Bulldogs face unbeaten Fighting Irish at Kezar Stadium; Vista, Oak Ridge look to rebound from week 2 losses
Fresh off one of the most anticipated victories of its young season, Folsom High is taking its show on the road, where another unbeaten opponent awaits.
The Bulldogs carry a 2-0 record and plenty of momentum into San Francisco this week after knocking off Southern California powerhouse Mission Viejo 35-21. This time, the challenge comes from Sacred Heart Cathedral, a Fighting Irish team that is also 2-0 and has made an early statement of its own through the first two weeks of the season.
Folsom’s victory over Mission Viejo was particularly meaningful after the Diablos handed the Bulldogs their only loss of the 2025 season. Folsom looked considerably sharper than it did in its season-opening overtime win against Cardinal Newman, establishing itself early against Mission Viejo and never surrendering the lead.
Quarterback Brody Rudnicki was at the center of the performance, throwing for 244 yards and two touchdowns while adding 123 yards and three scores on the ground. Jaden Angel caught both touchdown passes, while running backs Bronson Bambino and Osias Bolton continued to give the Bulldogs additional options offensively.
Defensively, senior linebacker Nick Wegner recorded 14 tackles, while CJ Wallace came up with a key interception a week after his 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown helped ignite Folsom against Cardinal Newman. After being pushed into overtime in its opener, Folsom looked much more like the defending state champion against Mission Viejo. The next test is showing that same level of execution can travel.
Sacred Heart Cathedral has provided plenty of reason for Folsom not to overlook the assignment. The Fighting Irish opened their season with a 42-10 victory over Rancho Cotate and followed with a 28-7 win over Palma, outscoring their first two opponents by a combined 70-17.
The win over Palma was particularly noteworthy against a program with a long history of success in the Central Coast Section. Combined with the decisive season-opening victory over Rancho Cotate, it suggests the Fighting Irish may be a considerably different opponent than the one Folsom saw a year ago.
There is plenty of recent history between the programs. Folsom overwhelmed Sacred Heart Cathedral 49-7 last season, but this meeting shifts to San Francisco, where the Fighting Irish will have home-field advantage and a chance to measure their early improvement against one of Northern California’s top programs.
For Folsom, the road trip offers another test in a demanding non-league schedule intended to prepare the Bulldogs for Sierra Foothill League play. A win would move Folsom to 3-0 while extending a winning streak that reaches back into last season, but getting there will require the Bulldogs to avoid looking at what happened in last year’s matchup and instead deal with the team Sacred Heart Cathedral has become this fall.
Folsom and Sacred Heart Cathedral kick off at 7 p.m. Friday at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco.
Vista looks for first win against Reed
Vista del Lago showed last week that it can put points on the board. Now the Eagles will try to turn that offensive production into their first victory when Reed High School of Sparks, Nevada, comes to Folsom.
The Eagles enter the matchup 0-2 after falling 33-27 to Antelope last week, but the result represented a considerable improvement following their season-opening loss to Granite Bay. Quarterback Jacoby More led an explosive passing attack with 340 yards and three touchdowns, while Cael Rens finished with 106 receiving yards and two scores.
Vista’s ability to move the football through the air could become a major factor against Reed, but the Eagles will also be looking to clean up the mistakes that prevented them from completing the comeback against Antelope. More threw two interceptions in the loss, and finding more balance offensively could help Vista sustain drives while taking some pressure off its passing game.
Reed presents an interesting early-season opponent. The Raiders have routinely crossed the Nevada border to test themselves against Sacramento-area programs and have faced Oak Ridge, West Park, Franklin, Del Oro, Rocklin, Twelve Bridges and Granite Bay over the years, compiling a 6-8 record in those matchups. Friday will be the first meeting between Reed and Vista del Lago.
For Vista, it is an opportunity to show that last week’s offensive progress is a sign of where the Eagles are headed rather than simply a bright spot in a loss. Cutting down on turnovers, getting more production on the ground and finding enough stops defensively could put Vista in position to head into its upcoming bye with its first victory.
Vista del Lago and Reed kick off at 7 p.m. Friday at Vista del Lago High School in Folsom.
Oak Ridge heads south for another major test
Oak Ridge has hardly taken the easy route through the opening weeks of its season, and that won’t change Friday when the Trojans travel to Southern California to face Crean Lutheran.
The matchup gives Oak Ridge another formidable opponent after the Trojans opened the year with a dramatic 27-26 victory over Argyle in Texas and returned home to face Central East of Fresno. Oak Ridge fell 20-14 last week, but not before nearly completing a comeback after trailing 14-0 at halftime.
The Trojans ultimately came up short inside the Central East 10-yard line on their final possession, leaving Oak Ridge at 1-1 but with plenty to build upon heading into another difficult road assignment.
Oak Ridge’s defense has been a strength through the opening weeks, with linebackers Braydon Molloy, Dylan Esten, Ethan Quan and Justen Womack contributing alongside a defensive front that includes Nick Hunt, Blake Meggers, Roman McFarland and Bret Roberts.
That group will face another significant test against Crean Lutheran and quarterback Caden Jones. The Arizona commit gives Oak Ridge another opportunity to measure its defense against a high-level passer, continuing a non-league schedule that has repeatedly put the Trojans against quality competition.
Crean Lutheran enters Friday at 2-1 and will be looking for a rebound of its own after falling 37-29 to JSerra Catholic. The Saints lost only once all of last season, with that defeat coming in their final game, and once again have enough offensive weapons to challenge a good defense.
Jones threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns on 19-of-26 passing in the loss to JSerra, while Braylen Ross caught nine passes for 126 yards. Running back Caleb Bey added two rushing touchdowns, giving Oak Ridge several threats to account for rather than allowing the Trojans to concentrate solely on slowing the Saints’ passing game.
That sets up a matchup between two teams trying to respond after their first losses of the season. For Oak Ridge, the difficult early schedule also serves a larger purpose. Each test gives the Trojans another chance to sharpen themselves before Sierra Foothill League play, including the annual matchup against Folsom later in the season.
Oak Ridge and Crean Lutheran kick off at 7 p.m. Friday in Irvine.
Cordova takes unbeaten start into bye week
There won’t be a game for Cordova this Friday, but the Lancers have given themselves plenty to feel good about during their week away from competition.
Cordova heads into the bye at 2-0 after opening the season with consecutive convincing victories, defeating Sheldon 33-16 before following with a 35-16 win over Kennedy last week. Both victories came at home, where the Lancers have quickly established some early-season momentum under head coach JP Dolliver.
Cordova leaned on a powerful ground game against Sheldon, piling up 226 rushing yards, before showing more offensive versatility against Kennedy. Through two games, the Lancers have scored 68 points while allowing just 32 and have won both contests by at least 17 points.
The early success is an encouraging start for a Cordova team that will eventually turn its attention toward Metro League play. Before then, the bye gives the Lancers a chance to regroup, get healthy and prepare for the next part of their schedule without having to recover from an early-season loss.
It also comes before a new test. After opening with two games at home, Cordova will play on the road for the first time when it returns to action, giving the Lancers their next opportunity to show that their fast start can carry beyond their home field.
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