Folsom builds early 28-7 advantage, answers fourth-quarter challenge and moves to 2-0 with statement win; Vista del Lago and Oak Ridge endure tougher nights closer to home
Almost exactly one year after Mission Viejo handed Folsom one of its toughest lessons of the season, the Bulldogs finally got their opportunity to answer.
This time, they did.
Folsom turned a fast start, a relentless defensive effort and a timely fourth-quarter response into a 35-21 victory over Southern California powerhouse Mission Viejo Friday night, giving the defending state champions a measure of redemption against a program they had been waiting a year to see again.
The victory moved Folsom to 2-0 and dropped Mission Viejo to 2-1. More importantly, it gave the Bulldogs an early-season signature win against a Diablos team that arrived in Folsom after scoring 132 points across its first two games.
After needing overtime to escape Cardinal Newman 23-17 in their opener a week earlier, the Bulldogs looked like a different team from the opening possession Friday.
Folsom received the kickoff at its own 22 and immediately went to work. Brody Rudnicki connected with Jaden Angel for a big gain into Mission Viejo territory, and the pair finished the drive together when Rudnicki found Angel for a 20-yard touchdown. The extra point made it 7-0.
The defense immediately backed it up, forcing Mission Viejo to punt after the Diablos failed to move the chains.
Folsom then struck again. The Bulldogs drove deep into Mission Viejo territory and finished the possession with a 5-yard touchdown run, putting Folsom ahead 13-0 with more than five minutes still remaining in the opening quarter followed by the extra point bringing it to 14-0.
Mission Viejo’s offense continued to struggle against a Folsom defense that was getting pressure up front and refusing to give the Diablos room to establish a rhythm. A sack helped derail Mission Viejo’s next possession, forcing another punt, and Folsom carried its 14-0 advantage into the second quarter.
The Bulldogs had an opportunity to stretch the lead even further after reaching the Mission Viejo 6-yard line early in the second quarter, but a Folsom fumble gave the Diablos the ball back.
It didn’t matter for long.
Folsom’s defense forced another punt and the Bulldogs went right back down the field.with a 2-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to 21-0. For a Mission Viejo team accustomed to being the one overwhelming opponents, the first half had suddenly become an uphill fight.
The Diablos finally broke through late in the second quarter, driving to the Folsom 2 before scoring on a short touchdown run to cut the Bulldogs’ advantage to 21-7.
Folsom had an answer — and it came before halftime.
Starting from its own 23 with less than two minutes remaining, the Bulldogs moved quickly downfield. They crossed midfield, reached the Mission Viejo 29 and then drove inside the 10. Rudnicki finished the march with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Angel, their second scoring connection of the half.
Instead of allowing Mission Viejo to carry momentum into the locker room, Folsom restored its three-touchdown advantage and went to halftime leading 28-7.
Mission Viejo wasn’t finished. The Diablos opened the second half with one of their strongest drives of the night, moving from their own 20 all the way to the Folsom 5. But on a possession that could have immediately changed the complexion of the game, the Bulldogs’ defense came up with one of its biggest stands.
Mission Viejo was stopped on downs, giving Folsom possession at its own 1-yard line and preserving the 21-point advantage. The Diablos eventually found the end zone late in the third quarter on a 30-yard touchdown pass, cutting Folsom’s lead to 28-14 heading into the fourth.
Then things got interesting. Folsom turned the ball over on downs early in the fourth, giving Mission Viejo possession in Bulldogs territory. The Diablos took advantage, scoring and adding the extra point to suddenly make it 28-21.
A game Folsom had controlled from the opening minutes was now separated by one touchdown.
This time, the Bulldogs didn’t blink.
Starting at their own 22, Folsom put together perhaps its most important possession of the night. The Bulldogs steadily moved downfield, crossed midfield and reached the Mission Viejo 34. They continued to grind away, eventually working inside the 10.
With a little more than four minutes remaining a 6-yard touchdown run completed the drive and restored Folsom’s two-touchdown advantage at 35-21.
Mission Viejo’s hopes of another comeback didn’t last long.
On the ensuing possession, CJ Wallace IV intercepted a Diablos pass and returned possession to Folsom in Mission Viejo territory. The turnover allowed the Bulldogs to drain valuable time from the clock and left Mission Viejo with too much ground to make up.
Even after getting the ball back in the final minute, the Diablos couldn’t produce another score. EJ Coleman delivered a late sack, and moments later the clock expired on Folsom’s 35-21 victory.
For Folsom, the win was about more than improving to 2-0.
Mission Viejo had been a measuring-stick opponent after defeating the Bulldogs a year ago. Friday offered Folsom another opportunity against the Southern California power, and this time the Bulldogs didn’t simply hang around — they dictated much of the night.
“You have got to play to win. We didn’t play well enough to win last week. We were playing not to lose a little bit. I told the kids we were going to play to win,” said Bulldogs Head Coach Paul Doherty as the team celebrated what many called a redemption after last year’s defeat by the Diablos. “It was on everybody’s mind. We didn’t play our best football. They got one on us, they blew the doors off us.”
The offense produced five touchdowns despite playing without standout receiver Rob Larson, who remains sidelined by a hamstring injury. Angel stepped into a major role with two touchdown receptions from Rudnicki, while Abila found the end zone three times on the ground.
Perhaps even more significant was what happened defensively. Mission Viejo came into the night having scored 55 points in its opener and 77 in Week 1. Folsom held the Diablos scoreless in the opening quarter, kept them to seven points in the first half, produced a goal-line stand early in the third quarter and came up with Wallace’s interception when Mission Viejo was trying to make one final push.
A week ago, Folsom needed a blocked field goal and overtime to survive Cardinal Newman. Friday night was different.
The Bulldogs built a three-touchdown lead, watched a powerhouse opponent cut it to seven and then responded with a championship-caliber drive when the game demanded one.
Two games into the season, Folsom is unbeaten. And after waiting a year for another shot at Mission Viejo, the Bulldogs can finally put this one in the win column.
Folsom travels to San Francisco Friday, Sept. 11, to face Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory at Kezar Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Tougher night for Vista del Lago, Oak Ridge
While the Bulldogs celebrated on the blue turf, Friday night wasn’t nearly as kind to two other area programs playing their home openers.
Just up the road, Vista del Lago came much closer to securing its first victory of the season but couldn’t finish the comeback against Antelope, falling 33-27.
It was a much more competitive showing for the Eagles after a difficult opening night at Granite Bay, where Vista fell 47-16. That loss left the Eagles looking for a quick response as they returned to familiar surroundings for their first home game of the season.
They got one in terms of competitiveness, but not yet in the win column.
The six-point loss drops Vista to 0-2, but Friday’s result was a considerable step closer than the opener for a program that entered the season believing a more experienced roster could produce improvement.
Eight sophomores saw varsity action for Vista last season, giving the Eagles a group that entered 2026 with substantially more experience. Quarterback Jacoby More also came into the year healthy after battling injury last season, while Gavin Brainerd moved into the primary running back role and Cael Rens and Luke Roberts returned to the receiving corps.
Defensively, Vista entered the season expecting growth from a group that endured many of its growing pains a year ago. After allowing 47 points against Granite Bay, the Eagles held Antelope to 33 Friday, but the six-point difference left Vista still searching for its first win.
The Eagles will get another opportunity at home next Friday when Reed of Sparks, Nevada, visits Vista del Lago for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
Farther east in El Dorado Hills, Oak Ridge also returned home Friday carrying momentum from an impressive opening-night victory more than 1,500 miles away.
That momentum ran into Central East.
The visiting Bengals handed Oak Ridge a 20-14 loss in the Trojans’ home opener, dropping Oak Ridge to 1-1 after its dramatic 27-26 victory at Argyle, Texas, a week earlier.
Oak Ridge’s opening win had provided an early boost for a program coming off a 9-4 season and another trip to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship game. The Trojans had gone into Texas and escaped with a one-point victory against an Argyle program that reached the Texas state semifinals last season.
Friday’s home opener provided a different kind of early-season test.
Oak Ridge entered the year with considerable returning experience, led offensively by senior quarterback Nick Johnson. The Trojans also returned a strong receiving group, although they began the season without Isaac Pierce after he suffered a broken hand during the preseason.
Defensively, Oak Ridge brought back several experienced contributors from last year’s section finalist and entered the season expecting to once again contend in the Sierra Foothill League.
Central East, however, spoiled the home debut, holding the Trojans to 14 points and leaving Oak Ridge with its first loss of the young season.
The road doesn’t get much easier from here.
Oak Ridge heads south next Friday to face Crean Lutheran in Irvine at 7 p.m. The Trojans will then have a week off before beginning Sierra Foothill League play Sept. 25 at home against Del Oro.
Two weeks into the season, the early picture remains mixed across the region. Folsom has survived an overtime scare and now knocked off a Southern California powerhouse to reach 2-0. Oak Ridge owns an impressive interstate victory but now has a home loss to answer. Vista has yet to break into the win column, but Friday’s six-point battle with Antelope offered a much different result than its opening-night setback.
Cordova goes to 2-0 with win over Kennedy
Cordova continued its unbeaten start Friday night, taking care of Kennedy 35-16 at Cordova High School to move to 2-0 on the young season. The Lancers followed their opening-week victory with another strong offensive showing, putting 35 points on the board while holding Kennedy to 16 and giving Cordova consecutive wins to open the 2026 campaign. The 2-0 start gives the Lancers early momentum heading into a break in the schedule before they return to action Sept. 18 on the road against Rio Americano.
Friday’s Regional Sac-Joaquin Section High School Football Scores
Adventure Christian 35, Kairos Public 26
American Canyon 49, Sacramento 7
Antelope 33, Vista del Lago 27
Bear River 40, Orland 19
Big Valley Christian 68, San Juan 0
Buchanan 56, Manteca 34
Burton 20, Kimball 18
Calaveras 49, Balboa 8
Center 34, Rio Linda 8
Central Catholic 27, St. Mary’s 14
Central East 20, Oak Ridge 14
Central Valley 41, El Capitan 20
Chavez 27, Escalon 22
CIVICA NV 62, Elite 6
Colfax 46, Argonaut 14
Cordova 35, Kennedy 16
Del Campo 17, El Dorado 14
Del Oro 19, Saint Francis 17
Denair 37, Madera South 0
Destiny Christian Academy 49, Rodriguez 0
East Union 49, Modesto 0
Edison 26, Franklin 22
Folsom 35, Mission Viejo 21
Foresthill 32, Florin 8
Golden Sierra 47, Galt 7
Granite Bay 55, Cosumnes Oaks 21
Grant 21, Cathedral 7
Hilmar 45, Los Banos 21
Hughson 39, Atwater 7
Inderkum 35, Pleasant Valley 6
Jesuit 40, Rio Americano 7
Johansen 28, Buhach Colony 8
Johnson 28, El Camino 27
Laguna Creek 42, Lodi 23
Lathrop 33, Sierra 14
Le Grand 48, Weston Ranch 6
Liberty Ranch 44, Sheldon 14
Lincoln 27, Oakdale 21
Linden 20, Bear Creek 7
Lindhurst 28, Marysville 20
McClatchy 29, Highlands 26
McNair 62, Burbank 12
Merced 29, Gregori 7
Mesa Verde 32, Armijo 12
Monte Vista Christian 37, Modesto Christian 0
Monterey Trail 45, Downey 33
Orestimba 28, Grace Davis 12
Patterson 34, Rosemont 14
Pioneer 20, Napa 14
Pitman 35, Franklin 12
Placer 14, Ripon 7
Ponderosa 35, Pleasant Grove 0
Ripon Christian 20, Stagg 6
River City 65, Davis Sr. 0
River Islands 40, Delhi 10
River Valley 14, Woodland 12
Riverbank 7, Gustine 6
Rocklin 33, Bishop Manogue 0
Roseville 35, Oakmont 31
Sonora 49, Pacheco 8
Stone Ridge Christian 44, Yosemite 40
Sutter 26, Douglas 14
Tokay 49, Golden Valley 21
Tracy 21, Valley Christian 20
Twelve Bridges 21, Redwood 14
Vanden 31, Dublin 0
Waterford 54, Beyer 48
West 33, Mountain House 14
West Campus 27, Delta 24
West Park 28, Vacaville 14
Wheatland 40, Union Mine 33
Whitney 13, Lincoln 0
Winters 27, Dixon 7
Yuba City 55, Christian Brothers 28
Copyright © 2026, Folsom Times, a digital product of All Town Media LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Special thanks to Folsom Bulldog score reporter Chris Roat for his contribution to this article.
