Rocklin looks to repeat as section champion, seeks state title

Last year was a season to remember for Rocklin High School football. The Thunder won their first Sac-Joaquin Section championship since 2009 and and were one win away from reaching the Division 2AA state championship game. This year, Rocklin returns the majority of its offensive weapons and while the Thunder know that there will be a target on their backs, they feel they have the pieces needed to make a run at a state championship. "It all starts for us in early January. We get in there and we're lifting and starting to build up to the season," said Rocklin coach Jason Adams. "I'm hoping that we're ready (to defend a section title). We have a really mature group that worked hard and said and did a lot of the right things all offseason." Leading the way for Rocklin will be junior quarterback Reeve Slone, who burst onto the scene last season with 2,454 passing yards and 22 touchdowns. Slone was just as dangerous with his legs, as he amassed 350 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Adams had high praise for his signal caller, saying that Slone is incredibly humble and coachable, but it's his athleticism that sets him apart as one of the best quarterbacks in the section. "He can make a good throw but when he takes off he's tremendous," Adams said. "We didn't realize how good he was going to be last year on Friday nights. The biggest thing was his post snap decisions. When things get squirrely and when the bullets start going, it's like it just slows down for Reeve. We avoided a lot of tough situations and he made us look really smart last year because of the decisions he made after the snap. He's a fun kid to be around too and he doesn't need any extra attention." Slone says that he doesn't buy too much into the preseason hype or the high expectations after his breakout sophomore year, he just wants to improve his game and make his team better. "I try not to think too much about last year. I just want to build off of it and get better at what I do. I've been working on my pocket presence. I feel like sometimes I tend to bail out of a pocket too early so I am working on keeping my eyes downfield," said Slone. Slone also talked about how his chemistry has grown with his receivers and running backs now that he has had an offseason of training with them as a starter, saying, "Our chemistry has grown a lot. We worked out a lot this offseason and I got a lot of weapons around me so I feel good with my options that I will have." One of those weapons is running back and linebacker Derek Keeley, who ran for over 1,000 yards and 20 touchdowns last season. Keeley was also one of the top linebackers in the Sierra Foothill League with 97 tackles, five sacks, and nine tackles for a loss. While Keeley stands at an unassuming 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, he is a bulldog on both sides of the ball and is one of the most physical players on the field. He says that he loved playing on both sides of the ball and if it were up to him, he would play every snap on Friday nights. "I just want to do all I can to help the team to be honest," Keeley said. "I'm a very conditioned guy.. I honestly hate when my coach takes me out. He tells me that I need the break but I think I can handle it. I want to be out there every snap." Keeley says he has been working to improve his conditioning even more in the offseason, running hills with his mouthguard in to ensure that he never gets tired on Friday nights. Keeley is the power portion of Rocklin's one-two punch in the backfield alongside speedster Rafi Merino. He says that the two have been appropriately nicknamed thunder and lightning, but that he is working on improving his speed to match Merino's. Paving the way for Keeley and Merino will be Rocklin's burley offensive line, led by UCLA commit Garrison Blank and bruising right guard Henry Hatada. Center Dwight Nguyen is also a returning starter. "We have a lot of starts there between those three on the line. They're all smart guys and hard workers. They lead by example," Adams said of his linemen. When they're not at practice, you can find them running up the hills Rocklin or in one of the local coaches garages on the speed bag. We're lucky to have those guys." Blank said that winning the section championship last season was one of the best memories of his life and that it made him hungry to defend that title this season and shoot for a state championship. "I've always wanted a championship with this team and I wanted to win with these guys. We've been working out together since I was in sixth grade so us winning together was huge," Blank said. "Doing it again would be awesome. I love winning, we all love winning so we're excited for this season." Rocklin begins its section championship defense on the road on Aug. 23 at Turlock. The Thunder will host Bishop Manogue of Reno on Aug. 30 for their home opener.