Rocklin handles Del Oro in 12th annual battle of the shield

On Oct. 9, 2005, Rocklin Police Officer Matt Redding died in the line of duty, due to an accident on Highway 65 involving a drunk driver. Ever since 2010, the Rocklin Thunder and Del Oro Golden Eagles have honored his legacy with the battle of the shield. "I knew Redding when he was a student and it was a tragedy when he died trying to protect his community," Del Oro coach Mike Maben said. "It's important that we teach our young men about tradition and honor, and his sacrifice has been a reminder of how important it is not to drink and drive and to become a positive member in your community." The Thunder came away with the win this year 38-3 to continue their undefeated start to the 2021 season. Del Oro put up the first points of the game when senior kicker Nicholas Verdugo converted a 25-yard field goal. These would be the only points the Golden Eagles would score. Rocklin got off to a bit of a shaky start in the first quarter but scored when junior Eli Hardy took it into the end zone from 11 yards out, putting the Thunder up 6-3. Senior Jon Chaney converted a 33-yard field goal to extend the lead 9-3 near the end of the first quarter. The Golden Eagles recovered a muffed punt but didn't capitalize on good field position to begin the second quarter. On the next drive, Thunder quarterback Kenny Lueth connected with senior receiver Nathan Kent for an 83-yard score. Kent converted the two-point conversion to make the score 17-3. "We saw a matchup that we liked and went with it," Kent said. "Our biggest strength is our balance. We have great ball carriers and great route runners and to back it all up is a knowledgeable and supportive coaching staff." The Thunder scored two more times in the first half, both on quarterback runs by Lueth, making the score 31-3. Lueth injured his knee before the second touchdown and didn't play in the second half. Rocklin had three interceptions in the game coming from plays made by Teeg Slone, Kaiden Baker and senior Elias Mullican, who had the final pick in the third quarter. "I remember when I was little seeing varsity players make big plays and I was in awe every time and doing that tonight in front of all these fans and my parents making them proud feels really good," Mullican said. Rocklin scored once more with a 29-yard run by Mason Silva, but this game was over long before the final whistle blew. The Thunder improved to 5-0 for the first time since 2014. "These guys are really good from Monday through Thursday and they're all ready to fly to the ball and we have a great three-level defense with our line, our backers and our defensive backs," Thunder defensive coordinator Brandon Bochi said. Del Oro fell for the second week in a row and is now 4-2 over, winless in Sierra Foothill League play. "We just weren't clicking and I made some bad decisions," Del Oro senior quarterback Ryan Lewis said. "We have to trust each other and I need to trust my line and stay in the pocket." The Thunder will play Granite Bay on the road next week while the Golden Eagles will be at home against Folsom. Granite Bay defeated Oak Ridge 21-20 on Friday while Folsom shut out Grant 54-0. "When you're playing in the SFL and you're playing against the number one and two teams in the section back to back, heart is very important and keeping our heads up while facing adversity," Maben said.