5 takeaways from Folsom's high school football victory over Long Beach Poly

Ryder Lyons worth any price of admission, but there was so much more to enjoy — and remember four day's later — from the Bulldogs' lopsided victory

Mitch Stephens | Aug 28, 2024

Folsom's Jameson Powell had five catches for 55 yards and a touchdown in his team's 63-20 win over Long Beach Poly Aug. 23 2024. Powell is a four-star junior receiver with 16 college offers. / Photo: Todd Shurtleff

FOLSOM, CALIFORNIA — It’s easy to jump on the superstar bandwagon. At every level of sport, even high school.

We went to Folsom High School for a Week 0 showdown between the state’s fourth-ranked team, the Bulldogs of Folsom, against the storied program at Long Beach Poly, ranked No. 18 in the state.

Any high school opener is filled with anticipation, fun, renewal. This was my 41st season covering high school football professionally. The first game I covered was in 1984 for the Contra Times and was memorable for many reasons, as was Friday’s game.

Connecting with Patrick Doherty, the father of head coach Paul, was a true treat. Between his duties as field manager — no stone goes unturned without him knowing about it — Patrick shared fond memories of raising three sons in San Francisco and reading religiously the works of Merv Harris, the legendary scribe for my old employer at the San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner.

Patrick has the drive and clarity of a man 30 years younger and the charm of a Hollywood actor. In fact, he reminded me of Golden Globe winner Martin Sheen during his presidential days of the West Wing.

It all shed a window into the vivacious personalities and lives of sons Kevin, Philippe and Paul, all who have devoted their lives to young, aspiring athletes.All three are equally impassioned and successful, leading new generations in the healthiest of endeavors, through fitness, weight lifting, coaching, and general leadership.

I was able to connect with Cal-Hi Sports editor Mark Tennis, who was opening his 47th season, four former MaxPreps colleagues and life-long friends and of course my partner in journalism, SBLive director of photography Todd Shurtleff.

Much of this showdown was to catch and cover — an impossible chore — the game’s primetime player Ryder Lyons, Folsom’s five-star junior quarterback, who was the first on the field, showing no kinda cool or “look at me,” but rather a youthful exuberance I described as a “kid in a candy store.”

I ended up featuring the lad, his remarkable Game 1 performance, and his coaches and teammates gushed all about him, though I was warned beforehand by none other than Martin Sheen lookalike himself, Patrick Doherty, who pulled me aside, unprovoked and said: “The kid is unpretentious, all he cares about is winning and the team, and is better off the field than on,” which seemed shocking after watching him on perhaps the best 16-yard touchdown run I’ve ever witnessed in 40 previous seasons.

With all that said, there was much more to the Bulldogs and the game than just Ryder Lyons. Here are five more takeaways from Folsom’s rather shocking 63-20 victory.

No reason to panic on LB Poly. …. Really!

A 43-point defeat by any glance is lopsided, but honest, a young Long Beach Poly team did not look bad, diminished or rattled. Simply Folsom is a juggernaut. Replacing Poly's dynamic 4-star quarterback Darius Currie was what most Poly fans were anxious to see and although coach Stephen Barbee indicated that he might play three QBs including transfers Legend Galeai (Mater Dei) and Colin Creason (Los Alamitos), it was Deuce Jefferson who accounted for all three touchdowns on two passes to junior Kamarie Smith and another determined 17-yard run. Jefferson looked good on the run and in the pocket. Poised. Strong. Fast. Didn’t see an ounce of quit in the Jackrabbits, who were largely in the right spots throughout, but simply outmanned in many cases by Lyons, who is much stronger than his 6-3, 215-pound frame indicates. Barbee wanted to test his young team in the preseason — Friday the Jackrabbits host San Diego Section’s best Lincoln — and they were tested to the max.

Long Beach Poly quarterback Deuce Jefferson accounted for all three Jackrabbit touchdowns in Friday's 63-20 defeat at Folsom / Photo: Ralph Thompson

Kamarie Smith is for real

Though not physically imposing at 5-9, 170 pounds, Smith is tough to tackle as the Bulldogs found out on touchdowns of 60 and 49 yards. Each time he took short passes and broke free of a couple of tacklers. Ranked the No. 35 junior in the state by 247Sports, Smith has nine offers, including Oregon, Nebraska, Oregon State, Arizona and Washington. Folsom is an excellent tackling team, so think that speaks more to Smith’s ability, athleticism and determination.

Daymion Rivera does not go down easily. … or at all

Got a correspondence two weeks ago from a Folsom fan, alerting me that transfer Carter Jackson wasn’t going to be the featured back most anticipated. The Nevada-bound Jackson, ranked the state’s No. 4 senior running back, had come over from Granite Bay where he tore through defenses for nearly 3,100 yards and 43 touchdowns over two seasons. The reader wasn’t knocking Jackson, but saying Rivera, all 5-9, 175 pounds of him, was still Folsom’s starter. The reader wasn’t only right, but Rivera rushed for Folsom’s first two touchdowns and was just as effective and allusive as he was an All-League junior. Super shifty, Rivera finished with 12 carries and 95 yards.

Great 1-2 Folsom punch

Perhaps more impressive, Rivera celebrated all of Jackson’s success, which was plenty. A more powerful back, the 5-10, 190-pound Jackson had 14 carries for 122 yards and two more scores. He’s super explosive, running with high knees, fast and load to bring down.

“It’s a great one-two punch,” Lyons said. “They’re very good, very talented. They push each other which is good. They’re very competitive. That’s what we need. They’re making each other better. It’s a great dynamic. Carter Jackson and Daymion Rivera. They played their butts off not only in carrying the ball but protection wise. They were amazing.”

Nevada bound Carter Jackson rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns in his Folsom debut, a 63-20 winner over Long Beach Poly. / Photo: Ralph Thompson

Quarterback’s delight

As good as Lyons, the rushing tandem and defense was on Friday, it’s obvious that Folsom’s pass-catching contingent is stout.

Tight end Taniela Tupou (6-5, 240), a Utah commit, opened the scoring with a 21-yard touchdown catch to go along with some strong defense. Sophomores Isaiah Williams (6-1, 190) and Rob Larson (6-3, 190) are big rangy receivers who look and play far beyond their years. Larson had the catch of the game on a 50-yard drop-in-the-bucket, Willie Mays-type grab in the third-quarter setting up a 25-yard TD to the team’s most lethal receiving weapon, Jameson Powell.

Utah bound Taniela Tupou had two big catches, including a 21-yard touchdown catch in Friday's 63-20 win over Long Beach Poly. / Photo: Ralph Thompson

Powell had 86 catches for 1,231 yards and 14 touchdowns as a junior. “Best receiver in the country,” Lyons said, interrupting a one-on-one interview to get the point across. He was contained in the state-title game (three catches for 30 yards), but he hauled in the game-winning touchdown on a 2-yard catch with 20 seconds to play.

The 5-10, 170-pounder is as dynamic off the field as he is on it, enthusiastically building up his team and quarterback, reciprocating Lyons’ sentiments by calling him the “best quarterback in the country.” With 16 college offers, including Oregon, Ole Miss, Washington, Arkansas and Arizona. “I’m just a team player and I don’t think much about the recruiting part at this point,” he said. “I just do my best on the field so I can put it on the tape for the coaches.”

Powell is relentless finding open spots and seams, sure-handed and tough in traffic. Because the Bulldogs have so many weapons, not sure if he'll match his numbers from 2023, but he'll be equally vital.