Rio Linda’s defense kept the game within reach early, but a blocked field goal and Placer’s relentless running attack changed the night in Auburn.
By John Todd | Rio Linda Online
AUBURN — For nearly two quarters Friday night, Rio Linda remained close enough to make undefeated Placer uncomfortable.
The Knights reached the doorstep of the end zone. Their defensive front repeatedly broke through Placer’s blocking. Junior quarterback Baltazar Tate completed passes, protected the football and put Rio Linda in position to cut into a seven-point deficit.
Then came a bad snap, a blocked field goal and a 74-yard touchdown run in the opposite direction.
A game that had been competitive suddenly tilted toward Placer, and the Hillmen never allowed it to tilt back. Placer defeated Rio Linda 42-0 at LeFebvre Stadium, scoring 28 unanswered points after halftime and piling up 395 rushing yards.
Placer improved to 4-0. The Knights fell to 1-3 after completing their nonleague schedule. (www.maxpreps.com)
Rio Linda received the opening kickoff and began at its own 31-yard line with Tate starting at quarterback in place of senior Brandon Motley.
A penalty pushed the Knights into a third-and-14, but Tate found sophomore receiver Kendrick McBride for a completion that nearly moved the chains. Placer stopped Rio Linda on fourth down and took over near its own 39.
The Hillmen struck first.
Junior running back Hudson Swain broke down the sideline and carried Placer to the Rio Linda 6. Senior Isaiah Caminiti finished the drive from there, scoring with 6:40 remaining in the first quarter. Diego Rossell converted the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
Rio Linda’s second possession stalled after the Knights were stopped short on third-and-2. Junior punter Antonio Villegas calmly handled a low snap and got the kick away, preventing a difficult situation from becoming worse.
Placer crossed midfield on its next possession, but Rio Linda’s defense began to make itself felt.
Senior Ronald Pruitt dropped quarterback Cole Atwood for a 3-yard loss. Ace Perez-Solorio helped disrupt the drive, and sophomore Raymond Scott broke up a deep pass on fourth down. The Knights took over at their own 42 late in the quarter with Placer still leading only 7-0.
That early resistance was not an illusion.
Rio Linda finished the game with seven tackles for loss and three sacks. Perez-Solorio led the Knights with 13 tackles, including a tackle for loss and a sack. Rayvon Green recorded nine tackles, while Pruitt and Jessie Miralrio each had two tackles for loss. Pruitt and Zayden Anderson also recorded sacks. (www.maxpreps.com)
The game turned during the second quarter.
Rio Linda drove inside the Placer 10 and earned first-and-goal, creating its best scoring opportunity of the night. A bad snap sent the Knights backward to approximately the 25 and forced them to settle for a field-goal attempt.
Placer’s Lewis Marquez broke through the protection, blocked the kick and recovered the ball.
Soon afterward, Caminiti took an end-around 74 yards for his second touchdown of the half. In a matter of moments, Rio Linda went from threatening to tie the game to trailing 14-0.
Placer nearly added another score before halftime. Caminiti made a contested 34-yard reception with eight seconds remaining, setting up a 46-yard field-goal attempt. Rossell’s kick fell short and left, allowing Rio Linda to reach the locker room within two touchdowns.
The Knights were still in the game. They would not remain there for long.
Placer’s running game took complete control after halftime.
Senior Bobby Gregg emerged as the Hillmen’s most punishing second-half weapon. He broke a 40-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter and continued gaining yardage even when Rio Linda reached him behind the line of scrimmage.
Gregg finished with 132 yards and two touchdowns on only 11 carries—an average of 12 yards per attempt. (www.maxpreps.com)
Swain added a 24-yard touchdown on a counter late in the third quarter, extending Placer’s lead to 28-0.
The ball carrier changed, but the result rarely did. Placer repeatedly attacked the edge behind an offensive line that opened running lanes for Caminiti, Swain and Gregg. The Hillmen attempted only 10 passes, completing four for 49 yards, because there was little reason to abandon a ground game producing nearly 400 yards.
Caminiti completed his three-touchdown night with a 10-yard sweep in the fourth quarter. Gregg later scored from the 6 with backup quarterback Sam Trickett directing the offense.
Rossell made five extra points, and another conversion after the final touchdown completed the 42-0 score.
Placer scored seven points in each of the first two quarters and 14 in each of the final two. (www.maxpreps.com)
Rio Linda finished with only 52 rushing yards on 22 attempts, a sharp departure from the physical ground game that carried the Knights during the first three weeks of the season.
Anderson led Rio Linda with 29 yards on 10 carries. Louis Means, who entered the night with 316 rushing yards through three games, was held to 18 yards on seven attempts.
Tate provided one of the more encouraging performances for the Knights. Starting on the road against an undefeated opponent, he completed 9 of 12 passes for 75 yards without an interception.
McBride caught four passes for a team-high 31 yards. Tyrone Cooper added three receptions for 21 yards, while Anderson caught a 13-yard pass out of the backfield. Caden Brown and freshman D.J. Juelch also recorded receptions. (www.maxpreps.com)
Rio Linda’s young skill players showed flashes, but those moments were separated by penalties, negative plays and possessions that ended before the offense could establish any rhythm.
The defense spent much of the second half on the field but continued competing. Rio Linda recorded 73 total tackles. Means made eight, Miralrio seven, and McBride and Pruitt finished with six apiece.
The Knights also recovered a fumble and held Placer quarterback Cole Atwood to 49 passing yards.
None of it was enough to overcome Placer’s rushing attack—or the opportunity Rio Linda lost near the goal line in the second quarter.
The Knights now turn toward Golden Empire League play. Rio Linda travels to Dixon at 7 p.m. Friday (to play on the worst field I’ve ever seen). The Rams are also 1-3 after losing 21-7 to Marysville.
Placer will travel to Manteca to face undefeated East Union in a rematch of last season’s playoff meeting.
For Rio Linda, the assignment is clear. The Knights must turn defensive penetration into completed stops, promising drives into points and scattered flashes of good football into four consistent quarters.
Friday night demonstrated how quickly a game can escape: one bad snap, one blocked kick and one long run—and suddenly, a seven-point contest was heading somewhere else.
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