Rocklin bowls over Whitney for eighth straight Quarry Bowl win

Even standing room was scarce Friday night in Rocklin as nearly 6,500 fans flocked to Thunder Stadium for the Quarry Bowl between Rocklin and Whitney to open Sierra Foothill League play. Whitney entered the game seeking its first Quarry Bowl victory since 2015 and first win over the Thunder since the 2019 postseason. Rocklin outscored the Wildcats 28-0 in the second half, cruising to an eighth straight win over its crosstown rival 42-3. "You've gotta give credit to Whitney, they played great in the first half," Rocklin coach Jason Adams said. "Our guys needed to just take a deep breath and settle in. That's high school football, sometimes you just don't play well but we played really well in the second half and we had a lot of guys who were bought into being good teammates and they executed." Whitney lost starting quarterback Logan Sindelar to an injury just four plays into the game, but had a chance to take the lead late in the second quarter as backup Laith Zeki led his troops down the field and inside the Thunder ten yard line. Trailing 7-3, the Wildcats had to settle for a field goal but the snap was bobbled and Whitney came up empty handed. Rocklin capitalized on the error, driving down the field swiftly and taking a 14-3 lead thanks to a one-yard touchdown run by Derek Keeley that was set up by a 38-yard pass from Reeve Slone to Mavrik Collins. Keeley was the featured back in Rocklin's backfield and had a nose for the endzone, rushing for five touchdowns on 18 carries. The junior gave the credit to his offensive line, as the Thunder front paved the way for him all night. "They executed well and worked hard all week in practice and they played like it every snap," Keeley said of his offensive line. "I was seeing the holes well but most of the credit goes to my line." Sophomore quarterback Reeve Slone was efficient leading the Thunder down the field, completing six of his ten passes for 142 yards and a touchdown. He was also able to move the chains with his legs, racking up 54 yards on six rushes. Slone noted that while there were some nerves heading into his first big rivalry game at the varsity level, had no problem settling in once he took the field. "There's definitely a different atmosphere for games like this. It was really loud even though we were at home, but on the first play of the game all of those nerves kind of went away," Slone said. "This obviously is a really important game and I'm glad that we came out and got the win." "His ability to let the game come to him and not try and force things is what makes him special," Adams said of Slone. "He can run, he can throw, he's accurate, he's got a good strong arm, and he makes tremendous decisions. We feel very comfortable with the ball in his hands and he showed why tonight." Slone wasn't the only quarterback that earned the praise of his head coach Friday night. While the Wildcats struggled to move the ball in the second half, Whitney coach Zac McNally found Zeki's efforts admirable and he felt that he was able to rally the offense and provide a spark when needed. "I can't say enough about the guy's toughness, obviously he's getting some reps during the regular week, but to come in after the first series in this environment, I mean, it just says a lot about him and his character," McNally said of Zeki. "I couldn't be more proud of him stepping up at that moment. He made plays and gave us opportunities and I felt that the moment wasn't too big for him." Rocklin's defense made things difficult for Whitney all night, holding the Wildcats to just 134 total yards of total offense. Gettis Rose rattled off a 49-yard run on the first play from scrimmage, but the Thunder defensive front adjusted and allowed just 36 rushing yards for the remainder of the game. Spencer Patton, John Correa, Koen Bell, and Dominic Coelho led the charge for the Thunder defensive line. Whitney (2-4, 0-1 SFL) will look to regroup next week at home against Granite Bay (4-2, 1-0 SFL) as the Wildcats are still in need of two wins to become playoff eligible. McNally said that he feels his team has something it can build on in Friday's performance, noting how he was pleased with how the Wildcats played in the first half. "We got to learn from this. The team that showed up in the first half, I liked. That's Wildcat football. But the team that showed up in the second half, that's not us," McNally said. "We are still on the mission for two more wins and we obviously missed a really big opportunity tonight." Rocklin (6-0, 1-0 SFL) has its toughest test to date on the horizon, as the Thunder welcome defending league and Division I section champion Folsom (4-2, 1-0 SFL) to town Friday night. Rocklin is confident that it has what it takes to dethrone the Bulldogs for the second time in three years, but Adams says a good week of practice will be crucial if the Thunder want to come out on top. Keeley echoed his coach's words, saying that "we have to work hard and have the best week of practice we've had in awhile. I think if we execute, we're gonna be a better team and we'll come out on top." Rocklin 42, Whitney 3 Whitney 0 3 0 0 - 3 Rocklin 7 7 14 14 - 42 Rocklin- Derek Keeley 6 run (Jacob Winter kick) Whitney- Ryan Eisert 38 field goal Rocklin- Keeley 5 run (Winter kick) Rocklin- Keeley 14 run (Winter kick) Rocklin- Keeley 3 run (Winter kick) Rocklin- Keeley 3 run (Winter kick) Rocklin- Rafi Merino 48 pass from Reeve Slone (Winter kick)