2025 football season has arrived

The 2025 football season is upon us and it is time to take a brief look at the local teams in our area. The Folsom Bulldogs went 12-2 last year and won the Sierra Foothill League championship (7-0) and the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship, but the team fell one game short of reaching the state championship game, having lost on the road to Pittsburg, 28-27, in the Nor-Cal title game. Folsom looks to have the biggest edge of the three local teams, if only because they're the only team of the three to return a starter at the quarterback position, and that, of course, is Brigham Young University commit Ryder Lyons. The senior is looking to lead the Bulldogs back to the state championship game, which he did as a sophomore when the team won its fifth state championship. Last year Lyons completed 68 percent of his passes (211-of-310) for 3,011 yards and 46 touchdowns, while throwing six interceptions. His numbers were similar to the stats he put up his sophomore season in leading the Bulldogs to a state championship, except that he threw for less yards (3,578 to 3,011) last season but more touchdowns (46 to 38). Lyons isn't the only player returning. Folsom returns seven starter on offense, missing only two linemen, one receiver and one running back. Back are linemen Malachi Coleman, Vlad Dyakonov and Zach Ramirez, Lyons, and receivers Jamison Powell, Isaiah Williams and Rob Larson. Powell led the team in receiving a year ago with 68 catches for 920 yards and 16 touchdowns. Williams caught 29 passes and Larson caught 23, both of those numbers should go up this year. Defensively, Folsom will look a lot different as they return only three starters in tackle Lua DeBerry-Tupou and cornerbacks Jason Hill and August Dupree. DeBerry-Tupou is the unquestionable leader of the defense. At 6-3, 255, he's a monster at the line of scrimmage who had 50 tackles, five sacks and led the team with 15.5 tackles for a loss. How the Bulldogs fill in those eight other spots and the performance they get from those players will be the key to the season. Oak Ridge and Vista del Lago will both be replacing quarterbacks; Joaquin Graves-Mercado for the Trojans and Grant Rogers for the Eagles. For the Eagles, the team went 5-5 in the regular season and then won a playoff game against Johansen before being eliminated by Vanden, 28-7, who went on to win a state championship. The Eagles former head coach, Mike Struebing, returns to replace Kyle Landes, who resigned. Struebing previously coached the team from 2013-2020. Vista will be looking to senior David Wright, junior Christian Chavez or sophomore Jacoby More to be their starting quarterback. Wright was Rogers' backup on varsity last year, while Chavez led the junior varsity team to an 8-2 record, while More led the freshman team to an undefeated 10-0 record. Vista graduated more than just their quarterback. They also lost their top running back, Jahaan Kalkat, and their top-two receivers, Willie Greene and Matt Werpy. Kalkat led the team in rushing with 492 yards, while Greene was one of the region's top receivers with 49 catches for 1,186 yards and 18 touchdowns. A true long ball threat, Greene averaged 24 yards per catch. Jack Cromwell is the top returning rusher and will be joined by Joseph Ahola and Gavin Brainerd, but it will be difficult to find a replacement for Greene. Kyle Cromwell (21) and Dylan Davis (14) are the only two returning players who reached double digits in catches. Defense will be another issue, as the Eagles graduated their top-12 tacklers Travis Triplett (18) and Jack Cromwell (14) are the team's top returning tacklers. Oak Ridge posted an 8-5 record last year. After a slow 0-3 start, the Trojans finished 8-2 and made it all the way to the section title game before losing to Folsom. Like the Eagles, the Trojans also have a position battle to replace Graves-Mercado at quarterback. Junior Ethan Quan, last year's starting quarterback on the junior varsity team, junior Nick Johnson, a transfer from Folsom, and sophomore Luke Taber, the starter on the freshman team a year ago, are in a battle for the starting quarterback position. Oak Ridge does return three of their top five returning rushers from a season ago, as seniors Austin Olive, Jasen Womack and Tyler Andujar are all back. While Oak Ridge has depth, their leading rusher from a season ago, Olive, only gained 346 yards. While the Trojans lost tight end and top receiver Kaleb Edwards, who's now at the University of Alabama, they do return junior Isaac Pierce, who caught 32 passes for 709 yards and four touchdowns a season ago. Womack (37 catches, 375 yards and four TDS) also returns. Defense could be a strength for the Trojans, as the team returns six or their top-11 tacklers from a season ago: Womack, and his brother Justen, Troy Taber, Ayden Oliphant, Keith Erickson and Asch Andrade.