photos by Charlie McDonald (charlie.mcdonald@surewestsports.com)
by Mike Finnerty (mike.finnerty@surewestsports.com)
Although it was a long shot, the hope for Folsom was to get back to a Division II State Bowl game, and at the very least to win back-to-back section championships.
The the Vacaville Bulldogs were a more than worthy opponent coming into the game ranked No. 7 in the Cal-Hi Sports rankings, just two spots back of No. 5 Folsom.
Last time these two teams met it was in last year's playoffs when Folsom unloaded on Vacaville for a 75-6 win in the driving rain, but this time the meeting of Bulldogs took place Saturday night on the campus of Sacramento State University with a Sac-Joaquion Section Division II section championship on the line, and this time there would be no driving rain storm.
A high scoring back and forth battle for three and half quarters came down to a late defensive stop. With Folsom quarterback Tanner Trosin driving his team to the Vacaville 35-yard line, the Vacaville defense stepped up big and stopped the potential game-winning drive at the 40 with 2:30 left. Vacaville ran out the clock and secured a 39-35 win. It was the first section championship for the Bulldogs of Vacaville since 2006, and their second overall in school history, both under head coach Mike Papadopoulos.
Overshadowed by the Vacaville victory was the historical night for Folsom quarterback Tanner Trosin who surpassed 5,000 passing yards for the season throwing for 5,185, which set a new State record. The record was set on a 99-yard touchdown pass from Trosin to Carson McMurtrey, a pass that hit McMurtrey in stride down the left sidelines that put Folsom on top at 14-7 in the second quarter.
After Folsom went up 7-0 in the first quarter, Vacaville and Folsom traded touchdowns in the second that turned out to be offensive explosion for a combined 41 points.
Trosin not only hit McMurtrey for the 99-yarder, but he also had second quarter touchdown passes to J'Juan Muldrow for 11 yards and 27 yards, that gave Folsom leads of 21-14 and 28-20 respectively.
With Folsom heading to the second half up 28-20, there was clear change in momentum in the third quarter that was led by Vacaville's defense and running game.
Vacaville received huge contributions on the ground sparked by Curtis Goins (132 yards, 2 TD's), Melvin Mason (111 yards), and Terrance Trueblood (100 yards).
Nic Ardave came on in relief of starting Vacaville quarterback Coleman Christensen who was injured in the third quarter and Ardave was flawless.
With Vacaville down 35-31, Ardave and the offense drove 98 yards before eventually finding pay dirt when Mason scored on a 2-yard touchdown run to take a lead for the first time in the game with 4:12 left to play, the defense did the rest.
Trosin finished the game with 407 yards passing, 101 rushing, to go with four touchdown passes, and one on the ground. Muldrow had 13 receptions for 177 yards and three downs, with McMurtrey catching the ball 12 times for 224 yards.
The hope for Vacaville now is to get a bid to one of the CIF State Bowl games taking place at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California in December 17.
State Bowl teams will be selected December 11.