De La Salle stopped just short by Folsom

There was no hesitation. No discussion. Even with only one timeout left and one minute, 44 seconds remaining, De La SalleConcord football coach Justin Alumbaugh was going for the lead and the win.

That is De La Salle’s way. But Zeke Berry, who just scored on a 42-yard touchdown pass from Luke Dermon, was stopped inches short on a twopoint conversion, Folsom recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock on a 28-27 Northern California Division 1-AA Bowl Championship victory and De La Salle’s challenging 2021 season.

Folsom quarterback Tyler Tremain accounted for 310 yards and all four touchdowns and the Spartans (10-3) couldn’t overcome four first-half turnovers and will now watch the state title games from home for the first time.

De La Salle reached the state finals all 14 previous seasons they’ve been offered since 2006. But like the two-point conversion, the Spartans fell just short.

“I love this kid and group,” Alumbaugh said. “They’re good kids and never give up. But we just didn’t quite have it. Give Folsom all the credit. Like St. Francis, they played their tails off and derived to win.”

St. Francis ended De La Salle’s 318-game unbeaten streak against Northern California opponents with a 31-28 win in early September.

On the two-point conversion call — All-East Bay Athletic League kicker Jordan Kennedy had missed just two PATs all year — Alumbaugh said: “No question at all. We had the momentum. We got the ball to our best player and they stopped him.”

Folsom (11-3), which next plays Cathedral Catholic-San Diego, a 71-62 winner over Orange Lutheran in the Southern California final, was calling it the biggest win in Sac-Joaquin Section history.

The Bulldogs had lost five previous meetings to the Spartans by an average score of 36-14, including a 31-10 contest at Folsom on Oct. 8. In that game, Tremain, a 5-10, 170pounder, was knocked out of the game on a big hit from Berry and missed the next two games. Games which Folsom lost.

When the Bulldogs fell behind 14-0 quickly in this one, on a 55-yard halfback option pass from Berry to Malik Viewins and a 14-yard TD run by Charles Greer, it appeared it would be another blowout. But Tremain and a stellar defense wouldn’t allow it.

Tremain fired a 12-yard TD pass to Austin McMillan late in the first quarter, then scored on runs of 9 and 15 yards to put his team up 21-14 early in the third, the Bulldogs’ first-ever lead over De La Salle. A 63-yard scoop and score by Ronald Pierce tied the score at 21-21 with 8:45 left, but Tremain led his team on a 12-play, 80-yard drive capped with his third TD run, a 3-yarder, giving the Bulldogs a 28-21 lead with 2:12 left.

De La Salle, held scoreless on seven consecutive possessions, zipped right down field with Berry beating two defenders on the TD catch. On the ensuing jet sweep to the right, he cut it back up early and was met by Hunter Masterson and Ryan Sisson.

Earlier in the week Folsom coach Paul Doherty, a San Francisco native, said he was a longtime De La Salle fan, calling the program “the greatest sports thing going in the United States — any sport, any level, anywhere.”

He didn’t back down on that during a jubilant celebration: “That’s the standard right there. It takes a village (to beat them). It takes everybody. All the coaches, all the parents. It’s pretty awesome stuff.”

3-AA: Vanden-Fairfield 56, Windsor 28 — Tre Dimes threw for 250 yards and five touchdowns as the visiting Vikings (12-2) breezed to the wire-to-wire victory. Dimes surpassed the 3,000-yard plateau and his team will face Newport Harbor-Newport Beach in the state finals. Damian Escarcega rushed for 109 yards and two TDs for Windsor (11-2).

4-AA: Marin Catholic-Kentfield 21, Escalon 14 — At San Rafael, sophomore Charles Williams rushed for 58 yards and three touchdowns as the Wildcats (13-1) advanced to the state title at home against Central Valley Christian-Visalia, a 21-9 winner over Serrano-Phelan. Marin Catholic quarterback Michael Ingrassia accounted for 248 yards. Will Clemens had 12 tackles and Charlie Allen, JR Bosch and Charlie Knapp all added interceptions for the Wildcats.

5-AA: San Marin-Novato 35, Sutter 7 — Andrew Abell caught two touchdown passes from Joey Cook and added two interceptions as the visiting Mustangs (13-1) advanced to their first state title game. They’ ll host Independence Bakersfield, a 19-14 winner over Venice-Los Angeles, next weekend. Justin Guin scored three touchdowns, two rushing and another on a pick-six.

6-AA: Argonaut-Jackson 42, St. Vincent-Petaluma 12 — Host Argonaut (11-3) scored 21 unanswered points in the second half to win going away against St. Vincent (11-2), which got touchdowns from Jack Davis and Dante Antonini.

Saturday

5-A: Sacred Heart Prep-Atherton 20, University PrepRedding 0 — Andrew Latu scored two touchdowns and Anthony Noto added a 9-yard rushing touchdown midway through the fourth as the host Gators (7-7) rolled over the Panthers (13-1), one of four of the 56 playoff teams that entered unbeaten. Latu scored on a 3-yard run in the first quarter and caught an 80-yard TD from Jack Herrell early in the second. SHP will face Righetti-Santa Maria or Northwood-Irvine for the state title.

6A: Salesian-Richmond 36, Aragon-San Mateo 28 — Nick Fontanilla accounted for four touchdowns as the host Pride (10-2) moved into next weekend’s title game against El Camino Real-Woodland Hills or Arlington-Riverside. After sophomore Ivan Nisa scored on an 11-yard run to give Aragon a 7-0 lead, Fontanilla threw two touchdown passes to Andre Prince, one to Milo Jenkins and ran for a TD. Dylan Daniel completed a 60-yard TD strike to Alan Tanielu for Aragon (9-5).