Riordan beats St. Ignatius to take home Gil Haskell Trophy, highlighting Top 10 NorCal game roundup (9/23/2023)

Crusaders take home the hardware for the first time since 2017 thanks largely to five short touchdown runs by Isi Tuugamusu

Hoping for its first winning season since 2015, the Riordan football team got off to a fantastic start in West Catholic Athletic League play on Saturday. 

The Crusaders, riding the coattails of freshman running back Isi Tuugamusa, defeated visiting St. Ignatius 41-34 in a wild back-and-forth game to take home the coveted Gil Haskell Trophy for the first time since 2017. 

Tuugamussu scored on four runs of 1 yard each and finished it off with a 4-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter to go up 34-27. After a fumble on the kickoff, sophomore quarterback Mike Mitchell fired a 23-yard touchdown pass to Tyrone Jackson to go up 41-27. 

But St. Ignatius (2-2), under first year head coach Lenny Vandermade, showed great grit and closed to 41-34 on a 38-yard pass from Brandon Mann to Quinn Folk with 2:53 left. Earlier the Wildcats had received three touchdowns from Jarious Hogan (two rushing, one receiving) and two feild goals from Odhran Kenny.

After Folks's touchdown, Riordan recovered the onside kick, got one first down and since the Wildcats were out of timeouts, the Crusaders ran out the clock. 

Haskell graduated from St. Ignatius and coached at both schools before an illustrious career coaching in the NFL, including stints with the Packers and Seahawks. A trophy in his name goes to the winner of the regular season game each year.

The WCAL opener lived up to the billing as No. 3 Northern California Game of the Week heading into week. 

NorCal Section scores: Central, Central Coast, North Coast, Sac-Joaquin, Northern, San Francisco, Oakland 

Here are the results from the rest of the best projected games from Sept. 21-23 from these Northern California sections: Central, Central Coast, North Coast, Oakland, San Francisco, Sac-Joaquin and Northern. 

10. El Cerrito 24, Vacaville 16

According to the San Jose Mercury News, Kamani Jackson hauled in touchdown passes of 60, 25 and 20 yards from Michael Van hook to improve to 5-0. Savion Bandy also had two key interceptions for the winners. Vacaville, which dropped its third straight game after two impressive wins, managed just 157 total yards including 57 on 20 carries on the ground (2.9 per carry). Cristian Diosdado and Jaden Beamon-Santos scored touchdowns for the Bulldogs.

PREGAME: Vacaville opened with two very impressive wins over Davis (43-0) and Sheldon-Sacramento (41-6), but has since lost by a combined score of 61-20 by Cardinal Newman-Santa Rosa and Granite Bay. El Cerrito has allowed three touchdowns all season while piling up 146 points.

9. Cardinal Newman 34, St. Mary’s-Berkeley 0

Zachary Homan rushed 23 times for 217 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the visiting Cardinals overmatched the resurgent Panthers, who had won 14 of 16 since six straight losing seasons. Junior quarterbacks Jayson Colter and Wyatt Knechtle combined to complete 11 of 14 for 101 yards, but it was Newman's ground game that piled up 279 yards on just 33 carries (8.5 average) thought proved decisive. That and a stellar defense. 

PREGAME: The host Panthers, under second-year coach John Trotman, continue to surge following six straight losing seasons. They went 11-1 last season and have outscored opponents 124-36 in 2023. But Newman is a big step up in competition. The Cardinals beat De Anza 59-7 last week utilizing a deep bench, stingy defense and 109 yards rushing and two touchdowns from Zachary Homan. 

8. Tulare Union 42, Kingsburg 12

Sophomore quarterback Jordan Crisp lived up to his namesake, completing 19 of 23 for 331 yards and two touchdowns in a lopsided home victory. The Tribe, who got five catches for 120 yards and a TD from Brayden Stevenson, hada. 35-6 lead at halftime and cruised from there against the previously unbeaten Vikings. Both teams are 4-1. 

PREGAME: Kingsburg, the 12th-ranked team in the Central Section, has won two thrillers, 20-15 over Sunnyside and 31-29 over Golden West, and blown out two other teams. Senior quarterback Max Warkentin has throw for 938 yards and 11 touchdowns, five to Wyatt Boyd, who has 25 catches dof 357 yards. Nobody else on the team has even 10 catches. Tulare Union averages 50 points per game thanks largely to sophomore QB Jordan Crisp, who has thrown for 1,360 yards and 14 touchdowns and spreads the ball around beautifully. His three leading receivers are freshman Demaje Riley (21 catches, 397 yards 5 TDs) and sophomores Brayden Stevenson (20, 288, 5) and Franklin Lockard (20, 212, 4). 

Kingsburg, in the green and gold show here last season vs. Central Valley Christian, will have a tough time slowing down Tulare Union. Photo: Richard Posada

7. Edison 21, Wilcox 7

In one of the more unusual matchups — played halfway between the two schools at Bakersfield College because of a late matchup — there was no scoring in the second half as Edison (2-3) won going away. Julius Gillick rushed 16 times for 106 yards and a touchdown and junior QB Save Niumata threw for 166 yards and two scores. Wilcox QB Tyson Bonilla threw for 100 yards and rushed for 106 and the team's only touchdown. According to the Bay Area New Group, the game started late because the Wilcox bus driver (the team bussed from Santa Clara Friday morning) got lost. 

PREGAME: Perhaps most intriguing part of the game is the matchup and venue itself. It's at  Bakersfield College. Unique matchup where both teams needed to make up a game and meet halfway to cut down on travel. Wilcox is coming off 28-12 win over Sacred Heart Cathedral as QB Tyson Bonilla rushed for 166 yards and two scores. Edison plays the top teams in Southern California and much better than record. 2-3 and 2-2...

Wilcox in the 2021 CIF State Division 2-AA championship game at Saddleback College. Photo: Todd Shurtleff

6. Central Catholic 49, Pleasant Valley 7

For the second straight week, Northern Section power Pleasant Valley (2-2) was defeated soundly on the road by a Sac-Joaquin Section standout. Third-year starting QB Tyler Wentworth completed just nine passes but for 231 yards and four touchdowns, two to Cal commit Brooklyn Cheek. Wentworth, Joey Alcutt (9 carries, 116 yards) and Wyatt Dragoo all rushed for TDs. Last week Pleasant Valley lost to Oak Ridge (31-7). 

PREGAME: Both teams are coming off disappointing losses, the host Raiders lost Sept. 8 to NorCal No. 1 Serra, 38-7, while Pleasant Valley, the top team in the Northern Section, lost last week at home to Sac-Joaquin Section power Oak Ridge, 31-7. Both teams have won multiple state titles at different divisions. Central Catholic is led by third-year starting QB Tyler Wentworth (522 yards passing, 236 rush, eight TDs) and junior running back Joey Alcutt (345 yards, four TDs). Pleasant Valley junior tailback Lucas Benson has rushed for five touchdowns. It's the first meeting between the storied programs.   

5. St. Mary's-Stockton 41, Bishop Amat 31 

After a disheartening loss at De La Salle, the Rams responded with a wire-to-wire road win in Southern California thanks to two rushing touchdowns each from Chris Maghoney and Asante Carter, who combined for 203 yards rushing. The game was tight throughout.

PREGAME: Another Northern California vs. Southern California matchup as the Rams travel to La Puente following a humbling 24-10 loss at De La Salle. The Rams hope to get on the winning track against a more than capable squad that has lost back-to-back games to state Top 25 teams, Santa Margarita (51-45) and Rancho Cucamonga (31-20). 4-1 1-4 

4. San Ramon Valley 66, Liberty-Brentwood 12

The host Wolves showed once more they are worthy of their new No. 25 state ranking, responding with a remarkable 42-point first quarter en route to the lopsided win. Senior quarterback Luke Baker (19 of 29, 364 yards, five touchdowns) continues to put up All-State numbers. Owen Scott (five catches, 100 yards) and Marco Jones (3, 94) each caught two touchdowns. The Wolves intercepted four passes, two by Dylan Deitsch and one each by Jack Horton and Kevin Spears. 

PREGAME: Liberty averages 46 points per game, but runs into a defense that has allowed just two touchdowns in two games. The Wolves are led defensively by linebackers Marco Jones (53 tackles) and Will Catterton (41). They’ll try to corral impressive Liberty sophomore RB Jaxon Bell (746 rushing yards, 12 TDs).

3. Riordan 41, St. Ignatius 34

See write-up at the top of the page. 

PREGAME: Will St. Ignatius’ superb defense, led by linebackers Suitulaga Gallegos-Hunkin (29 tackles) and safety Michael C. Ryan (25), be able to slow down the passing combination of sophomore Mike Mitchell (63 of 93, 903 yards, eight TDs) to Cynai Thomas (22 catches, 293 yards), a sophomore, and junior Chris Lawson (13, 131)? 

2. Rocklin 28, Tracy 21

In a battle of 4-0 teams, Rocklin (5-0) got two touchdown passes from sophomore quarterback Reeve Stone and TD runs by Derek Keeley and Rafi Merino to earned the tough road victory. The Rocklin defense, which had allowed just 37 points all season, gave up just 154 total yards, including 156 yards passing and a TD by Tracy's Aidan VanOs. 

PREGAME: This is matchup of SJS powers, No. 6 Rocklin at No. 9 Tracy. The visiting Thunder have allowed just 37 points all season, while Tracy is averaging 37 points per game thanks largely due to a rugged running attack that averages nearly 300 yards per game. Tracy's go-to man is senior quarterback Aidan VanOs (59 carries, 341 yards, nine TDs). He also throw for 336. Sophomore QB Reeve Slone has already thrown for nine touchdowns and the running tandem of juniors Derek Kelley (264 yards, five TDs) and Rafi Merino (239, 4) has been nearly unstoppable. 

1. De La Salle 14, Folsom 7

In a good old fashioned rock 'em, sock 'em, in-the-trenches battle, the visiting Spartans (3-2) got 100-yard rushing games from junior Derrick Blanche Jr. and Dominic Kelley and used a 31:52 to 16:08 edge in time of possessions to pull out the win between NorCal powers. 

• De La Salle 14, Folsom 7: Top takeaways
• De La Salle 14, Folsom 7: Game highlights
• De La Salle 14, Folsom 7: Game story 

PREGAME: In 2022, Folsom won at De La Salle 24-20 in the regular season (see video highlights/interviews at the top of the page), but the Spartans won the rematch on the road in the Northern California D1-AA playoffs, 17-14. The NorCal powers have split their last four games with the combined score: De La Salle 95, Folsom 76. Both teams feature speedy, athletic quarterbacks in De La Salle’s Toa Faavae, junior, and Folsom sophomore Ryder Lyons. Both teams have lost to Serra: De La Salle 28-0 and Folsom, 21-14.

De La Salle senior defensive lineman Chris Biller (51) gets a hold of Folsom standout sophomore quarterback Ryder Lyons. Photo: Dennis Lee