Folsom dominates Cathedral Catholic to secure CIF D1-AA State Championship

The Folsom Bulldogs posing with their CIF state championship trophy  Nick Adamson | Lariat

The Folsom Bulldogs are crowned victorious after defeating the Cathedral Catholic Dons 42-28 in the CIF D1-AA State Championship. This was the Bulldogs’ sixth state championship win, and their second state championship win over the Dons.

This was the third time the Bulldogs and Dons have met in the State Championship game, with the record being 1-1. Folsom defeated the Dons in 2018 and then lost in 2021. 

After last week’s injury, Folsom’s five-star BYU commit, starting quarterback Ryder Lyons, was questionable to play. Warming up, but not taking the majority of snaps. It was looking like backup three-star quarterback Brody Rudnicki was going to get the start. 

But this was no setback for the Bulldogs, as Brody came in for the injured Ryder Lyons last week and led the Bulldogs to a comeback win over Archbishop Riordan.

So with both schools familiar with one another and a tiebreaker at stake, it was set to be an all-time classic. And then the fog rolled in.

With kickoff minutes away, a thick fog rolled into the stadium, restricting vision to about 20-30 yards, recreating the scene from the infamous “Fog Bowl”. 

But it seemed Folsom was prepared for the fog somehow, quickly jumping out to a 21-0 lead over the Dons in the first quarter. 

Folsom Receiver Jameson Powell fighting his way through Cathedral Catholic defender  Nick Adamson | Lariat

These quick points came in thanks to Rudnicki, rushing for two touchdowns and connecting with three-star receiver Rob Larson for a 32-yard passing touchdown. 

The Dons finally got into the endzone when running back/defensive back Honor Falaave rushed for a 15-yard touchdown, cutting the lead down to 21-7.

Quickly, hope was lost for the Dons. Rudnicki felt it was time to prove why he is the best backup QB in the country, rushing and throwing for another two touchdowns, extending Folsom’s lead to 35-7. 

Folsom’s backup quarterback, Brody Rudnicki, powering his way into the endzone  Nick Adamson | Lariat

Cathedral Catholic would keep it interesting, continuing to score while on offense.

Unfortunately for the Dons, so would the Bulldogs. Cathedral Catholic did get within two scores, but there was just not enough time for a real comeback to be made. 

Ryder Lyons did see the field as he came in for Rudnicki in the red zone on a drive in the 4th quarter, but with the shoulder injury still lingering, it was clear he wasn’t going to risk his health for a meaningless score. 

Lyons has already made his mark on Folsom’s program, leading them to a CIF Division 1-AA State Championship in 2023. 

Five-star BYU commit Ryder Lyons  Nick Adamson | Lariat

“Just trying to stay myself and stamp this team,” Lyons said to Zach Atwood, editor for the Lariat. “This group of seniors, man, is a special group of people. I’ve been playing with some of these kids for 5, 6 years. Just yeah, leave better than we came.”

Ryder saw the field again when he came out for the final possession, kneeling the ball to run out the last minute of the 4th quarter. 

“I’m just happy to be here,” says Lyons. “I’m so happy for my teammates on how they executed, especially Brody. I mean, I know he’s a special player, so it’s not really surprising to me, but I think he showed a lot of people today, which is incredible for him.” 

The final score of 42-28 did not do justice to how much of a beatdown Folsom gave to Cathedral Catholic, outplaying the Dons at every aspect of the game.

The obvious standout is Rudnicki with six total touchdowns and over 300 total yards. 

“This wasn’t my game,” Rudnicki said to Justin Lee, reporter for JPWest Media.” It’s truly a blessing and honor to share with amazing coaches and teammates on the field.” 

It was a team effort, but Rudnicki did guide his team to Folsom’s sixth CIF State Championship. 

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