It’s no secret how to beat the Folsom Bulldogs. It’s hard to score when their potent offense is on the sidelines.
Monterey Trail High School had the blueprint to that theme in 2019, and the Mustangs are the last team to beat the Bulldogs in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs, that 12-point effort ranking as one of the great wins in the 21-year history of the Elk Grove Unified School District program.
The Mustangs will get another chance to upset Folsom after beating the Inderkum Tigers 45-3 on Friday night in a playoff opener in Elk Grove.
Top-seeded Folsom beat visiting Downey of Modesto in an opener, 62-34. Folsom hosts Monterey Trail on Nov. 21 in a semifinal.
The Mustangs (9-2) ran for 383 yards against the Tigers with freshman Nigel Flowers leading the way with 152 yards on just 10 carries, including a 23-yard scoring run. Odie Jefferson, Xander McKee, Terron Robinson, Villiami Kefu and Kaden Love had the other rushing scores to show the Mustangs balanced attack as Monterey Trail topped Inderkum for the second time this season, the first coming in a season opener in August.
Love took off on a quarterback keeper in the second quarter and scampered down the left sideline for a 42-yard touchdown. But as he entered the end zone, he was pulled down from behind and twisted his right leg. He limped off the field and did not return.
Love makes the Mustangs’ veer offense go with his legs and his arm. The signal caller makes snap decisions at the line. Monterey Trail can also throw the ball, but without Love, the Mustangs chances to extend drives and keep the Bulldogs offense off the field next week might have taken a severe hit.
“We’ll see how Kaden is over the next day or two,” Mustangs coach T.J. Ewing said. “We have a great trainer in Brandon Wall. He’ll take a look at him and see what we can do. But we’re OK either way.”
Kefu played the entire second half and capped a seven-minute drive in third quarter with a 5-yard keeper that put the Mustangs up 31-3. Kefu, a junior, looked poised under center in replacing his senior captain, and got the ball to the running backs on time.
“Kaden’s a great leader, our captain, so of course we’d like him back,” Ewing said. “Maybe we have to replace him. But the guy who replaced him tonight was really active. He’s been practicing, taking reps all year long, too. It’s hard to be behind somebody and try to get a chance. And once you get a chance, and you come through like that, it’s a big thing.”
Inderkum’s only loss this season coming into Friday was to Monterey Trail, a 27-22 defeat. Inderkum entered Friday with a nine-game winning streak The Tigers moved the ball through the air with some success in the rematch but stalled several times. Their lone score was a 21-yard field goal by Marco Gutierrez.
Onward to Folsom
But never mind those games. Savor Friday’s victory and hope for the best against a team that put up 62 points after trailing early on Friday.
“We respectfully, humbly, tell our guys that’s the effort it takes to be the great program,” Ewing said of the 2019 win. “Because, there’s always someone, some team, that takes you to another level. (Folsom) has always been that way for us over the years because they’re always one of the top teams in Northern California every year. We relish the opportunity to perform and get a chance to defeat them again.”
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