By John Todd | Rio Linda Online
Sept. 26, 2026
DIXON — The Rio Linda Knights left points on the field Friday night. An interception ended one trip to the end zone, and Dixon stopped at least two other drives on downs.
The Rams still could not find a way to score.
Rio Linda’s defense delivered a shutout, piling up nine sacks and 12 tackles for loss in a 35–0 Golden Empire League victory. The Knights improved to 2–3.
Rio Linda led 7–0 after the first quarter. Early in the second, a Knights pass was intercepted in the end zone, but Dixon could not capitalize and went three-and-out. No. 6 Tyrone Cooper’s punt return gave Rio Linda another short-field opportunity, and the Knights went into halftime ahead 14–0.
Dixon opened the second half with its best stretch of offense, driving deep into Rio Linda territory before a penalty brought back their most substantial gain. The drive stalled, and the Rams punted. Rio Linda later turned the ball over on downs at the Dixon 20, but the Knights’ defense answered again. Dixon faced third-and-30 near the end of the quarter after Rio Linda stuffed a reverse play.
The Knights carried a 21–0 lead into the fourth and added two touchdowns to finish the shutout. No. 44 Ace Perez-Solorio intercepted a Dixon pass late in the game, and No. 3 Rayvon Green scored Rio Linda’s final touchdown.
No. 54 Jessie Miralrio led the pass rush with four sacks, while No. 99 Rico Zacarias added two. No. 9 Louis Means rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown, and No. 25 Zayden Anderson gained 89 yards and scored. Quarterback No. 8 Baltazar Tate passed for 109 yards and a touchdown as the Knights totaled 373 yards of offense.
Rio Linda returns home Friday, Oct. 2, for homecoming against Natomas. Junior varsity is scheduled for 5 p.m. and varsity for 7 p.m.
Box score
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Linda | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
| Dixon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rio Linda scoring: Rushing touchdowns by No. 3 Rayvon Green, No. 8 Baltazar Tate, No. 9 Louis Means and No. 25 Zayden Anderson; touchdown reception by No. 7 Caden Brown from Tate; five extra points by No. 27 Reymundo Castro.
Leading Knights statistics
| Category | Player | Game total |
|---|---|---|
| Rushing | No. 9 Louis Means | 15 carries, 101 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | No. 25 Zayden Anderson | 16 carries, 89 yards, 1 TD |
| Passing | No. 8 Baltazar Tate | 9 of 14, 109 yards, 1 TD, 1 interception |
| Receiving | No. 7 Caden Brown | 6 catches, 50 yards, 1 TD |
| Punt returns | No. 6 Tyrone Cooper | 5 returns, 71 yards |
| Tackles | No. 99 Rico Zacarias | 8 |
| Sacks | No. 54 Jessie Miralrio | 4 |
| Interception | No. 44 Ace Perez-Solorio | 1 |
Individual statistics for Dixon were unavailable. Rio Linda player names and numbers were checked against the varsity roster.
Around the Golden Empire League
Sept. 25 results
| Game | Result |
|---|---|
| Rio Linda at Dixon | Rio Linda 35, Dixon 0 |
| Sutter at Casa Roble | Sutter 42, Casa Roble 0 |
| El Camino at Woodland | Woodland 28, El Camino 24 |
Oct. 2 matchups
| Game | Site | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Natomas at Rio Linda | Rio Linda | League; Knights homecoming |
| Dixon at El Camino | El Camino | League |
| Woodland at Sutter | Sutter | League |
| Nevada Union at Casa Roble | Casa Roble | Nonleague |
Post Views: 18
