Who is more valuable: Grant's Shaq Thompson or Folsom's Dano Graves?

Three months, four days, 12 wins and 673 points later, Folsom (Calif.) High School football coach Kris Richardson will get his wish on Friday night at Sacramento State University – a rematch with Grant's nationally-ranked bulldozer for the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II title.

As a friend of any lottery winner always warns, "Be careful what you wish for." 

The Bulldogs (12-1) have done everything their coach has asked since an extremely humbling 49-14 opening-season loss to Grant-Sacramento (13-0) on a hot summer's evening before a national ESPN television audience.

They pretty much pretended the beat-down never happened, throttling 12 consecutive opponents by an average score of 56-12, including a pair of formidable Grant facsimiles in Pleasant Grove-Elk Grove (35-20) – a team playing for a Division I title – on Oct. 29 and last week, against a big, fast, physical team from Atwater, Buhach Colony (55-20) in the semifinals.



Now, they are hoping to turn around the Grant result as drastically as Friday's weather forecast – rain and temperatures dipping into the high 30s.

Chances of a score switch appeared damp when Folsom's star quarterback Dano Graves sustained a severe knee strain last week against Buhach. An MRI this week revealed no tears or breaks and doctors have cleared him – he'll play with a brace – but mobility is a huge part of the 5-foot-9, 185-pound senior's game.

"He looks fine and said he feels good," Richardson said Tuesday. "He'll be limited from a running aspect. But nothing is keeping him out of this game."

On the other side, Grant's do-everything junior running back, cornerback, returner and punter Shaq Thompson is less than 100 percent after severely spraining an ankle on the third play of last week's 20-7 semifinal win over St. Mary's-Stockton.

X-rays that night revealed no breaks or ligament damage and early this week he was still walking gingery. Thompson told Sacramento Bee reporter Joe Davidson: "I'll play in a wheelchair if I have to."

Almost ironic that the teams' absolute bright stars – two viable contenders for California Player of the Year – would be gimpy, even questionable, for the biggest game of the season.



The winner is all but assured a selection into a CIF State Bowl Game in two weeks.

With both injured the same week, it begs the question – which player is more valuable to their team: Graves or Thompson?

Tale of the Tape

Graves is having his second consecutive off-the-charts statistical season.

Running Folsom's no-huddle, spread attack to near perfection, the decisive and athletic senior has completed 202 of 295 passes (68 percent) for 3,199 yards, 55 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He's also rushed for 782 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Last year he was 246 of 327 (75 percent) for 3,882 yards and 52 touchdowns (eight interceptions) while rushing for 874 yards and 14 touchdowns.



"He's better than I thought," Grant coach Mike Alberghini said after the first meeting. "He's tough. I mean real tough. What a competitor. He took some real big shots, but kept getting up and making our guys miss."

Backing up Graves is Tanner Trosin, a junior who is no slouch himself. He showed that last week in relief of Graves, completing 5 of 7 for 135 yards and two touchdowns last week against Buhach Colony. At 6-1, he's three inches taller than Graves and also is very athletic shown both as a rusher (219 yards, three TDs) and a receiver (nine catches).

For the year he's completed 13 of 18 for 256 yards and two scores and two interceptions.

"He's going to throw for more than 3,000 yards next year and 40 touchdowns, you watch," Richardson said. "He's going to get a college scholarship. If Dano can't go, we won't hesitate or slow down with Tanner in there."

Alberghini isn't so sure.

"He looks like a good athlete also, but he's thrown what – 15 passes?" Alberghini said. "They're not going to just run the ball against us, so I think it's a tall order to have an inexperienced kid come in and try to pass all day against us."



Alberghini said Folsom not having Graves "would be like having a race car and pushing it around the track. That kid is one hell of a quarterback."

College ready

As good as Graves it at his position, Thompson is as an athlete for the Grant. The 6-1, 195-pounder might be the best all-around junior in the country.

"He's unbelievable," Richardson said. "He's so big and fast and has such great anticipation to the hole. He reads blocks, he blocks himself. I've coached against a lot of great backs over the years, but he's the best. He's college ready and he's only a junior."

He's rushed for 1,784 yards and 25 touchdowns (11.82 yards per carry) and caught 17 balls for 320 yards (18.8 average). Some think he might be even a better lock down cornerback, though he few statistics because few passes or runs go to his side. He has 47 tackles and one interception.

Alberghini assures Thompson will suit up and play, "but we're just not sure how much or where," he said. "We might just play him at receiver on offense to protect the ankle."



Compounding Grant's problems is another severe ankle problem to Thompson's clone, Ference Lang, who is nothing similar in stature (5-8, 150) but almost identical in numbers.

Lang has missed the better part of three games with his ankle sprain, yet rushed for 1,049 yards and 19 touchdowns. Teams have thrown away from Thompson, so Lang has taken advantage with seven interceptions.

Lang also will suit up Friday, but like Thompson, Alberghini will pick his spots to play him.

"We'll see how long both each will last," Alberghini said. "That's 3,000 yards of running we lose if they don't go."

That will put a large burden on Grant's defense, quarterback Terry Shine and third-string running back Kaiiron Richards, a 5-10, 175-pound senior who has been very good the last two weeks, rushing 35 times for 215 yards and seven touchdowns.

It helps to run behind Grant's large and talented offensive line.



"I think the loss of those two guys hurts them more on defense than offense," Richardson said. "Those are two lock down corners and we like to throw the ball. We'll need to take advantage of that."

Our pick

So who is more valuable to their team? Graves or Thompson? If we had to pick, for this one particular game, losing Thompson is a bigger blow.

As remarkable as Graves is, it does appear Trosin is a true playmaker, who can step in and run Folsom's spread seamlessly. He's no race car, but he can get the Bulldogs around the track.

Thompson contributes in so many ways for Grant, and with Lang already gimpy, his health appears more vital that that of Graves.

"I just hope everyone plays and plays the entire game," Richardson said. "We want both teams to be at their best. We just hope to play the best."