FOLSOM, Calif. – For the past three seasons, the annual Central Catholic-Cardinal Newman game has been crucial in determining the NorCal Division I representative for the CIF bowl games.
That’s good news for Central Catholic, which broke open a close game with 26 second-half points en route to a 36-12 win over the Cardinals.
The victory was nearly the opposite of last year’s contest, when Central Catholic played well in the first half only to have Cardinal Newman storm to a big second half in a 38-20 victory. The game was the third of four contests played at Folsom High School as part of the Battle at the Capital showcase.
Cardinal Newman represented the North in the Division III bowl game each of the seasons it defeated the Raiders. Central Catholic and Cardinal Newman tied in 2007, and the Raiders went on to play St. Bonaventure in the state final.
Of course, the Raiders still need to play a rugged schedule that includes Hilmar, a team that defeated Central Catholic in the section finals last year, and St. Mary’s, the defending Sac-Joaquin Section Division I champ that now qualifies for the Division III state bowl game.
The beginning of the end for Cardinal Newman came early in the third period after a bad snap on a punt attempt gave Central Catholic possession at the Cardinal 12. Although the Cardinals stuffed the Raiders at the 2, Central Catholic’s Billy Flamion intercepted quarterback Jack James at the 24. Three plays later, Dylan Swartz threw eight yards to C.J. Carson for the touchdown.
The Raiders were in the end zone two plays after the kickoff when Jack Killian picked off a James pass at the 42 and returned it down the sideline for a touchdown and a 23-6 lead.
A fumble recovery by Flamion on the first play after the kickoff set up another Raider score, with Swartz finding Killian for a 28-yard scoring pass.
The Cardinals finally righted the ship a bit with a 74-yard drive culminating in a 5-yard pass from James to Evan Merrit, but the damage had been done. The Raiders drove the length of the field to burn the final four minutes, scoring with 49 seconds left on a 2-yard run by Craig Jones.
Swartz completed 10 of 18 passes for 170 yards and three touchdowns. James finished 19-of-35 for 168 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
Derek McIntyre, Franklin
Photo by Anthony Brunsman
Franklin 28, Sacred Heart Cathedral 10
The big-play ability of Franklin, specifically receiver Devid Des Jarlais, translated to a 28-10 victory over Sacred Heart Cathedral in the opening game of the Battle at the Capital.
Des Jarlais, a senior, caught five passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns of 58 and 72 yards for the Wildcats, who were playing their season opener. Franklin had 480 yards of offense, including that of Derek McIntyre, who was 7-of-20 for 203 yards and the two scores.
The score might have been more lopsided, but Franklin fumbled one possession into the end zone in the first quarter for a touchback and missed on a short field-goal attempt in the second quarter, leaving it with a 7-3 halftime lead.
However, on its third play of the second half, Franklin took a 14-3 lead on McIntyre’s 58-yard toss over the middle to Des Jerlais, who shook off a defender and raced across the field for the score.
The duo hooked up on Franklin’s next possession, with McIntyre looping the ball out of the defender’s reach and into the hands of Des Jarlais along the sideline for a 72-yard score.
McIntyre added the final touchdown with a 17-yard run at the end of the third quarter. McIntyre also scored the first touchdown of the game on a 1-yard run with 10:01 left in the first quarter.
Sacred Heart Cathedral (1-1), the defending Central Coast Section Division III champions, finally got on track in the fourth quarter and scored on a 2-yard run by Joshua Tupper.
Granite Bay 30, Pittsburg 20
So much for a rebuilding year.
With nearly every starter gone from a senior-dominated team that went 9-2 last year and lost to Grant in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II playoffs, Granite Bay figured to be in a rebuilding mode this year with a group of newcomers that included a sophomore starter at quarterback.
But the Grizzlies used a grind-it-out offense and an opportunistic defense to defeat an athletic Pittsburg squad 30-20 in the second game of the Battle at the Capital.
Brendan Keeney, a 6-foot-2 sophomore, got off to a rough start, completing just four of his first 14 passes with two interceptions. However, he got better as the game progressed, and no throw was better than his last one of the game – a 25-yard toss over two Pittsburg defenders into the hands of Ian Rhodes, who tip-toed along the sidelines to make the catch.
The throw set up Granite Bay’s final touchdown, a 2-yard run by Cory Brehm with 5:06 left in the fourth quarter that gave the Grizzlies a 30-12 lead. Keeney finished the game with 10 completions in 21 attempts for 168 yards.
The game was far from over, however, as the speedy Pirates went 65 yards in eight plays with Jermaine Sims going up over the top of a defender to grab a 35-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Julius Mozee.
The Pirates quickly forced a punt but Adam Angulo intercepted a Mozee pass in the waning seconds to secure the win.
Granite Bay dominated play in the first quarter, holding the ball for all but four plays of the first 12 minutes. However, all the Grizzlies had to show for the edge in time of possession was a 21-yard field goal by Angulo.
The Grizzlies’ inability to score presented the opportunity for the Pirates to take the lead in the second quarter. Pirate All-American candidate Erick Dargan obliged by racing 19 yards for the score. He then intercepted a pass moments later to put the Pirates in business again at the Granite Bay 38.
Dargan finished with 111 yards on 15 carries, but the Pirates were unable to take advantage of his lone interception of the day. Instead, Angulo picked off Mozee and returned it 30 yards to set up Granite Bay’s first touchdown of the game. Keeney completed two straight 19-yard passes with Rhodes catching the touchdown with 58 seconds left in the first half.
The Grizzlies added another touchdown on a 15-yard run by Brehm in the third quarter, but Pittsburg countered with a 10-yard Mozee touchdown pass to Tracy Clark. The low pass appeared to skip off the turf and into Clark’s hands at the goal line, but the officials immediately signaled touchdown, much to the consternation of Grizzly fans.
Granite Bay answered with two straight touchdowns, including a 1-yard run by Keeney and Brehm’s 2-yard run.
Del Oro 28, California 21
California staked a 10-0 lead in the first half of the final game of the Battle at the Capital, but the Grizzlies were unable to hold down Del Oro, which received 257 yards rushing on 44 carries from Bryce Pratt.
Pratt finished with two touchdowns, including the game-winner in the final three minutes. Del Oro overcame the halftime deficit with three straight touchdowns to start the second half.
