Placer pounds Rio Linda; late touchdown dooms Colfax

Placer High School jumped out to a 28-0 lead in the first quarter as they improved to 2-0 with a 54-7 drubbing at Rio Linda on Friday night. A committee of seven ball carriers pounded the Rio Linda defense for more than 300 yards rushing and five touchdowns. Senior Jayden Erickson led the Hillmen with 67 yards on 10 carries. Baylor Kelley found the end zone twice on his three rushes, racking up 58 yards. Shaun Jones, Danny Sanchez and William Santamaria each ran for a touchdown. Santamaria also had a big night on defense with a team-high nine tackles. He also made a tackle for a loss. Daniel Maldonado had two tackles for a loss, including one for a safety. Placer forced six Rio Linda turnovers, three interceptions and three fumble recoveries. Kelley had his second interception of the season and returned it for a touchdown, while Alex Lopez had a fumble recovery and a pick. The Hillmen now turn their attention to Friday night's rivalry matchup with Del Oro (0-1) in Loomis. East Nicolaus 27, Colfax 20: Colfax hit the road for the first time Friday night, facing Northern Section power East Nicolaus in hopes of claiming a second consecutive win over one of the top small schools in Northern California. It was a back-and-forth battle, but a 27-yard touchdown pass from East Nicolaus' Mason Taylor to Mikey Robbins in the final minute was the difference as the Spartans handed the Falcons their first loss. Colfax fell behind by two scores early in the third quarter, but senior quarterback Noah Smith threw scoring darts to Jack Massett and Garrett Lewis to put the Falcons on top 17-13. The Spartans regained the lead early in the fourth when Taylor ran for a three-yard touchdown, but Colfax regained the lead 20-19 on a 25-yard field goal by Missouri commit Robert Meyer before East Nicolaus' winning drive. Smith finished with 189 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. His 386 yards passing have him as one of the top 15 passing quarterbacks in the Sac-Joaquin Section. Josiah Rubidoux had a strong night on the ground with 71 yards on 12 carries, but as a whole, the Falcons struggled on the ground and averaged just 3.6 yards per rush. Colfax (1-1) faces a tough home test this week against Union Mine (1-1) in what could prove to be pivotal in the Division VI playoff seeding in November. The Falcons beat the Diamondbacks in overtime last season in El Dorado and look to dive into Pioneer Valley League play with a win.