By admin 
It wasn’t perfect, and it was hardly pretty, but in high school football, you celebrate victories over state-ranked programs.
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The Folsom Bulldogs are top-ranked by The Sacramento Bee and No. 1-ranked in Northern California, and they needed every bit of every ounce of effort to defeat a program steeped in decades of tradition.
On the strength of its special teams and with quarterback Brody Rudnicki doing “Brody Ball” things again when it counted, Folsom downed Cardinal Newman of Santa Rosa, 23-17, in overtime in a wild season opener on Friday night at Folsom’s Prairie City Stadium.
Rudnicki carried the ball five consecutive times off direct snaps in overtime to win it. The ball was placed initially at the 25-yard line, per California overtime rules, and the Bulldogs leaned on their stout line to do the heavy lifting.
The Cal-bound Rudnicki is used to this sort of thing, rallying his group late. He worked late-game magic to lead Folsom past San Francisco power Riordan in a CIF Northern California championship on Folsom’s blue turf, and then he guided the Bulldogs to the program’s sixth CIF State title since 2010 a week later in Orange County.
Folsom lived to see overtime on Friday in front of a full house because Oscar Gonzalez blocked a 37-yard field goal attempt by Cardinal Newman’s strong-legged kicker, Devon Taylor. Folsom blocked two kicks, and CJ Wallace gave Folsom its first lead with a sizzling 99-yard kickoff return to open the second half.
“We think we can be very, very good, but we’ve got some injuries, and we’re missing guys, but defense played lights out, special teams played lights out, and it was ugly, but we know we’ll get better,” Folsom coach Paul Doherty said.
The coach who has led Folsom to the last five CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championships, three NorCal and two state titles said he often dreads the actual games, never mind that his coaching staff and players live for it. Doherty prefers practice and weight training.
But he was jumping into the arms of other coaches when Rudnicki scored the winner, and he applauded his team afterward, reminding them that they have to be better, or they’ll get handled by good teams.
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The next team on the schedule rates as a great team. It’s state-ranked Mission Viejo of Orange County, the only team to bloody the Bulldogs in 2025. Mission Viejo rolled Folsom, 53-14, in Southern California early last season. Folsom hasn’t lost since, a 13-game winning streak that includes Friday’s spirited rally.
Rudnicki admitted that he was not sharp for much of the game, and he credited Cardinal Newman for a lot of that. The Cardinals are as good as advertised, massive in the trenches with two 400-pounders and players who are fast and skilled, including national recruit running back James Caruso. He rushed for 1,507 yards last season for Clovis High in Fresno before his transfer to the North Bay.
Rudnicki hit Travis Beatty for a 5-yard touchdown pass to pull Folsom to within 10-7 in the second quarter, and his fourth-quarter running brought to mind his 186 yards rushing and four scores in the state title game against Cathedral Catholic of San Diego in the dense fog.
“A lot of correctable things,” Rudnicki said of Folsom mistakes. “Shout out to the special teams. Two blocked kicks. They saved us tonight. I’ve got to get back to the drawing board. Super slow first half, and we’ll have to be ready for Mission Viejo.”
Cardinal Newman has guys, to be sure. So does Mission Viejo. Folsom has dudes, too, including their share of national recruits. One of them did not play, as UCLA-bound receiver Rob Larson was sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Wallace ties school record with 99-yarder
Wallace is officially a dude, too. He electrified with his 99-yard scoring return, which tied a school record with Rico Flores, set in 2022.
A 6-foot-4, 205-pound senior, Wallace has arrived, his coach said. He transferred from West Park in Roseville before his junior season.
“CJ Wallace is maybe the best player in the section,” Doherty said. “He is incredible since the moment he stepped on campus. Climbed out of an academic hole, climbed out of challenges. He’s the first one in, the last one out. He’s great in the weight room. He’s a leader. He was a game captain tonight. He’s earned that in spades. He is everything that Folsom football is about.”
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This story was originally published August 28, 2026 at 11:22 PM.