. 7 Placer 51
The biggest news out of the D3 playoffs was the performance of Rio Linda senior running back Marcel Brown, who coming into the season was regarded by many analysts as the top running back in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section. The 6-foot, 212-pound Brown, who already has over a dozen D1 offers including Pac-12 interest, rushed for 303 yards and five TDs (57, 27, 51, 26 and 64 yards) and returned a kickoff 99 yards for a sixth score.
Despite tweaking an ankle in the second quarter after he had already had the kickoff TD and the 57-yard scoring run, Brown refused to come out although a bit gimpy, and still was “impossible to stop in the second half” according to Sacramento Bee veteran prep writer Bill Patterson.
Rio Linda (9-2) now must travel to Sierra-Manteca. Second-seeded Sierra (10-1) rolled past Rosemont-Sacramento, 69-37 in a game that saw running back Marc Paule Jr rush for 220 yards and four touchdowns. Paule has 1,942 yards rushing this season and leads the CIFSJS with 39 touchdowns.
No. 1 Inderkum-Sacramento 60, Valley-Sacramento 8
The Cal-Hi Sports NorCal Division II No. 5 ranked Tigers still have NorCal D2 Bowl possibilities and they started the drive towards getting on the board by being one of several teams to register 60 points or better in the first round.
Previous Cal-Hi Sports NorCal Special Teams Player of the Week Larry Hardy scored two different ways on offense this week after the 6-foot-1, 185-pound slotback had TD runs of 65 and 60 yards (149 yards rushing) and also threw a halfback option pass for a score.
Inderkum (10-1) now hosts a No. 9 seed Benicia team that posted a 45-27 road win at El Dorado-Placerville.
Division IV
[boldCentral Catholic-Modesto 63, Natomas-Sacramento 10
The drive toward a three-peat as CIF Division IV Bowl Game champions began with a rout.
Top-seeded Central Catholic (8-3) got 255 yards rushing and three TDs from junior running back Justin Rice and fellow junior and quarterback Hunter Petlansky threw for two TDs and rushed for a third score.
The Raiders now meet No. 4 seed and 2010 D3 Bowl champion Escalon and its record-setting head coach Mark Loureiro. Coming into the game the CIFSJS all-time coaching win leader had 266 career victories.
For complete scores and brackets for CIFSJSA Divisions I through VI go to http://www.cifsjs.org/sports-playoffs/fall-sports/football/
