Crosstown rivals will meet for the fourth straight year after semifinal wins in Folsom and El Dorado Hills.
Friday night delivered another defining moment for high school football in the Folsom and El Dorado Hills communities, as both local powerhouses earned their way back to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship game. The Bulldogs and Trojans, long-standing rivals separated by just a few miles, each secured semifinal victories that now set up a fourth consecutive championship meeting between the programs. For players, coaches, and fans on both sides of the corridor, it has become one of the region’s most anticipated annual showdowns—one built on pride, consistency, and the rising expectations that come with sustained success.
Both teams arrived at this point through very different semifinal scripts. Folsom executed a high-powered, multi-phase performance at Prairie City Stadium, while Oak Ridge battled through a defensive struggle at home in El Dorado Hills. Yet the result was the same: two familiar contenders standing at the top of the bracket once again, ready to face off for the title.
As the playoffs narrow to their final stage, the championship will once again run through two schools that have shaped much of the region’s recent postseason history. For the fourth straight year, Folsom and Oak Ridge will play for the Section crown.
Folsom stomps Monterey Trail 54–14
The Bulldogs scored early, continued to capitalize on turnovers, and delivered touchdowns on offense, defense, and special teams to control the matchup from start to finish at Prairie City Stadium. Folsom opened the night by capitalizing on an early turnover. After the Mustangs fumbled deep in their own territory, EJ Coleman recovered the ball at the 5-yard line. One play later, Ryder Lyons rushed in for a touchdown less than a minute into regulation.
Monterey Trail answered with a long drive capped by a 3-yard touchdown run from Nigel Flowers, tying the game 7–7. On the ensuing kickoff, Jason Hill Jr. returned the ball 90 yards for a touchdown to restore the Bulldogs’ lead. Folsom’s defense continued to force key stops, including a turnover on downs late in the first quarter.
Early in the second quarter, Lyons added a 14-yard rushing touchdown. Minutes later, Coleman returned a Monterey Trail fumble 60 yards for a defensive touchdown. Lyons added a 3-yard touchdown before halftime, sending Folsom into the break ahead 33–7.
Two minutes into the third quarter, Lyons added another short rushing touchdown. He later connected with Rob Larson on a 32-yard touchdown pass. Quarterback Brody Rudnicki entered late in the third and delivered a 61-yard touchdown pass to Jaden Angel. Monterey Trail added a rushing touchdown early in the fourth quarter, but Folsom controlled the remainder of the game.
Oak Ridge edges Grant 9–7 in defensive thriller
In a playoff game defined by defensive stops, field position battles, and long stretches without scoring, the Oak Ridge Trojans found just enough in the final minute to defeat Grant 9–7 and return to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship game. A 30-yard field goal by Kyle Boeker in the closing seconds sealed the win in a game that looked to be going the other way.
The two teams traded punts and defensive stands throughout a scoreless first half. Grant opened the game from its own 20-yard line, but each drive stalled as Oak Ridge matched the Pacers’ physicality. The Trojans forced multiple punts and overcame an interception late in the second quarter when Malichi Harris picked off an Oak Ridge pass at the Grant 20-yard line. Still, neither team managed to break through before halftime, sending both sides into the locker room tied 0–0.
The defensive struggle continued deep into the third quarter. After another series of punts, Oak Ridge finally shifted momentum with a long run by quarterback Jasen Womack that pushed the Trojans deep into Grant territory. Starting from the Pacers’ 8-yard line, Tyler Andujar capped the drive with an 8-yard rushing touchdown—the first points of the game—with 3 minutes left in the third. The extra point was missed, leaving Oak Ridge ahead 6–0.
Grant answered quickly in the fourth quarter, moving the ball to the Oak Ridge 6-yard line before Afulu Siona powered in for a touchdown. The successful PAT gave Grant a 7–6 lead with 10 minutes remaining, setting up a tense final stretch.
Oak Ridge’s offense, quiet for much of the night, responded with its most important drive of the season. The Trojans steadily advanced the ball from their own 20 to the Grant 14-yard line with just over a minute to play. After reaching the 13 on third down, Oak Ridge called on Boeker, who delivered the biggest kick of his career—a 30-yard field goal that put the Trojans ahead 9–7 with seconds remaining.
The kick held as the game-winner, sending Oak Ridge back to the championship stage for the fourth straight year.
Folsom and Oak Ridge will meet for the Section Division I title next Friday, Nov. 28, at 7:30 p.m. at Hughes Stadium on the campus of Sacramento State.
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